Spring is the reason many travellers pick Japan in the first place. From late March the cherry blossom moves north in a wave that reaches Tokyo and Kyoto first, then the mountains and Hokkaido weeks later. The bloom is short, often little more than a week in any one city, and the exact dates shift every year with the weather. Forecasters publish blossom predictions each spring, but even these change, so build a few days of flexibility into any trip planned around sakura.

This season provides ideal conditions to explore iconic landmarks. You can admire spring blooms while visiting historic temples, shrines and vibrant city quarters.

Summer is hot, humid and lively. The rainy season, tsuyu, runs from early June to mid July across most of Honshu, bringing heavy but often short downpours rather than all day rain. July and August then turn muggy, with temperatures in the cities regularly above 30°C. The trade off is the festival calendar. Kyoto's Gion Matsuri fills July with tall wooden floats hauled through the streets, and in August the Obon period brings lantern ceremonies, including the floating lanterns on the river in Hiroshima. Early summer also brings the greenest countryside of the year before the heat sets in. If you travel now, plan indoor sights and museums for the middle of the day and save temples and gardens for the cooler mornings.

Autumn is the quieter equal of spring. From late September the maples and ginkgo turn, a change the Japanese call koyo, and the colour drifts south through October and November in the reverse of the blossom. Honshu holds the display longest, with November the reliable month for deep reds around Kyoto and the gardens of western Japan. The weather works in your favour. Cool, dry air and clear light make long sightseeing days comfortable, and queues at the headline temples are shorter than in spring. Korakuen Garden in Okayama and the hillsides around Nikko are among the settings that repay a visit at this time.

Winter is the season most visitors overlook. Tokyo and Kyoto stay cold but mostly dry, with daytime figures around 5°C to 10°C and bright, settled skies. Those clear winter days give the most dependable views of Mount Fuji, which spends much of the warmer months hidden in haze. The north is a different country in winter. Heavy snow falls across Hokkaido and the Japan Sea coast, feeding the ski resorts and the snow festivals, while central Honshu stays clear enough for easy travel between the main cities. Crowds thin, prices ease and the classic Tokyo to Kyoto route runs comfortably throughout.

Planning your trip around local celebrations adds deep cultural insight to your travel experiences. Japan hosts thousands of festivals throughout the year, with spring and summer offering some of the most famous events. In January, the Hatsumode tradition sees millions visit shrines like Meiji Jingu in Tokyo. Spring brings cherry blossom viewing parties, known as hanami, which peak during our most popular travel months of March, April, and May. Kyoto comes alive in July with the Gion Matsuri, featuring massive decorative floats moving through the city centre. August brings the Obon festival and lantern-floating ceremonies in Hiroshima, remembering past generations. Autumn brings vibrant foliage along with the Jidai Matsuri in Kyoto during October, where participants wear historic costumes.

If crowds and cost matter more than catching the blossom, the shoulder months reward you. June, before the worst of the heat, and late November, after the autumn rush, both bring lower prices on flights and hotels and noticeably shorter queues at the major sites. Early summer gives lush green countryside, while late autumn holds on to the last of the red maples. Prices for accommodation and transport drop away from the spring peak, so the same trip often costs less outside March, April and May. Smaller group departures suit the quieter months well. The Scenic Japan trip, an eight day itinerary for a maximum of six travellers, takes in Hakone and Mount Fuji alongside Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.