winter
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Happy New Year’s Day in Japan
Just like in other countries, Japan has its own way to ring in the new year and its own traditions on the first few days of January. Let us give you some travel tips for Japan in the first week of January!
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A Spectacular Japanese Festival at the end of the year
Learn more about Japan’s traditions surrounding the end of the year, and find out how to have a good NYE in Tokyo!
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Kusatsu Hot Spring | Large amount of natural hot springs and those beautiful landscapes
The town of Kusatsu in Gunma became well known about 120 years ago after Dr. Balz from Germany, found its hot spring to be very effective against all kinds of ailments.
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Hakuba, Nagano | Resorts including the largest ski resort in Japan
Hakuba in Nagano is one of Japan’s ski areas with several large ski resorts to choose from. The magnificent views and snow conditions make it very popular.
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Nagano City | Beautiful nature in each season and historic townscape
Nagano city is a good place to stay as a base for making day trips in the area with its good bus and train connections. What is there to do in the city itself?
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Shiga Kogen, Nagano | People’s Lives in Harmony with Beautiful Nature
The Shiga Kogen Highlands were formed by volcanic activity and have a mountainous landscape. It stands as one of the world’s largest winter resorts and was home to many of the events of the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics.
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Shirakawago | Beautiful scenery of magnificent nature and gassho-zukuri villages
Declared a UNESCO world heritage site in 1995, Shirakawago is best known for its traditional farmhouses in the thatched-roof style called Gasshozukuri, some of which are more than 250 years old.
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Yudanaka, Nagano | Beautiful hot spring resort with a long history that even monkeys visit
Yudanaka, rich in natural hot springs, is located deep in the mountains of the Yamanouchi area in Nagano. Some 200 monkeys live in this area. Watching them bathe just like humans do is fun!
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Ashikaga Flower Park | Beautiful seasonal flowers and illumination
The Ashikaga Flower Park has wisteria trees that are 130 years old, and in spring the flowers are at their best. This gorgeous park is very popular with visitors from all over Japan.
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Surgical Masks used for various purposes in Japan
Why have Japanese people been wearing masks even before Covid-19 hit? Besides protecting yourself and others from viruses, there are interesting other reasons as well.
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Sapporo and Moerenuma Park, Hokkaido | Beautiful scenery in every season
Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost island. The Moerenuma Park was designed by the world-famous sculptor Isamu Noguchi.
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Niseko Ski Resort, Hokkaido | A mecca for winter sports
Niseko is located a two-hour drive away from Hokkaido’s main airport New Chitose, and it is a much-loved destination for winter sports from late November until early May.
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Asahikawa Area, Hokkaido | A city with the largest national park in Japan
Asahikawa is the second-largest city in Hokkaido. Early February each year the Ashikawa Winter Festival is held here, but there are more reasons to visit this cool city.
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Shiretoko and Abashiri, Hokkaido | Nature that can only be experienced in the farthest reaches of the earth
Shiretoko in Hokkaido is a real nature paradise. You can enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, an ice breaker boat, and a drift ice walk. Birding in winter is also a special experience.
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Winter in Japan offers many ways to enjoy it
Although Japan welcomes most tourists in spring and summer, for those who are looking for a more quiet time and a different kind of experience, winter can be a great time to discover Japan.
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Winter Sports in Beautiful Japanese Nature
If you love skiing and snowboarding, Japan is a great December-April destination for you. There are over 500 ski resorts across Japan which vary in size from large resorts to small one-lift shops.
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Sukiyaki | A delicious and luxurious dish representing the Japanese winter
Sukiyaki is a typical wintertime dish in Japan featuring beef, tofu, scallions, cabbage, and mushrooms. You can eat it in restaurants, but Japanese people also eat this at home a lot.
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Shabu Shabu | New Japanese Cuisine
Shabu shabu is still a relatively new dish. It was inspired by the Chinese-style hot pot that was brought to Japan by a restaurant named Suehiro from Osaka.
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Oden | A very popular dish among the Japanese, especially in winter
If you want to try something new in Japan that you can likely not find in your home country, you should give oden a try! It is not only delicious but also a healthy and low-calorie option.
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2025 Winter Tour (6d/5n) | Enjoy the Amazing Nature of Hokkaido
The eastern part of Hokkaido is still undeveloped and a true treasure chest of nature. Let us take you to this area to meet a plethora of wild birds and animals.