The Japanese Archipelago covers 20 degrees of latitude, and so the climate varies greatly, ranging from temperate in the north island of Hokkaido to sub-tropical in Okinawa in the far south. Essentially Japan’s four seasons resemble our own, but conditions are more pronounced, with a significantly colder and snowier winter and a much hotter, stickier summer.
Spring and autumn are the best times to travel, with the delicate cherry blossom or turning leaves adding a gorgeous hue to the scenery. The cherry blossom begins its journey northward in mid-March, reaching Kyoto and Tokyo by early April, and finally arriving in Sapporo by early May. The autumn leaves reverse the pattern, touching the high peaks of Hokkaido in mid-October and marching steadily south to Kyoto by mid-November.
For hikers and lovers of the outdoors the summer months offer ideal conditions in the mountains of the Japanese Alps and Hokkaido’s wild national parks, or for a very different experience why not visit Japan in the winter, when the people of the snowy north brighten the dark days with a host of colourful festivals and events.