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🏮 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.

42 seasonal windows tagged “Fresh green” · timings shift with the weather each year — confirm before booking.

Summer in Japan — best right now

Sumiyoshi Taisha — Ancient Shinto Shrine Architecture

Festivals

Ends in 2 days

Osaka

Sumiyoshi Taisha — Ancient Shinto Shrine Architecture

July 30 – August 1

Major festival: July 30–August 1

Gujo Hachiman — Water Town of Springs & Canals

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)

Ajigaura Beach — Surfing & Coastal Escape

Sea & beaches

Ibaraki

Ajigaura Beach — Surfing & Coastal Escape

Early July – late August(approx.)

July–August (swimming season)

Iso Beach — City Beach with Volcano View

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

1 spot

Yokokan Garden — Edo-Period Feudal Lord's Retreat

Fresh greenEarly January – late February (approx.)

Fukui

February

1 spot

Yokokan Garden — Edo-Period Feudal Lord's Retreat

Fresh greenEarly January – late February (approx.)

Fukui

March

0 spots

Nothing listed for March under “Fresh green” yet — browse all spots or the festival calendar.

April

26 spots

Mt. Misen — Sacred Mountain Hiking & Ropeway Views

Fresh greenLate April – early May (approx.)

Hiroshima

Toshogu Shrine — Golden Temple of the Shogun

Fresh greenLate April – early May (approx.)

Tochigi

Sandankyo Gorge — Emerald Waters & Dramatic Canyon

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Hiroshima

Hagi Castle Town — Samurai District UNESCO Site

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Yamaguchi

Iya Valley Vine Bridges — Gorge-Spanning Suspension

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Tokushima

Kazurabashi at Oku-Iya — Double Vine Bridges and Cable Car

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Tokushima

Mt. Haguro Five-Story Pagoda — National Treasure in Cedar Forest

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Yamagata

Ozu Castle Town — Preserved Edo Architecture

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Ehime

Rokugo-manzan Temples — Kunisaki Buddhist Trail

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Oita

Wakakusayama Hill — Panoramic Nara Views & Grass Burning

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Nara

Zuihoden Mausoleum

Fresh greenLate April (approx.)

Miyagi

Akiu Great Falls (Akiu Otaki)

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Miyagi

Enryakuji Temple — Mt. Hiei's Mountain Monastery Complex

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Shiga

Geibikei Gorge — Boatman's Song Through Limestone Cliffs

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Iwate

Hachiman-yama Ropeway & Panoramic Views

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Shiga

Kikuchi Valley — Forest Bathing Gorge

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Kumamoto

Kumano Hongu Taisha — Grand Shrine at Sacred Rivers' Confluence

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Wakayama

Kumano Kodo Iseji Route — Ancient Pilgrimage Trail

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Mie

Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails — UNESCO Sacred Walking Routes

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Wakayama

Magome to Tsumago Hike — Nakasendo Trail Villages

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Gifu

Michinoku Coastal Trail

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Miyagi

Old Tokaido Road — Edo-Period Cedar Avenue

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Kanagawa

Sesshu Garden — Zen Master's 15th-Century Landscape

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Yamaguchi

Suizenji Jojuen Garden — Miniature Tokaido

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Kumamoto

Shimanami Kaido — 70km Island-Hopping Cycling Route

Fresh greenLate April – early June (approx.)

Ehime

Yakushima Ancient Cedar Forest — Mononoke Inspiration

Fresh greenLate April – early June (approx.)

Kagoshima

May

32 spots

Kamikochi Valley — Alpine Sanctuary at 1,500m

Fresh greenLate May – early June (approx.)

Nagano

Mt. Misen — Sacred Mountain Hiking & Ropeway Views

Fresh greenLate April – early May (approx.)

Hiroshima

Toshogu Shrine — Golden Temple of the Shogun

Fresh greenLate April – early May (approx.)

