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This translation was generated by AI and may contain wording that differs from the facts. Please check the Japanese original or official sources for anything important. Japanese original
Key points
- 64 festivals and fireworks by month: Sapporo Snow Festival (Feb), Gion Matsuri (Jul), Aomori Nebuta (Aug), Awa Odori (Aug) and more.
- Seasonal fish, vegetables and events for 12 months, 47 local dishes, average cherry-blossom dates (earliest first).
- 30 flower and foliage spots, 24 hot springs, 22 castles (★ = original keep) and each prefecture's 'No. 1'.
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🏮 Festival & fireworks calendar
January
- Kobe LuminarieHyogo · Late January — A festival of light in memory of the victims of the 1995 Great Hanshin-Awaji Earthquake and in celebration of recovery. Held since 1995
- Wakakusa YamayakiNara · Fourth Saturday of January — An entire mountainside is set ablaze. Together with fireworks, it lights up Nara's winter night sky
- Nagasaki Lantern FestivalNagasaki · Lunar New Year (late January to February) — Rooted in Chinese New Year. 15,000 lanterns light up Shinchi Chinatown
- Takachiho YokaguraMiyazaki · Mid-November to early February — Each village performs all 33 sacred dances through the night. The land of the Amano-Iwato myth
February
- Sapporo Snow FestivalHokkaido · Early February — Giant snow sculptures line Odori Park. Over 2 million visitors make it Japan's biggest winter festival
- Asahikawa Winter FestivalHokkaido · Early February — Colossal snow sculptures on the banks of the Ishikari River. Runs alongside the Sapporo festival, a staple of any winter Hokkaido tour
- Yokote Snow Festival (Kamakura)Akita · February 15–16 — Around 100 snow huts enshrining the water god. Inside, children serve sweet sake and rice cakes in a 450-year-old tradition
- Saidaiji Eyo (Naked Festival)Okayama · Third Saturday of February — Around 10,000 men in loincloths scramble for sacred wooden talismans (shingi). 500 years of history
- Nagasaki Lantern FestivalNagasaki · Lunar New Year (late January to February) — Rooted in Chinese New Year. 15,000 lanterns light up Shinchi Chinatown
- Takachiho YokaguraMiyazaki · Mid-November to early February — Each village performs all 33 sacred dances through the night. The land of the Amano-Iwato myth
- Kawazu Cherry Blossom FestivalShizuoka · Early February to early March — 850 early-blooming Kawazu cherry trees flower along the Kawazu River. The earliest cherry blossom festival on Honshu
March
- Todai-ji Shuni-e (Omizutori)Nara · March 1–14 — Giant torches shower sparks from the balcony of Nigatsu-do Hall. Held without a break for over 1,270 years
- Kawazu Cherry Blossom FestivalShizuoka · Early February to early March — 850 early-blooming Kawazu cherry trees flower along the Kawazu River. The earliest cherry blossom festival on Honshu
April
- Hirosaki Cherry Blossom FestivalAomori · Late April to early May — Around 2,600 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees in Hirosaki Park. Petal "rafts" on the moat and evening illuminations
- Takayama Spring Festival (Sanno Matsuri)Gifu · April 14–15 — Twelve dazzling floats and marionette performances. One of Japan's three most beautiful festivals
- Inuyama FestivalAichi · First weekend of April — Marionette shows on 13 towering floats. At night each float glows with 365 lanterns
- Nagahama Hikiyama FestivalShiga · April 13–16 — Children perform kabuki on the stages of the floats. Began when Hideyoshi was lord of Nagahama Castle
May
- Hirosaki Cherry Blossom FestivalAomori · Late April to early May — Around 2,600 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees in Hirosaki Park. Petal "rafts" on the moat and evening illuminations
- Soma NomaoiFukushima · Late May — A procession of some 400 armoured horseback warriors and a race to seize sacred flags. Over 1,000 years of history; held in May since 2024
- Sanja MatsuriTokyo · Third Fri–Sun of May — The annual festival of Asakusa Shrine. Over 100 neighbourhood mikoshi, plus the grand departure of the shrine's own three
- Kanda MatsuriTokyo · Mid-May (odd-numbered years) — One of Edo's three great festivals. The grand procession winds through Kanda, Nihonbashi and Akihabara
- Hamamatsu FestivalShizuoka · May 3–5 — Kite battles celebrating first-born children by day, and ornate palace-style floats paraded by night
- Aoi MatsuriKyoto · May 15 — A 500-strong procession in Heian-period court dress from the Imperial Palace to Shimogamo and Kamigamo Shrines. One of Kyoto's three great festivals
- Hakata Dontaku Port FestivalFukuoka · May 3–4 — Dancers clack rice paddles as they parade. Its 2 million Golden Week visitors are among the most of any festival in Japan
June
- YOSAKOI Soran FestivalHokkaido · Early June — Kochi's yosakoi dance meets Hokkaido's Soran Bushi folk song. Around 270 teams dance through the streets of Sapporo
- Kanazawa Hyakumangoku FestivalIshikawa · Early June — Commemorates Maeda Toshiie's entry into Kanazawa Castle. A grand procession and floating Kaga-Yuzen lanterns
