--Land of the Rising Sun
 

Capital: Tokyo

Weather: Climate varies from tropical in the south to cool temperate in the north. Autumn (September to November) is a great time to travel whenthe temperatures are pleasant.   Spring (March to May), with its clear skies and cherry blossoms, is probably the most celebrated Japanese season, but it's a holiday period for the Japanese and many of the more popular travel destinations tend to be flooded with domestic tourists.  It is highly recommended that advanced arrangements for accommodations are made if you plan to travel there during peak holiday seasons like New Year, mid summer, and during the O-Bon Festival.

Background

Whatever else you do, prepare to be surprised. Between the elegant formality and the boisterous sake drinking matches, Japan has a charm that is both classically aesthetic and almost futuristic in its technology.

The best way to approach Japan is to discard your preconceptions. After all, Japan isn't all about sushi and modern equipment.  With all the nicely gleaming, sanitized environment, and the startling beauty of the gardens and riotous rural festivals, everyone finds their own vision of Japan.

Facts for the Traveler:

Visas: US passport holders, most EU residents and visitors from Australia and New Zealand do not require a visa if staying in Japan less than 90 days. For information on visas visit the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 

Events

Expect a total sell-out for travel and lodging during Japan's biggest holidays, New Year (December 29 to January 3) and Golden Week (the lumping together of Green Day, Constitution Day and Children's Day, from April 27 to May 6). Other festivals include Coming-of-Age Day (second Monday in January), when ceremonies are held for boys and girls who have reached the age of 20. The Japanese celebrate the end of winter on February 3 or 4 by indulging in Setsubun (bean throwing) while chanting 'in with good fortune, out with the devils'. Hanami (Blossom Viewing) usually runs from February to April; the romantic Tanabata Matsuri (Star Festival) is on July 7; and O Bon (Festival of the Dead), when lanterns are floated on rivers, lakes or the sea to signify the return of the departed to the underworld, takes place from July 13-16 and mid-August.

Kyoto's Gion Matsuri (July 17) is perhaps the most renowned of all Japanese festivals. The climax is a parade of massive man-dragged floats decked out in incredible finery, harking back to a 9th-century request to the gods to end a plague sweeping the city. In the cute and kooky department, Niramekko Obisha (January 20; Chiba) combines a staring contest with consumption of sake - the one with the straightest face wins. The Yah-Yah Matsuri (first Sunday to the following Saturday of February; Owase) is an argument contest: competitors scream Samurai chants and try to look fearsome. Afterwards, they take off all their clothes and jump in the ocean. White Day (March 14) is a bizarre follow up to Valentine's Day where men are supposed to reciprocate to their valentine with a gift of chocolate or marshmallow.
 

Visit Beautiful Japan today!