🏮 Festivals season
Japan by Season
Blossom, fresh green, fireworks, maples, illuminations and snow — what each month of the Japanese year is actually worth travelling for, and the window each spot is at its best.
46 seasonal windows tagged “Sea & beaches” · timings shift with the weather each year — confirm before booking.
Summer in Japan — best right now
Festivals
Ends in 2 days
Osaka
Sumiyoshi Taisha — Ancient Shinto Shrine Architecture
July 30 – August 1
Major festival: July 30–August 1
Festivals
Gifu
Gujo Hachiman — Water Town of Springs & Canals
July 13 – September 7
Gujo Odori festival (July 13–September 7) especially the all-night dancing (Obon, mid-August)
Sea & beaches
Ibaraki
Ajigaura Beach — Surfing & Coastal Escape
Early July – late August(approx.)
July–August (swimming season)
Sea & beaches
Kagoshima
Iso Beach — City Beach with Volcano View
Early July – late August(approx.)
July–August for official swimming season (lifeguards, warm water 25–28°C). Late afternoon (16:00–18:00) any season for…
January
2 spots
February
2 spotsMarch
3 spotsApril
4 spotsKatsurahama Beach — Crescent Bay & Ryoma Statue
Sea & beachesEarly March – late May (approx.)
Kochi
Niyodo River — Miracle Clear Blue Water
Sea & beachesEarly April – late June (approx.)
Kochi
Angel Road (Shodoshima)
Sea & beachesEarly March – late May (approx.)
Kagawa
Amami Oshima — Subtropical Island Paradise
Sea & beachesEarly April – late June (approx.)
Kagoshima
May
6 spotsChichibugahama Beach (Sunset Reflections)
Sea & beachesMay (approx.)
Kagawa
Kashiwajima Island — Diving & Snorkeling Paradise
Sea & beachesMay (approx.)
Kochi
Katsurahama Beach — Crescent Bay & Ryoma Statue
Sea & beachesEarly March – late May (approx.)
Kochi
Niyodo River — Miracle Clear Blue Water
Sea & beachesEarly April – late June (approx.)
Kochi
Angel Road (Shodoshima)
Sea & beachesEarly March – late May (approx.)
Kagawa
Amami Oshima — Subtropical Island Paradise
Sea & beachesEarly April – late June (approx.)
Kagoshima
June
3 spotsJulyThis month
30 spotsAjigaura Beach — Surfing & Coastal Escape
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ibaraki
Iso Beach — City Beach with Volcano View
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kagoshima
Jodogahama Beach — White Pebbles & Pine-Covered Rocks
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Iwate
Oarai Beach — Pacific Coast Sandscape
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ibaraki
Shirahama White Beach Resort — Onsen & Panda Paradise
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Wakayama
Shonan Beach — Southern California of Japan
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kanagawa
Suma Beach — Kobe's Urban Seaside Escape
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Hyogo
Yuigahama Beach — Kamakura's Historic Seaside
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kanagawa
Sunayama Beach — Hidden Beach Through Arch
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Okinawa
Yonaha Maehama Beach — 7km White Sand Crescent
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Okinawa
Ama Divers of Ise-Shima — Women Freedivers of the Sea
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Mie
Amago Falls — Kyushu's Hidden Autumn Canyon
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Fukuoka
Fukue Island Beaches — Crystal Water of the East China Sea
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Nagasaki
Fukuoka City Waterfront — Momochi Seaside Park
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Fukuoka
Hiratani Valley — Pristine Mountain Stream Walk
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Saga
Kikuchi Valley — Forest Bathing Gorge
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kumamoto
Lake Biwa — Japan's Largest Freshwater Lake
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Shiga
Lake Biwa Leisure Activities — Beaches, Fishing, Water Sports
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Shiga
Nijinomatsubara Seaside Cycling — Coastal Pine Road
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Saga
Okinoshima Island — Coral & Tropical Fish Near Tokyo
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Chiba
Sada Misaki Peninsula — Dramatic Coastal Cliffs
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ehime
Shimoda Beaches — White Sand Bays of Southern Izu
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Shizuoka
Uradome Coast — Emerald Sea Kayaking Through Volcanic Cliffs
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Tottori
Lake Inawashiro — Mt. Bandai's Crystal Clear Mountain Lake
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Fukushima
Beppu Sand Bath — Buried on the Beach
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Oita
Blue Cave — Neon Blue Snorkel Dive
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Okinawa
Chirihama Nagisa Driveway — Drive on the Beach
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ishikawa
Ibusuki Sand Bath — Buried Alive on the Beach
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kagoshima
Shimabara Spring Water Swimming Carp Streets
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Nagasaki
Niji-no-Matsubara — Japan's Three Great Pine Groves
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Saga
August
31 spotsShonan Beach — Southern California of Japan
Sea & beachesAugust (approx.)