- Hie Shrine Sanno MatsuriTokyo · Mid-June (even-numbered years) — One of Edo's three great festivals. The grand procession circles the Imperial Palace grounds
July
- Sumida River FireworksTokyo · Last Saturday of July — Traces back to the 1733 Ryogoku river-opening. Around 20,000 shells and a million spectators
- Shonan Hiratsuka Tanabata FestivalKanagawa · Early July — Tanabata decorations up to 10 m tall adorn the shopping streets. One of Kanto's three great Tanabata festivals
- Noto Kiriko FestivalsIshikawa · July–October (across the Noto Peninsula) — Giant lantern floats (kiriko) over 10 m tall are carried through the streets. Resuming across the region after the 2024 earthquake
- Gujo OdoriGifu · Mid-July to early September (all-night dancing August 13–16) — Japan's longest Bon dance, spanning 32 nights. A festival you join rather than watch
- Gion MatsuriKyoto · July 1–31 (float processions on the 17th and 24th) — Yasaka Shrine's festival, 1,100 years old and one of Japan's three great festivals. Yoiyama evenings and the Yamaboko float procession; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Tenjin MatsuriOsaka · July 24–25 — The festival of Osaka Tenmangu Shrine. A procession of 100 boats and votive fireworks. One of Japan's three great festivals
- Nachi Fan Festival (Nachi Fire Festival)Wakayama · July 14 — Twelve 50 kg torches whirl before Nachi Falls. The annual festival of Kumano Nachi Taisha
- Hakata Gion YamakasaFukuoka · July 1–15 (the Oiyama race at dawn on the 15th) — Men in loincloths race 5 km carrying massive floats. 780 years of history; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
August
- Hakodate Port FestivalHokkaido · August 1–5 — Famous for its squid dance. Opens with a fireworks display
- Aomori Nebuta FestivalAomori · August 2–7 — Five-metre-tall illuminated "nebuta" floats and leaping "haneto" dancers. One of Tohoku's three great festivals
- Morioka Sansa OdoriIwate · August 1–4 — Holds the world record for the most taiko drums played at once. Dancers chant "Sakkora choiwa yasse"
- Sendai Tanabata FestivalMiyagi · August 6–8 — Lavish paper streamers fill the shopping arcades. Dates back to the era of Date Masamune. One of Tohoku's three great festivals
- Akita Kanto FestivalAkita · August 3–6 — Performers balance 50 kg bamboo poles hung with 46 lanterns on their foreheads and shoulders. One of Tohoku's three great festivals
- Omagari Fireworks (National Fireworks Competition)Akita · Last Saturday of August — Japan's top fireworks competition, where pyrotechnicians from across the country show off their skills. Daytime fireworks too
- Yamagata Hanagasa FestivalYamagata · August 5–7 — Over 10,000 dancers wave safflower-decorated hats to shouts of "Yassho, makasho"
- Fukushima Waraji FestivalFukushima · Early August — A 12-metre straw sandal is carried through the streets. Rooted in the faith of Haguro Shrine
- Tokyo Koenji Awa OdoriTokyo · Last weekend of August — Second only to Tokushima in scale. Around 10,000 dancers and a million spectators
- Nagaoka Festival Grand FireworksNiigata · August 2–3 — Giant 90 cm shells and the "Phoenix" display over the Shinano River. Fireworks of remembrance and postwar recovery; one of Japan's three great fireworks shows
- Noto Kiriko FestivalsIshikawa · July–October (across the Noto Peninsula) — Giant lantern floats (kiriko) over 10 m tall are carried through the streets. Resuming across the region after the 2024 earthquake
- Gujo OdoriGifu · Mid-July to early September (all-night dancing August 13–16) — Japan's longest Bon dance, spanning 32 nights. A festival you join rather than watch
- Lake Suwa Fireworks FestivalNagano · August 15 — Around 40,000 shells launched from the lake. Famous for the booms echoing off the mountains
- Gozan OkuribiKyoto · August 16 — Five giant bonfires, including the famous "Dai" character, send off the spirits of Obon
- Naniwa Yodogawa FireworksOsaka · Early August — Osaka's biggest fireworks show, run by citizen volunteers on the banks of the Yodo River
- Tottori Shan-Shan FestivalTottori · Mid-August — Dancers twirl umbrellas hung with bells. Holds the Guinness record for the largest simultaneous umbrella dance
- Awa Odori (Tokushima)Tokushima · August 12–15 — 400 years of history. Japan's largest Bon dance, with around 100,000 dancers and 1.3 million visitors
- Yosakoi FestivalKochi · August 9–12 — Around 18,000 dancers with wooden "naruko" clappers in hand. Born in 1954 as a rival to Awa Odori
- Yamaga Lantern FestivalKumamoto · August 15–16 — A thousand women in yukata dance gracefully with golden lanterns on their heads in the "Thousand Lantern Dance"
- Okinawa Zento Eisa FestivalOkinawa · The weekend after Lunar Obon (late August to early September) — Youth associations from across the islands compete in eisa, dancing to pounding drums. Okinawa City
September
- Owara Kaze no BonToyama · September 1–3 — Men and women in woven hats dance quietly to the sound of the kokyu fiddle through the hillside town of Etchu-Yatsuo
