The 10 Japanese Seasons

Japanpedia - In Japan, work, play, food, culture and life run on a seasonal cycle that give the years a rhythm.

Seasons are important for planning your trip to Japan. There's no right or wrong time to visit. Each season has its own offerings.

Japanese seasons include:

1. Four Seasons

Four Seasons

Most regions of Japan have a distinct Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn. It's a surprisingly common myth amongst the Japanese that Japan is the only country with four seasons. Japan's seasons are viewed as a unique aspect of the country that have helped to define the culture.

2. Fruit Seasons

Fruit Seasons

Year-round (depending on fruit)

Japan has unique fruit. Japanese fruit is available at any supermarket in Japan at a reasonable price. Fruit picking is a popular activity that's a good way to connect with Japan's farming culture. There's always something in season:

	Start	End
Satonishiki Cherries	May	July
Ume	June	July
Melons	June	August
Peaches	June	September
Kyoho Grapes	July	October
Blueberries	July	August
Fuji Apples	September	December
Nashi Pears	September	October
Sudachi	October	November
Mikan	October	January
Yuzu	November	December
Kaki	November	February
Japanese Strawberries	December	June

3. Food Seasons

Japan has hundreds of dishes for each season. In many cases, it's considered odd to prepare a dish out of season. Winter dishes are hearty and warming. Spring dishes include seasonal ingredients such as sakura petals. Summer dishes are light and cooling. Autumn dishes reflect autumn colors and use ingredients from the autumn harvest.

(Hiyashi chuka, a summer classic)

4. Sakura Season

Sakura Season

February ~ May

When the sakura bloom in Spring everyone wants to be outside under the trees. Hanami parties explode all over Japan. Sakura first bloom by region as follows (estimates only, it depends on the weather). Sakura season lasts a week or more after the first bloom.

Okinawa	Early February
Kyushu	Late March
Shikoku	Late March or Early April
Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe	Late March or Early April
Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba	Late March or Early April
Tohoku	Mid To Late April
Hokkaido	Early May

5. Hay Fever Season

February ~ May

Over 25 million people in Japan have an allergy to cedar pollen. You'll notice a lot of people wearing masks when pollen counts are high (peak season is March and April).

6. Typhoon Season

May ~ October

Japan can get hit with a typhoon from May to October. However, the peak of the season is August and September. Major typhoons can completely disrupt your travel plans. Okinawa and other southern areas of Japan are most exposed to typhoons. However, Tokyo is also regularly thrown into chaos by a typhoon. Japan can be hit with up to a dozen or more typhoons in a year.

7. Rainy Season

May ~ July (depending on region)

Japanese language has 50 words for rain. The country generally gets a great deal of precipitation.

Japan's rainy season is a cloudy time of year that gets a reasonable amount of rain. Surprisingly, it's not the rainiest time of year. The timing of rainy season is called by the Japan Meteorological Agency each year. It's roughly as follows:

	Start	End
Okinawa	early May	late June
Kyushu	late May	mid July
Shikoku	early June	mid July
Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe	early June	mid July
Tokyo, Yokohama, Chiba	early June	late July
Tohoku	mid June	end of July
Hokkaido	no rainy season

8. Obon Season

July 13 - 15 or August 13 - 15 (depending on region)

Obon is a massive summer holiday season. It's believed that the dead return to the earthy realm at this time. People return to their hometowns to welcome their ancestors. It's the busiest travel season of the year. It's also a busy festival season.

9. Beach Season

Beach season

April ~ October (depends on location)

Most major beaches in Japan have an official season. In some cases, its warm enough to swim but no one does (except surfers) because its not the official season. In many cases, the official season of a beach coincides with school holidays and considers factors such as jellyfish. Seasons vary widely from prefecture to prefecture. Near Tokyo most beaches are open mid July ~ end August. In Okinawa its common for beaches to be open April ~ October.

10. Sking and Snowboarding Season

Sking and Snowboarding Season

Mid December ~ Early April

Japan is a mountainous country that's a snowy wonderland for much of the year. The core snowboarding season is January - March. However, it's possible to snowboard as late as May at some spots. 

Japanpedia Team,