Japan is a country of light. In winter, the gentle peek of the sun through clouds comes down on the light snow cradled along curved rooftops. In spring, cherry blossoms burst pinks and reds, lighting up streets and sidewalks with a mess of flowers. Summer warmth is cooled inside ancient temples and autumn’s vivid colors fall like whispers over the mountains. Each season offers a different view of this exotic Asian island and a unique set of attractions to draw visitors at any time of year.

Winter

Japanese winters are cold, to be sure, for though small, it is a mountainous country and is quite far north in latitude. The most famous of Japan’s winter attractions is the Sapporo Snow Festival. Set on Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido, Sapporo is a small mountainous town that, each winter, comes alive with the chilling presence of numerous snow and ice sculptures all over the town.

Spring

Perhaps Japan’s most unique and famous draw are the cherry blossom trees that bloom each spring around the country. Most notably, the cherry blossoms at Mt. Yoshino-yama in Nara are considered to be the finest in all of Japan, allowing visitors to surround themselves in a virtual blizzard of pink and red blossoms blooming and falling from almost every branch and precipice.

Summer

Summer in Japan is a time for festivals, including folk dances, religious gatherings, lantern parades and festivals celebrating the vibrant plantlife and deep, rich colors of a Japanese summer. The culmination of these colors and celebrations are almost nightly fireworks displays that can be seen in cities and towns all over Japan. Summer is also a wonderful period to hike the country’s numerous mountains and lay out on the sandy beaches of the southern islands.

Autumn

Like in many places, autumn is a truly beautiful time in Japan for the fall colors that blaze across the mountains, sending the summer greenery into a fire of pre-winter shades. The best places to view Japan’s fall colors are all around – in city parks, temples and on mountaintops where distant views of the leafy blaze light up the slopes for miles. The best parts of Japan to view such autumnal colors are in the northern islands, such as Hokkaido and Nagano, which are hillier and less populated.

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