- Noto Kiriko FestivalsIshikawa · July–October (across the Noto Peninsula) — Giant lantern floats (kiriko) over 10 m tall are carried through the streets. Resuming across the region after the 2024 earthquake
- Gujo OdoriGifu · Mid-July to early September (all-night dancing August 13–16) — Japan's longest Bon dance, spanning 32 nights. A festival you join rather than watch
- Kishiwada Danjiri FestivalOsaka · Mid-September (the weekend before Respect for the Aged Day) — Four-tonne wooden floats swing around corners at full speed in the "yarimawashi"
- Fujisaki Hachimangu Autumn FestivalKumamoto · Mid-September — Around 60 decorated horses and handlers shouting "Dokai, dokai"
- Okinawa Zento Eisa FestivalOkinawa · The weekend after Lunar Obon (late August to early September) — Youth associations from across the islands compete in eisa, dancing to pounding drums. Okinawa City
October
- Kawagoe FestivalSaitama · Third weekend of October — Floats in the style of Edo's "Tenka Matsuri" face off in musical duels known as "hikkawase"
- Noto Kiriko FestivalsIshikawa · July–October (across the Noto Peninsula) — Giant lantern floats (kiriko) over 10 m tall are carried through the streets. Resuming across the region after the 2024 earthquake
- Takayama Autumn Festival (Hachiman Matsuri)Gifu · October 9–10 — Eleven floats and lantern-lit evening parades. Together with the spring festival it is UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage as the "Takayama Matsuri"
- Jidai MatsuriKyoto · October 22 — Marks the founding of the Heian capital. A 2,000-strong procession spanning eight eras, from the Meiji Restoration back to Heian
- Nada Fighting FestivalHyogo · October 14–15 — At Matsubara Hachiman Shrine, three mikoshi are crashed together and seven floats jostle for position
- Niihama Taiko FestivalEhime · October 16–18 — Over 50 drum floats, each 5.5 m tall and weighing 3 tonnes, are hoisted aloft in the "kakikurabe" contest
- Saga International Balloon FiestaSaga · Late October to early November — Over 100 hot-air balloons rise from the banks of the Kase River. One of Asia's largest balloon events
- Nagasaki KunchiNagasaki · October 7–9 — The autumn festival of Suwa Shrine. Exotic votive dances such as the dragon dance (ja-odori) and Kokkodesho
- Naha Great Tug-of-WarOkinawa · October (Sports Day long weekend) — East and west pull a Guinness-certified rope 200 m long and weighing 40 tonnes
November
- Tsuchiura National Fireworks CompetitionIbaraki · Early November — One of the three great competitions alongside Omagari. The starmine category is the highlight
- Karatsu KunchiSaga · November 2–4 — Fourteen giant floats shaped like sea bream, lions and more. UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Saga International Balloon FiestaSaga · Late October to early November — Over 100 hot-air balloons rise from the banks of the Kase River. One of Asia's largest balloon events
- Takachiho YokaguraMiyazaki · Mid-November to early February — Each village performs all 33 sacred dances through the night. The land of the Amano-Iwato myth
- Ohara FestivalKagoshima · November 2–3 — 20,000 dancers move to the "Ohara Bushi" and "Hanya Bushi" folk songs. The largest festival in southern Kyushu
December
- Chichibu Night FestivalSaitama · December 2–3 — Ornate floats are hauled up a steep slope. One of Japan's three great float festivals with Kyoto's Gion and Takayama; UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage
- Takachiho YokaguraMiyazaki · Mid-November to early February — Each village performs all 33 sacred dances through the night. The land of the Amano-Iwato myth
🍁 Seasonal food and events, month by month
| Month | Fish in season | Vegetables & fruit in season | Events & daily life |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Yellowtail, cod, monkfish, oysters | Napa cabbage, daikon, spinach, mikan, yuzu | New Year (osechi, first shrine visit, gift money), seven-herb rice porridge (7th), kagami-biraki (11th), Coming of Age Day, Daikan (coldest season) |
| February | Pufferfish, pond smelt, Spanish mackerel (winter) | Broccoli, komatsuna, iyokan, dekopon | Setsubun (bean throwing, ehomaki rolls), Risshun (first day of spring), Valentine's Day, snow festivals, plum blossoms |
| March | Hard clams, whitebait, rockfish | Rapeseed blossoms, new onions, new potatoes, strawberries | Hinamatsuri (3rd), White Day, graduation ceremonies, spring equinox, Ohigan, cherry blossoms open (Kyushu to Kanto) |
| April | Sea bream ("cherry bream"), halfbeak, firefly squid | Bamboo shoots, spring cabbage, asparagus, amanatsu citrus | School entrance ceremonies, new fiscal year, cherry blossom viewing, Showa Day, start of Golden Week |
| May | Bonito (first of the season), asari clams, sillago | Broad beans, new tea, cherries, loquats | Children's Day (carp streamers, kashiwa mochi), Hachiju-hachiya, Mother's Day, Golden Week, rice planting |
