When is the best month to go japan (1 Viewer)

[Moonbinlove]

Btw Yokohama was awesome

Ah what’s in Yokohama

 

[Willow]

Ah what’s in Yokohama

 

[Moonbinlove]

wow it looks cool

 

[Willow]

wow it looks cool

My own pictures 😏😏

 

[Moonbinlove]

My own pictures 😏😏

They’re really good are you a photographer

 

[Willow]

They’re really good are you a photographer

No I am just talented 😌

 

[Moonbinlove]

No I am just talented 😌

you really are

 

[Willow]

you really are

My parents are photographers 😏

 

[Moonbinlove]

My parents are photographers 😏

That’s really cool 😊

 

[Jimimis]

dont go during cherry blossom season unless you love crowds

 

[SeulPika]

I may be going to japan next year and I was wondering when the best month to go visit as it’ll be my first time going also will I need a visiting visa

As @RandAlThor has already mentioned. I live in Japan. But prior to that I spent a number of years travelling around Japan at different times of the year. So I have a lot of information and recommendations that I could give you.

The best times of the year to visit are November and late March - mid April. At this time of the year the weather ranging from Kyushu up to Tokyo isn't too cold or too hot. These are also among the driest months of the year in Japan as rainy season/typhoon season is from June - October.
Those two periods are also some of the busiest times of the year in Japan as it'll be the autumn season (koyo viewing) and spring (Cherry blossom viewing)

However Japan does offer a lot of different experiences throughout the year. So it depends on what you want to experience really? I enjoy Kyoto in January as it's off peak. That means cheaper hotel rates and lower levels of tourists. There's also the possibility of checking out Kyoto's beautiful temples and shrines as they're covered in snow!
And for cherry blossom viewing I happen to prefer going off the tourist path with a trip up to the Tohoku Region and Hokkaido. The cherry blossoms in Northern Japan bloom late April - early May when most of the tourists will have already left.
Therefore you can experience beautiful cherry blossoms without the crowds (I also feel that the cherry blossom sights in Northern Japan are more beautiful than those of Kyoto and Tokyo). If that was an interest to you, then Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture is my #1 pick!

Feel free to ask me as many questions and recommendations as you want though (from places to visit, to places to eat at).


And as for the visa question. What country are you from? Most visitors to Japan can stay here for up to 3 months on a tourist visa. (No need to apply for a visa before entry to Japan)

 

[Willow]

@BritishLuvie Your pictures are amazing !

 

[Moonbinlove]

As @RandAlThor has already mentioned. I live in Japan. But prior to that I spent a number of years travelling around Japan at different times of the year. So I have a lot of information and recommendations that I could give you.

The best times of the year to visit are November and late March - mid April. At this time of the year the weather ranging from Kyushu up to Tokyo isn't too cold or too hot. These are also among the driest months of the year in Japan as rainy season/typhoon season is from June - October.
Those two periods are also some of the busiest times of the year in Japan as it'll be the autumn season (koyo viewing) and spring (Cherry blossom viewing)

However Japan does offer a lot of different experiences throughout the year. So it depends on what you want to experience really? I enjoy Kyoto in January as it's off peak. That means cheaper hotel rates and lower levels of tourists. There's also the possibility of checking out Kyoto's beautiful temples and shrines as they're covered in snow!
And for cherry blossom viewing I happen to prefer going off the tourist path with a trip up to the Tohoku Region and Hokkaido. The cherry blossoms in Northern Japan bloom late April - early May when most of the tourists will have already left.
Therefore you can experience beautiful cherry blossoms without the crowds (I also feel that the cherry blossom sights in Northern Japan are more beautiful than those of Kyoto and Tokyo). If that was an interest to you, then Hirosaki Castle in Aomori Prefecture is my #1 pick!

Feel free to ask me as many questions and recommendations as you want though (from places to visit, to places to eat at).


And as for the visa question. What country are you from? Most visitors to Japan can stay here for up to 3 months on a tourist visa. (No need to apply for a visa before entry to Japan)

thank you so much for this information it really helps a lot
Actually I have a question about hotels which would be the best one to go to

 

[SeulPika]

thank you so much for this information it really helps a lot
Actually I have a question about hotels which would be the best one to go to

Depends on your budget and what you're seeking?

For convenience at a moderate budget these are the business hotels that I would recommend staying at.

