Where, When and Why to Visit Japan
Japan. A country reminiscent of all things from cherry blossom, to sushi, to cities and countryside in equally vivid measure, to bizarre game shows and pretty pagodas. It’s somewhere that many people dream of going to but few get the opportunity.
If you do get the opportunity to go, then you have so much to look forward to! Eating in an authentic Japanese restaurant, dipping sushi flavoured with wasabi into tiny bowls of soy sauce, or sampling the sashimi (tiny slivers of raw fish). Or visiting the Hakone district or the Izu peninsula to explore the spectacular picturesque scenery. Go and see Mount Fuji, or the Nagasaki Peace Park and temple.
Japan has an amazing history – think feudal systems, samurai, Pearl Harbour and Hiroshima – and you could easily spend a whole fortnight visiting all the sights of historical importance and still not get to see a fraction of them. So for starters, you should visit the Peace Park at Hiroshima, the site of the atomic bomb blast that is still treated with enormous reverence and respect It also has a Peace Memorial Museum which is eerily evocative of that terrible past. Another sight to visit is in Tokyo, where the Imperial Palace and Sensoji Temple compete for attention.
So when is best to go? Japan has four seasons, and each offers different festivals and reasons to visit. Most tourists visit Japan in late spring/summer (cherry blossom aplenty) and over the New Year period. However, many people also love visiting in Autumn to witness Japan in all its autumnal-foliage glory. Obviously, travelling outside these popular times will be when you will find prices most reasonable (mid-January to March). The weather is generally balmy in summer with temperatures around 70-80 degrees centigrade, freezing cold in winter, and mild in between (around 50 – 60 degrees centigrade). The country’s rainy season is mid-June to mid-July and typhoons occur frequently in September.
Book now if you want to be sure of accommodation over the New Year period, or for any time in between now and the year end if you want a cheaper deal. There’s so much to do in Japan. Most residents speak excellent English but appreciate any attempts at speaking Japanese, so take a phrasebook to be polite and you’ll get a very warm reception.