| June | Horse mackerel, sardines, pike conger, start of ayu season | Ume plums, rakkyo shallots, cherries, melon | Switch to summer uniforms, start of the rainy season, Father's Day, ume preserving (umeboshi, umeshu), summer solstice |
| July | Eel, Japanese flying squid, abalone | Corn, edamame, watermelon, peaches, tomatoes | Tanabata (7th), Marine Day, Doyo no Ushi eel day, ochugen gifts, summer festivals, fireworks, summer holidays |
| August | Cutlassfish, greater amberjack, sardines | Aubergines, bitter melon, grapes, Asian pears, figs | Obon (13th–16th), fireworks displays, summer Koshien baseball, Mountain Day, homecoming rush, end-of-war memorial day |
| September | Pacific saury, returning bonito, mackerel, salmon roe | Taro, chestnuts, Kyoho grapes, new-crop rice | Disaster Prevention Day (1st), Respect for the Aged Day, harvest-moon viewing, autumn equinox, Ohigan, school sports days |
| October | Salmon, shishamo smelt, Okhotsk atka mackerel, mackerel | Mushrooms, sweet potatoes, persimmons, apples, new-crop soba | Switch to winter uniforms, Sports Day, Halloween, autumn leaves (Hokkaido to Tohoku), autumn festivals |
| November | Snow crab (season opens), flounder, yellowtail | Napa cabbage, burdock, mikan, yuzu, lotus root | Culture Day, Ritto (first day of winter), Shichi-go-san (15th), Tori-no-ichi fairs, Labour Thanksgiving Day, autumn leaves (Kanto to Kyushu) |
| December | Winter yellowtail, cod, oysters, sea cucumber | Daikon, turnips, leeks, yuzu, shungiku | Winter solstice (yuzu baths, pumpkin), Christmas, year-end cleaning, Year-End Jumbo lottery, New Year's Eve (toshikoshi soba, midnight bells) |
🍲 Local dishes of the 47 prefectures
| Prefecture | Local dish | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | Jingisukan (grilled lamb), Ishikari nabe, zangi | Jingisukan, lamb grilled at the table, spread thanks to postwar wool policies. Ishikari nabe is a miso hotpot of salmon and vegetables |
| Aomori | Senbei-jiru, ichigo-ni | Senbei-jiru simmers Hachinohe's Nanbu rice crackers in soup. Ichigo-ni is a clear soup of sea urchin and abalone |
| Iwate | Wanko soba, Morioka reimen, jaja-men | Morioka's three great noodles. With wanko soba, servers chant as they refill your bowl one mouthful at a time |
| Miyagi | Beef tongue, zunda mochi, sasa-kamaboko | Sendai's grilled beef tongue dates from the postwar years. Zunda is a sweet paste of mashed edamame |
| Akita | Kiritanpo nabe, iburi-gakko, hatahata sushi | Kiritanpo is pounded rice wrapped around cedar sticks and toasted, then simmered in Hinai chicken hotpot. Iburi-gakko is smoked pickled daikon |
| Yamagata | Imoni, tama-konnyaku, dashi | Autumn imoni parties, where locals gather round huge pots on the riverbank, are a prefecture-wide tradition. The biggest festival uses a pot 6.5 m across |
| Fukushima | Kozuyu, Kitakata ramen, ika-ninjin | Kozuyu, Aizu's celebration soup, simmers ingredients in a scallop broth. Kitakata has one of Japan's highest numbers of ramen shops per capita |
| Ibaraki | Anko (monkfish) nabe, natto, soboro natto | Winter in Ibaraki means monkfish. "Dobu-jiru" is a rich hotpot thickened with the liver |
| Tochigi | Utsunomiya gyoza, shimotsukare, Sano ramen | Shimotsukare is a dish of salmon head, grated daikon and sake lees made for the Hatsu-uma festival |
| Gunma | Okkirikomi, yaki-manju, Mizusawa udon | Gunma is wheat country. Okkirikomi simmers wide noodles with vegetables |
| Saitama | Hiyajiru udon, zeri-furai, Soka senbei | Hiyajiru udon comes with a chilled sesame-miso dipping sauce. Zeri-furai is a croquette of soy pulp from Gyoda |
| Chiba | Namero, sanga-yaki, peanut dishes | Namero, a Boso fishermen's dish, is horse mackerel minced with miso and herbs. Grilled, it becomes sanga-yaki |
| Tokyo | Fukagawa-meshi, monjayaki, Edomae sushi | Fukagawa-meshi is rice cooked with clams (or topped with them). Tsukishima is the holy land of monjayaki |
| Kanagawa | Sanma-men, shirasu-don, Yokosuka navy curry | Sanma-men is soy-sauce ramen topped with thick vegetable gravy. Shonan's raw whitebait is in season from spring to autumn |
| Niigata | Hegi soba, noppe, tare-katsudon | Hegi soba uses funori seaweed as a binder. Noppe is a thick stew of taro and vegetables |
| Toyama | Masu-zushi, firefly squid dishes, black ramen | Masu-zushi, a pressed trout sushi, is famous nationwide as a station lunchbox. Toyama Bay's firefly squid runs from March to May |
| Ishikawa | Jibu-ni, Kaga vegetable dishes, nodoguro | Jibu-ni is a Kaga dish of flour-dusted duck simmered with sudare-fu wheat gluten. Served with wasabi |
| Fukui | Echizen oroshi soba, sauce katsudon, Echizen crab | Cold soba topped with grated daikon. Echizen crab is the most prestigious brand of snow crab |
| Yamanashi | Hoto, tori-motsu-ni, Yoshida udon | Hoto is a miso noodle stew with pumpkin. Tori-motsu-ni, simmered chicken giblets, won the B-1 Grand Prix |
| Nagano | Shinshu soba, oyaki, Nozawana pickles | Famous for soba. Oyaki are grilled wheat dumplings stuffed with vegetable fillings |