Tokyo;
- Sunroute Plaza Hotel, Shinjuku [No.1 recommendation]
- Remm, Akihabara [Anime & Manga paradise]
- Tokyo Plaza Hotel, Shin Okubo [Korea town]
- Hotel Asia Center of Japan, Akasaka
- Shiba Park Hotel, Minato [Right near Tokyo Tower]

Kyoto;
- Karasuma Kyoto Hotel [No.1 recommendation] [Central Kyoto]
- RESI STAY Karasuma Gojo [Central Kyoto]
- ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto [Next to Nijo Castle]

Osaka;
- Hotel Granvia, Osaka
- ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka

[Both hotels in the Umeda area in walking distance from Osaka Station]

Hiroshima;
- Hotel Granvia Hiroshima [Connected to Hiroshima Station and steps away from the shinkansen gates. The Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop bus that goes to all the major spots within Hiroshima also stops outside this hotel]

These are my recommendations for someone based on a traditional first trip to Japan (Tokyo - Osaka/Kyoto - Hiroshima)

Some tips that I would give as well if you ended up searching for other hotels in these areas and other parts of Japan.

- Check the area around the hotel. You'll want somewhere that is close to a train station (in Tokyo staying near the Yamanote Line is very convenient) and also has a convenience store (such as Family Mart, Lawson or 7-Eleven) nearby.
- Check for prices on comparison sites such as Expedia, Booking etc though doing a search of a specific hotel on Tripadvisor will give you the best price from all these sites.
- Don't worry about paying an additional cost for the hotel breakfasts. You can get cheaper (and better breakfasts) from a convenience store and also at restaurants such as Yoshinoya. Though if you're doing a day trip to somewhere on the shinkansen then a Ekiben (boxed meal) from the train station that you're departing from is highly recommended.
- If you're travelling around regions then try and make one hotel as your base for that area (If you're staying in Tokyo and you do day trips to places such as Kamakura & Nikko then it's better to just stay in Tokyo)
- Whilst staying in the Kansai region it's good to check for comparisons in price between the hotels in Osaka & Kyoto. Often hotels will be cheaper in Osaka compared to Kyoto and as the train journey between the two cities isn't too long. It might be more cost effective to make Osaka your Kansai base over Kyoto.

 

[Moonbinlove]

Depends on your budget and what you're seeking?

For convenience at a moderate budget these are the business hotels that I would recommend staying at.

Tokyo;
- Sunroute Plaza Hotel, Shinjuku [No.1 recommendation]
- Remm, Akihabara [Anime & Manga paradise]
- Tokyo Plaza Hotel, Shin Okubo [Korea town]
- Hotel Asia Center of Japan, Akasaka
- Shiba Park Hotel, Minato [Right near Tokyo Tower]

Kyoto;
- Karasuma Kyoto Hotel [No.1 recommendation] [Central Kyoto]
- RESI STAY Karasuma Gojo [Central Kyoto]
- ANA Crowne Plaza Kyoto [Next to Nijo Castle]

Osaka;
- Hotel Granvia, Osaka
- ANA Crowne Plaza Osaka

[Both hotels in the Umeda area in walking distance from Osaka Station]

Hiroshima;
- Hotel Granvia Hiroshima [Connected to Hiroshima Station and steps away from the shinkansen gates. The Hiroshima Sightseeing Loop bus that goes to all the major spots within Hiroshima also stops outside this hotel]

These are my recommendations for someone based on a traditional first trip to Japan (Tokyo - Osaka/Kyoto - Hiroshima)

Some tips that I would give as well if you ended up searching for other hotels in these areas and other parts of Japan.

- Check the area around the hotel. You'll want somewhere that is close to a train station (in Tokyo staying near the Yamanote Line is very convenient) and also has a convenience store (such as Family Mart, Lawson or 7-Eleven) nearby.
- Check for prices on comparison sites such as Expedia, Booking etc though doing a search of a specific hotel on Tripadvisor will give you the best price from all these sites.
- Don't worry about paying an additional cost for the hotel breakfasts. You can get cheaper (and better breakfasts) from a convenience store and also at restaurants such as Yoshinoya. Though if you're doing a day trip to somewhere on the shinkansen then a Ekiben (boxed meal) from the train station that you're departing from is highly recommended.
- If you're travelling around regions then try and make one hotel as your base for that area (If you're staying in Tokyo and you do day trips to places such as Kamakura & Nikko then it's better to just stay in Tokyo)
- Whilst staying in the Kansai region it's good to check for comparisons in price between the hotels in Osaka & Kyoto. Often hotels will be cheaper in Osaka compared to Kyoto and as the train journey between the two cities isn't too long. It might be more cost effective to make Osaka your Kansai base over Kyoto.

thank you soo much for this I will check more information on these hotels