Have your eyes set on a holiday to Japan? It is bound to be a great time. No matter what time of the year you travel. Depending on your reasons for visiting, specific periods throughout the year may be the best time to travel to Japan. However, taking a look back at the whole year, autumn is probably the best time of year to travel to Japan. Here are a few reasons why autumn is a great time to visit Japan.
Autumn Leaves
Probably the most iconic and distinguished highlight of Japanese autumn. The leaves are splashed with vibrant and picturesque colors of yellow, orange, and red. The natural development of leaves going from a lush green to that of autumn foliage is something quite spectacular. It is something that is enjoyed by Japanese people so much that there are celebrations and events created, specifically for viewing the leaves.
‘Momiji-gari’ or ‘kōyō’ is one of these said events, and roughly translates to ‘autumn leaf hunting’ in English. This is when, as the name suggests, people go out in search of the most beautiful and scenic locations where the leaves can be seen. It is a very popular activity for people to do during this season and is a great way for people to socialize and have a picnic, while surrounded by the enchanting colors of nature.
Weather/Temperature
Another reason why autumn is a great time to visit Japan is because of the weather and temperature. The previous season of summer in Japan is notoriously hot and humid, where you are bound to sweat so much that an escape to a crisp, air-conditioned convenience store is something you will be doing often.
As the season transitions into autumn and days get cooler, the hot sweaty days of summer are no more as temperatures sit around 20°C to 25°C during the day and 15°C to 20°C during the morning and night.
The weather is perfectly balanced, albeit the odd day here and there where it may be a bit chillier, but nothing that would ruin a day out in Japan. Although rainy days still occur in autumn, it hopefully should be nothing that could ruin your trip.
Festivals
While the majority of festivals take place in the summer, you will be happy to hear that festivals are present all throughout the year! Multiple famous ones take place in autumn, and it is the perfect opportunity to experience a Japanese festival or ‘matsuri’ in Japanese.
One of these events is the ‘Kishiwada Danjiri’ festival, which takes place in the city of‘Kishiwada’ located in the south of Osaka. The event occurs in September and consists of giant, beautifully decorated floats called ‘danjiri’ that are paraded through the streets.
But the fun does not stop there. As a crowd of people pulls each float, there are also people that dance on top during the whole parade. They make for quite a spectacular performance and only amps up the energetic and at times chaotic intensity of the event. It is one of the biggest festivals in the whole of Japan and is highly recommended if you are in the area.
Fewer crowds
Autumn is a season highly attractive to visitors because of the colorful autumn foliage. However, you may be surprised to hear that it is not too crowded for most of the season.
Spring becomes busy because of the blooming of cherry blossoms. Many tourists flock to Japan in summer because of the long holiday period. Autumn luckily avoids that for the most part. The majority of the people who came to visit in summer will usually start trickling back home. This occurs around September and possibly October.
But now you may be asking, “what about the people coming to visit for the autumn leaves?”. Well, it only starts to get crowded during the peak period of the autumn foliage. Depending on which area of Japan you are in, the peak period will vary. But in Tokyo for example, the leaves peak in late November.
However, you will be able to see glimpses of the leaves changing color from as early as late September. The most ideal period to get a much more ideal view of colored landscapes is around October.
Final thoughts
Overall, autumn is a great period for people to visit Japan. It can accommodate people wanting to experience some culture with festivals. It encompasses a lot of the things people look forward to when visiting Japan.
Fancy a different kind of vacation? See what you can get up to in Phuket.