| Gifu | Hoba miso, keichan, gohei mochi | Hida's hoba miso is miso grilled on a magnolia leaf. Keichan is a local dish of chicken grilled in miso or soy sauce |
| Shizuoka | Eel, Fujinomiya yakisoba, Shizuoka oden | Lake Hamana is the birthplace of eel farming. Shizuoka oden is served in a dark broth, dusted with green seaweed and dried-fish powder |
| Aichi | Hitsumabushi, miso katsu, tebasaki chicken wings, miso-nikomi udon | "Nagoya cuisine" is built on Hatcho miso. The city is also known for its coffee-shop breakfast culture |
| Mie | Ise udon, tekone-zushi, Matsusaka beef | Ise udon is thick, soft noodles in a tamari soy sauce. Tekone-zushi is a fishermen's rice bowl of marinated bonito |
| Shiga | Funazushi, Omi beef, duck hotpot | Funazushi, Lake Biwa's nigorobuna carp fermented with rice, is said to be the ancestor of sushi |
| Kyoto | Yudofu, nishin soba, obanzai, saba-zushi | Yudofu from Kyoto's Buddhist vegetarian tradition, and soba topped with dried herring brought by the Kitamae trading ships |
| Osaka | Okonomiyaki, takoyaki, kushikatsu, kitsune udon | The heart of "konamon" flour-based food culture. Takoyaki was invented by Aizuya in 1935 |
| Hyogo | Akashiyaki (tamagoyaki), botan nabe, Kobe beef | Akashiyaki are eggy dumplings dipped in broth. Tamba-Sasayama's botan nabe is a wild boar hotpot |
| Nara | Kakinoha-zushi, Miwa somen, Narazuke pickles | Pressed mackerel sushi wrapped in persimmon leaves, made to keep. Miwa is the birthplace of somen noodles |
| Wakayama | Mehari-zushi, Wakayama ramen, narezushi | Mehari-zushi, rice balls wrapped in lightly pickled mustard greens, is the traditional packed lunch of Kumano |
| Tottori | Matsuba crab, crab soup, tofu chikuwa | Sakaiminato lands among the most Matsuba (snow) crab in Japan. Tofu chikuwa is a steamed roll of tofu and fish paste |
| Shimane | Izumo soba, shijimi clam soup, nodoguro | Izumo soba is dark, made from buckwheat ground with the hull, and served in stacked "wariko" bowls. Lake Shinji has Japan's largest shijimi clam catch |
| Okayama | Bara-zushi, mamakari, kibi-dango | Bara-zushi, a lavish scattered sushi with the toppings hidden underneath, was commoners' answer to austerity edicts. Mamakari is vinegared sardine |
| Hiroshima | Hiroshima-style okonomiyaki, oyster dishes, anago-meshi | Hiroshima okonomiyaki is layered rather than mixed. The prefecture is Japan's top oyster producer |
| Yamaguchi | Fugu sashimi, kawara soba, Iwakuni sushi | Shimonoseki handles more "fuku" (pufferfish) than anywhere in Japan. Kawara soba is green-tea soba served on a hot roof tile |
| Tokushima | Tokushima ramen, soba-gome zosui, Naruto sea bream | Tokushima ramen has sweet-savoury simmered pork belly and a raw egg. Soba-gome is buckwheat groats cooked like rice |
| Kagawa | Sanuki udon, honetsuki-dori, shoyu-mame | The "Udon Prefecture", No. 1 in Japan for both consumption and shop density. Honetsuki-dori, roast chicken leg, originated in Marugame |
| Ehime | Tai-meshi, jakoten, nabeyaki udon | Tai-meshi comes in two schools: Matsuyama cooks sea bream with the rice, Uwajima serves it raw with an egg sauce |
| Kochi | Katsuo no tataki, sawachi platters, nabeyaki ramen | Tataki is bonito seared over burning straw. Sawachi is banquet fare: sashimi and sushi heaped on huge platters |
| Fukuoka | Motsu nabe, Hakata ramen, mizutaki, mentaiko | Tonkotsu ramen was born in Kurume. Mentaiko (spicy cod roe) was commercialised in Hakata after the war |
| Saga | Live squid sashimi of Yobuko, Sicilian rice, Saga beef | Yobuko's morning market and translucent squid. Sicilian rice is lettuce and sweet-savoury meat on rice with mayonnaise |
| Nagasaki | Champon, sara udon, castella, Turkish rice | Champon was devised in the Meiji era by the Chinese restaurant Shikairo to feed overseas students |
| Kumamoto | Horse sashimi, karashi renkon, taipien, Kumamoto ramen | Karashi renkon, lotus root stuffed with mustard miso, was nourishment for a sickly feudal lord. Taipien is a glass-noodle soup |
| Oita | Toriten, dango-jiru, Seki mackerel and horse mackerel, yaseuma | Among Japan's top chicken-eating prefectures. Toriten is tempura-battered chicken; dango-jiru is a soup of flat wheat dumplings |
| Miyazaki | Chicken nanban, hiyajiru, charcoal-grilled local chicken, mango | Chicken nanban, served with tartar sauce, originated in Nobeoka. Hiyajiru is a chilled soup of grilled fish and miso poured over rice |
| Kagoshima | Kurobuta pork shabu-shabu, satsuma-age, keihan, shirokuma | Keihan, from the Amami Islands, is rice topped with chicken and hot chicken broth. Shirokuma is Kagoshima's shaved ice dessert |
| Okinawa | Goya champuru, Okinawa soba, rafute, sata andagi | Champuru means "all mixed up". Okinawa soba is 100% wheat noodles in a bonito and pork broth |
🌸 桜（ソメイヨシノ）の開花平年日
| Prefecture | Average blossom date |
|---|---|
| Okinawa | 18 January |
| Kochi | 22 March |
| Fukuoka | 22 March |
| Kumamoto | 22 March |
| Nagasaki | 23 March |
| Miyazaki | 23 March |
| Tokyo | 24 March |
| Kanagawa | 24 March |
| Yamanashi | 24 March |
| Shizuoka | 24 March |
| Aichi | 24 March |