Kanagawa
Ajigaura Beach — Surfing & Coastal Escape
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ibaraki
Iso Beach — City Beach with Volcano View
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kagoshima
Jodogahama Beach — White Pebbles & Pine-Covered Rocks
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Iwate
Oarai Beach — Pacific Coast Sandscape
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ibaraki
Shirahama White Beach Resort — Onsen & Panda Paradise
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Wakayama
Suma Beach — Kobe's Urban Seaside Escape
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Hyogo
Yuigahama Beach — Kamakura's Historic Seaside
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kanagawa
Sunayama Beach — Hidden Beach Through Arch
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Okinawa
Yonaha Maehama Beach — 7km White Sand Crescent
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Okinawa
Keya Otehon Sea Cave — Accessible Ocean Geology
Sea & beachesAugust (approx.)
Fukuoka
Ama Divers of Ise-Shima — Women Freedivers of the Sea
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Mie
Amago Falls — Kyushu's Hidden Autumn Canyon
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Fukuoka
Fukue Island Beaches — Crystal Water of the East China Sea
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Nagasaki
Fukuoka City Waterfront — Momochi Seaside Park
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Fukuoka
Hiratani Valley — Pristine Mountain Stream Walk
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Saga
Kikuchi Valley — Forest Bathing Gorge
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kumamoto
Lake Biwa — Japan's Largest Freshwater Lake
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Shiga
Lake Biwa Leisure Activities — Beaches, Fishing, Water Sports
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Shiga
Nijinomatsubara Seaside Cycling — Coastal Pine Road
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Saga
Okinoshima Island — Coral & Tropical Fish Near Tokyo
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Chiba
Sada Misaki Peninsula — Dramatic Coastal Cliffs
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ehime
Shimoda Beaches — White Sand Bays of Southern Izu
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Shizuoka
Uradome Coast — Emerald Sea Kayaking Through Volcanic Cliffs
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Tottori
Lake Inawashiro — Mt. Bandai's Crystal Clear Mountain Lake
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Fukushima
Beppu Sand Bath — Buried on the Beach
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Oita
Blue Cave — Neon Blue Snorkel Dive
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Okinawa
Chirihama Nagisa Driveway — Drive on the Beach
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Ishikawa
Ibusuki Sand Bath — Buried Alive on the Beach
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Kagoshima
Shimabara Spring Water Swimming Carp Streets
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Nagasaki
Niji-no-Matsubara — Japan's Three Great Pine Groves
Sea & beachesEarly July – late August (approx.)
Saga
September
3 spotsOctober
4 spotsChichibugahama Beach (Sunset Reflections)
Sea & beachesEarly September – late October (approx.)
Kagawa
Maebara Beach — Boso's Surf Capital
Sea & beachesEarly September – late November (approx.)
Chiba
Ashizuri Cape — Southernmost Shikoku
Sea & beachesEarly October – late November (approx.)
Kochi
Amami Oshima — Subtropical Island Paradise
Sea & beachesEarly September – late November (approx.)
Kagoshima
November
4 spotsKashiwajima Island — Diving & Snorkeling Paradise
Sea & beachesNovember (approx.)
Kochi
Maebara Beach — Boso's Surf Capital
Sea & beachesEarly September – late November (approx.)
Chiba
Ashizuri Cape — Southernmost Shikoku
Sea & beachesEarly October – late November (approx.)
Kochi
Amami Oshima — Subtropical Island Paradise
Sea & beachesEarly September – late November (approx.)
Kagoshima