Tochigi

Sandankyo Gorge — Emerald Waters & Dramatic Canyon

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Hiroshima

Akechidaira Ropeway — Panoramic Mountain Views

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Tochigi

Magome-juku — Hillside Post Town on the Nakasendo

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Nagano

Miyama Kayabuki Village — Thatched-Roof Hamlet

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Kyoto

Mt. Daisen — Sacred Mountain of Western Japan

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Tottori

Shinkyo Bridge — Sacred Vermilion Arch

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Tochigi

Togakushi Shrine — Five Shrines in Mountain Forest

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Nagano

Tsumago-juku — Edo-Period Post Town Frozen in Time

Fresh greenMay (approx.)

Nagano

Adachi Museum of Art — World's Best Japanese Garden

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Shimane

Iwami Ginzan — UNESCO Silver Mine Heritage

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Shimane

Mount Ishizuchi — Shikoku's Highest Sacred Peak

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Ehime

Oirase Gorge — Pristine Stream & Moss-Covered Forest

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Aomori

Shiraito Falls — Silk-Thread Waterfall in Forest

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Nagano

Shirakami-Sanchi — UNESCO Beech Forest Wilderness

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Aomori

Akiu Great Falls (Akiu Otaki)

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Miyagi

Enryakuji Temple — Mt. Hiei's Mountain Monastery Complex

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Shiga

Geibikei Gorge — Boatman's Song Through Limestone Cliffs

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Iwate

Hachiman-yama Ropeway & Panoramic Views

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Shiga

Kikuchi Valley — Forest Bathing Gorge

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Kumamoto

Kumano Hongu Taisha — Grand Shrine at Sacred Rivers' Confluence

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Wakayama

Kumano Kodo Iseji Route — Ancient Pilgrimage Trail

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Mie

Kumano Kodo Pilgrimage Trails — UNESCO Sacred Walking Routes

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Wakayama

Magome to Tsumago Hike — Nakasendo Trail Villages

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Gifu

Michinoku Coastal Trail

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Miyagi

Old Tokaido Road — Edo-Period Cedar Avenue

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Kanagawa

Sesshu Garden — Zen Master's 15th-Century Landscape

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Yamaguchi

Suizenji Jojuen Garden — Miniature Tokaido

Fresh greenLate April – late May (approx.)

Kumamoto

Shimanami Kaido — 70km Island-Hopping Cycling Route

Fresh greenLate April – early June (approx.)

Ehime

Yakushima Ancient Cedar Forest — Mononoke Inspiration

Fresh greenLate April – early June (approx.)

Kagoshima

June

9 spots

Kamikochi Valley — Alpine Sanctuary at 1,500m

Fresh greenLate May – early June (approx.)

Nagano

Adachi Museum of Art — World's Best Japanese Garden

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Shimane

Iwami Ginzan — UNESCO Silver Mine Heritage

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Shimane

Mount Ishizuchi — Shikoku's Highest Sacred Peak

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Ehime

Oirase Gorge — Pristine Stream & Moss-Covered Forest

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Aomori

Shiraito Falls — Silk-Thread Waterfall in Forest

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Nagano

Shirakami-Sanchi — UNESCO Beech Forest Wilderness

Fresh greenEarly May – early June (approx.)

Aomori

Shimanami Kaido — 70km Island-Hopping Cycling Route

Fresh greenLate April – early June (approx.)

Ehime

Yakushima Ancient Cedar Forest — Mononoke Inspiration

Fresh greenLate April – early June (approx.)

Kagoshima

JulyThis month

0 spots

Nothing listed for July under “Fresh green” yet — browse all spots or the festival calendar.

August

0 spots

Nothing listed for August under “Fresh green” yet — browse all spots or the festival calendar.

September

0 spots

Nothing listed for September under “Fresh green” yet — browse all spots or the festival calendar.

October

1 spot

Shimanami Kaido — 70km Island-Hopping Cycling Route

Fresh greenEarly October – late November (approx.)

Ehime

November

1 spot

Shimanami Kaido — 70km Island-Hopping Cycling Route

Fresh greenEarly October – late November (approx.)

Ehime

December

0 spots

Nothing listed for December under “Fresh green” yet — browse all spots or the festival calendar.