| Wakayama | 24 March |
| Ehime | 24 March |
| Saga | 24 March |
| Oita | 24 March |
| Gifu | 25 March |
| Hiroshima | 25 March |
| Kyoto | 26 March |
| Kagoshima | 26 March |
| Saitama | 27 March |
| Chiba | 27 March |
| Osaka | 27 March |
| Hyogo | 27 March |
| Yamaguchi | 27 March |
| Kagawa | 27 March |
| Nara | 28 March |
| Okayama | 28 March |
| Tokushima | 28 March |
| Gunma | 29 March |
| Mie | 29 March |
| Tottori | 29 March |
| Shimane | 29 March |
| Tochigi | 30 March |
| Fukui | 30 March |
| Ibaraki | 31 March |
| Shiga | 1 April |
| Toyama | 3 April |
| Ishikawa | 3 April |
| Fukushima | 5 April |
| Niigata | 6 April |
| Miyagi | 8 April |
| Nagano | 11 April |
| Yamagata | 12 April |
| Akita | 15 April |
| Iwate | 16 April |
| Aomori | 22 April |
| Hokkaido | 1 May |
Flower and foliage spots
Cherry blossom · Late April to early May · Aomori
Hirosaki Park cherry blossoms
Around 2,600 trees. Fallen petals carpet the moat in "flower rafts". Some call them the finest cherry blossoms in Japan
Cherry blossom · Late April to early May · Akita
Weeping cherries of the Kakunodate samurai district
Weeping cherry trees against black wooden fences. With the 2 km avenue along the Hinokinai River, it is the "Little Kyoto of Michinoku"
Cherry blossom · Early to mid-April · Nagano
Takato Castle Ruins Park
1,500 Takato Kohigan cherry trees, hailed as "the finest cherry blossoms under heaven"
Cherry blossom · Early to mid-April · Nara
Mount Yoshino
Some 30,000 trees bloom in waves up the mountain, from Shimo-senbon to Oku-senbon. A World Heritage Site
Cherry blossom · Late March to early April · Tokyo
Meguro River cherry blossoms
800 trees along about 4 km of river. Paper lanterns at night
Cherry blossom · Late March to early April · Tokyo
Chidorigafuchi
Rowing boats and cherry blossoms on the Imperial Palace moat. Illuminated at night
Cherry blossom · Early February to early March · Shizuoka
Kawazu cherry blossoms
Early-blooming, large and deep pink. The flowers last about a month
Cherry blossom · Early May · Hokkaido
Goryokaku Park
Around 1,500 trees inside the star-shaped fort. Golden Week is cherry blossom season in Hokkaido
Cherry blossom · Late April to mid-May · Hokkaido
Matsumae Park
10,000 trees of 250 varieties. From early to late bloomers, a whole month of blossoms
Cherry blossom · Early April · Hyogo
Himeji Castle cherry blossoms
The White Heron Castle with around 1,000 Somei-Yoshino trees. One of Japan's top 100 cherry blossom spots
Cherry blossom · Late March to early April · Kumamoto
Kumamoto Castle cherry blossoms
Around 800 trees beneath the castle keep as restoration continues
Autumn foliage · Mid to late September · Hokkaido
Autumn leaves of the Daisetsuzan range (Asahidake and Kurodake)
Japan's earliest autumn colours. Rowan and alpine bearberry
Autumn foliage · Mid to late October · Aomori
Oirase Gorge
Autumn leaves and moss along 14 km of stream flowing out of Lake Towada
Autumn foliage · Late October to early November · Miyagi
Naruko Gorge
Autumn colour fills a gorge 100 m deep. Trains on the Rikuu East Line make a picture-perfect scene
Autumn foliage · Mid-October to early November · Tochigi
Nikko Irohazaka and Lake Chuzenji
48 hairpin bends and Kegon Falls. The range of altitudes stretches the season to a month
Autumn foliage · Late September to mid-October · Toyama
Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
"Three-tiered" autumn colour descends from Murodo at 2,450 m
Autumn foliage · Mid to late October · Nagano
Kamikochi
Golden larches at Taisho Pond and Kappa Bridge, with the first snow on the Hotaka peaks
Autumn foliage · Mid to late November · Aichi
Korankei
Around 4,000 maples along the Tomoe River. The night illuminations are the finest in the Tokai region
Autumn foliage · Late November to early December · Kyoto
Arashiyama and Sagano
Togetsukyo Bridge and a whole mountainside of autumn colour. Sagano scenic railway and Hozu River boat rides
Autumn foliage · Late November · Kyoto
Tofuku-ji Tsutenkyo Bridge
Look down from the bridge on 2,000 maples filling the Sengyokukan ravine
Autumn foliage · Mid to late November · Tokyo
Mount Takao
An hour from central Tokyo and the most-climbed mountain in the world, with 3 million hikers a year
Autumn foliage · Early to mid-November · Oita
Yabakei Gorge (Hitome Hakkei)
Strange rock formations and autumn leaves. "Hitome Hakkei" means eight views taken in at a single glance
Flowers · Mid to late July · Hokkaido
Lavender of Furano and Biei
The purple hills of Farm Tomita. Biei's rolling hills and the Patchwork Road
Flowers · Mid-April to early May · Ibaraki
Nemophila at Hitachi Seaside Park
5.3 million blue flowers blanket Miharashi Hill. In autumn the kochia bushes turn crimson
Flowers · Late April to early May · Tochigi
Great wisteria of Ashikaga Flower Park
A 160-year-old wisteria trellis covering 1,000 m². Illuminated at night
Flowers · Mid-April to late May · Yamanashi
Fuji Shibazakura Festival (Lake Motosu)
A carpet of some 500,000 moss phlox plants with Mount Fuji as the backdrop
Flowers · Late April to early May · Toyama
Tonami Tulip Fair
3 million tulips of 300 varieties. Toyama is Japan's top bulb producer
Flowers · Late July to mid-August · Hokkaido
Hokuryu Sunflower Village
2 million sunflowers across 23 hectares. One of the largest sunflower fields in Japan
Flowers · Mid to late September · Saitama
Red spider lilies of Kinchakuda
A crimson carpet of 5 million blooms in a bend of the Koma River
Flowers · Late October to May (illumination); tulips in spring · Mie
Nabana no Sato Illumination
One of Japan's largest winter illuminations, plus tulip and begonia gardens in spring
♨ Hot springs
Hokkaido
Noboribetsu Onsen
Nine types of spring water welling up from Jigokudani ("Hell Valley"). The "department store of hot springs"
Hokkaido
Jozankei Onsen
Sapporo's hot-spring retreat. Famous for autumn leaves
Akita
Nyuto Onsen
Seven inns hidden in a beech forest. The milky-white open-air baths of Tsurunoyu
Yamagata
Ginzan Onsen
Taisho-era wooden inns line the river. Snow and gas lamps make a magical night scene
Miyagi
Naruko Onsen
Nine of Japan's eleven spring-water types flow here. Home of kokeshi dolls
Yamagata
Zao Onsen
Highly acidic sulphur springs. Snow monsters and skiing in winter
Gunma
Kusatsu Onsen
Japan's greatest natural flow of hot water. The Yubatake hot-water field and yumomi water-cooling show. A perennial No. 1 in national onsen rankings
Gunma
Ikaho Onsen
A town built around 365 stone steps. "Golden" iron-rich and "silver" clear waters
Tochigi
Kinugawa Onsen
Large resort hotels along a river gorge. The gateway to Nikko and Toshogu Shrine
Tochigi
Nasu Onsen
The 1,380-year-old Shika no Yu bath. A highland resort that is home to an Imperial villa
Kanagawa
Hakone Onsen
Seventeen hot-spring areas, the "Hakone Seventeen". 90 minutes from Tokyo and 20 million visitors a year
Shizuoka
Atami Onsen
A seaside spa city beloved even by Tokugawa Ieyasu. Fireworks shows a dozen or more times a year
Niigata
Echigo-Yuzawa Onsen
The setting of the novel "Snow Country". Skiing and hot springs right at the shinkansen station
Ishikawa
Wakura Onsen
Seaside hot springs overlooking Nanao Bay. Recovering from the 2024 earthquake
Gifu
Gero Onsen
One of "Japan's three great hot springs" with Arima and Kusatsu. Alkaline waters said to beautify the skin
Hyogo
Kinosaki Onsen
Stroll in a yukata between seven public bathhouses. Willow-lined canals and the setting of Shiga Naoya's "At Kinosaki"
Hyogo
Arima Onsen
One of Japan's oldest hot springs. Iron-rich reddish-brown "gold" waters and clear "silver" waters
Wakayama
Nanki-Shirahama Onsen
The "Muro no Yu" sung of in the ancient Man'yoshu poems. Shirarahama Beach and pandas
Ehime
Dogo Onsen
3,000 years of history. The Dogo Onsen Honkan bathhouse is an Important Cultural Property and the setting of the novel "Botchan"
Oita
Beppu Onsen
Japan's No. 1 in both number of springs and volume of hot water. The "Hells" tour and sand baths
Oita
Yufuin Onsen
At the foot of Mount Yufu. Morning mist on Lake Kinrin and a town of small art museums
Kumamoto
Kurokawa Onsen
Hop between open-air baths with a wooden bathing pass. A town that runs itself as "one big ryokan"
Kagoshima
Ibusuki Onsen
Hot-sand baths. Steam rises from the sand of the beach itself
Kagoshima
Kirishima Onsen
Where Sakamoto Ryoma came on his honeymoon. Plumes of sulphurous steam
🏯 Castles
Hyogo
Himeji Castle (White Heron Castle)★
National Treasure and World Heritage Site. A white-plastered main keep with linked towers. The finest of Japan's 12 surviving original keeps
Nagano
Matsumoto Castle★
National Treasure. The black-clad "Crow Castle", a five-tiered, six-storey keep set against the Northern Alps
Shiga
Hikone Castle★
National Treasure. Seat of the 350,000-koku Ii clan. Home of the mascot Hikonyan and Genkyu-en Garden
Aichi
Inuyama Castle★
National Treasure. One of the oldest surviving keeps, perched on a cliff above the Kiso River
Shimane
Matsue Castle★
National Treasure. The "Plover Castle", overlooking Lake Shinji
Aomori
Hirosaki Castle★
The northernmost of the 12 surviving original keeps. Famed for cherry blossoms. The keep was moved whole for stone-wall repairs
Fukui
Maruoka Castle★
A two-tiered, three-storey keep said to be the oldest in style. Known for the "Ippitsu Keijo" letter
Okayama
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle★
The only mountain castle with a surviving original keep, at 430 m. Autumn seas of cloud make it a "castle in the sky"
Kagawa
Marugame Castle★
A small keep atop Japan's tallest stone walls, rising 60 m in total
Ehime
Matsuyama Castle★
A keep with linked towers on 132 m Mount Katsuyama. Ride the ropeway up
Ehime
Uwajima Castle★
A seaside castle built by Todo Takatora. Original keep
Kochi
Kochi Castle★
The only castle where both the keep and the main palace survive intact
Tokyo
Edo Castle ruins (Imperial Palace)
Japan's largest castle. The keep burned down in the Great Meireki Fire of 1657 and was never rebuilt
Aichi
Nagoya Castle
Golden shachihoko roof ornaments. The Honmaru Palace has been reconstructed; a wooden rebuild of the keep is planned
Osaka
Osaka Castle
Hideyoshi's castle. The present keep is a 1931 reconstruction, now a Registered Tangible Cultural Property
Kyoto
Nijo Castle
World Heritage Site. Where the shogun returned power to the emperor; the Ninomaru Palace is a National Treasure
Kumamoto
Kumamoto Castle
Kato Kiyomasa's masterpiece. Damaged in the 2016 earthquake; the keep was restored in 2021, while stone-wall repairs run into the 2050s
Fukushima
Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle)
Withstood a month-long siege in the Boshin War. Its red-tiled keep is the only one in Japan
Kanagawa
Odawara Castle
Seat of five generations of the Hojo clan. Surrendered to Hideyoshi's siege of Odawara
Hyogo
Takeda Castle ruins
A mountain castle at 354 m where only the stone walls remain. Floating on seas of cloud, it is "Japan's Machu Picchu"
Hokkaido
Goryokaku
A star-shaped Western-style fortress. The final battleground of the Battle of Hakodate
Okinawa
Shuri Castle
Royal palace of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The main hall burned down in 2019; its reconstruction is completed in autumn 2026
🥇 Each prefecture's 'No. 1 in Japan'
| Prefecture | 日本一 | |
|---|---|---|
| Hokkaido | Japan's largest prefecture and its food basket | 22% of the national land area. No. 1 producer of wheat, potatoes, sugar beet, raw milk and many other farm products |
| Aomori | 60% of Japan's apples | Grown around Hirosaki. Nebuta Festival and the Sannai-Maruyama site (World Heritage) |
| Iwate | The largest prefecture on Honshu | Second in area only to Hokkaido. Also a top producer of farmed wakame seaweed |
| Miyagi | Japan's largest shark landings at Kesennuma | Home of shark fin. Sasa-kamaboko and beef tongue |
| Akita | Japan's highest proportion of elderly residents | Around 40% are aged 65 or over. Akita Komachi rice and Akita cedar |
| Yamagata | 70% of Japan's cherries | Birthplace of the "Sato Nishiki" variety. Also No. 1 for La France pears |
| Fukushima | Third largest in area, second for peaches | Three regions with distinct climates: Hamadori, Nakadori and Aizu |
| Ibaraki | A top producer of melons, lotus root, peppers and other vegetables | Natto, Tsukuba Science City, Hitachi Seaside Park |
| Tochigi | Japan's top strawberry producer for over 50 years running | Tochiotome and Tochiaika varieties. Nikko Toshogu Shrine |
| Gunma | 90% of Japan's konnyaku yams | Summer-autumn cabbage (Tsumagoi), daruma dolls (Takasaki), Kusatsu Onsen |
| Saitama | Hina dolls (Iwatsuki) and komatsuna greens | One of the few prefectures still growing in population. Among the densest rail networks in Japan |
| Chiba | 80% of Japan's peanuts; Choshi is the top fishing port by catch | Narita Airport is Japan's No. 1 port by trade value |
| Tokyo | No. 1 in population, daytime population and GDP | 14 million people and around 20% of national GDP |
| Kanagawa | Three designated cities (Yokohama, Kawasaki, Sagamihara) | Yokohama is Japan's most populous city (around 3.8 million) |
| Niigata | Japan's top rice producer | Koshihikari rice; also No. 1 for rice crackers (Kaki no Tane, senbei) |
| Toyama | Home ownership and tulip bulbs | Home ownership of around 80%, among the highest in Japan. Firefly squid and white shrimp from Toyama Bay |
| Ishikawa | 99% of Japan's gold leaf | A treasure trove of traditional crafts: Kaga-Yuzen dyeing, Kutani ware, Wajima lacquerware |
| Fukui | 90% of Japan's eyeglass frames (Sabae) | Echizen crab, and Japan's most dinosaur fossil finds (Katsuyama) |
| Yamanashi | Japan's top producer of grapes, peaches and mineral water | Mount Fuji and long hours of sunshine |
| Nagano | Lettuce production and top-ranking life expectancy | Highland vegetables (Kawakami), soba, a prefecture of long lives |
| Gifu | Seki, the city of blades | Japan's top kitchen-knife shipments. Shirakawa-go and Hida-Takayama |
| Shizuoka | Japan's top producer of tea, pianos and plastic model kits | Shizuoka tea, Hamamatsu pianos (Yamaha, Kawai), Shizuoka City's model-kit industry |
| Aichi | Japan's top manufacturing output for over 40 years running | The auto industry (Toyota). Around ¥50 trillion |
| Mie | Birthplace of pearl farming (Mikimoto Kokichi) | Ise Grand Shrine, Matsusaka beef, a top catch of Ise lobster |
| Shiga | Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake | Covers a sixth of the prefecture. Water source for 14.5 million people in Kinki |
| Kyoto | Among the most National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties in Japan | Uji tea, Nishijin weaving, 1,200 years as the capital |
| Osaka | One of the world's largest tombs: the Mausoleum of Emperor Nintoku | Sakai bicycles and blades, takoyaki, Kansai International Airport |
| Hyogo | Japan's shortest national highway, Route 174 (187 m, Kobe Port) | Nada sake, Kobe beef, Himeji Castle, the Akashi meridian |
| Nara | Horyu-ji, the world's oldest wooden building | The Great Buddha of Todai-ji, kakinoha-zushi, Japan's top sock producer (Koryo) |
| Wakayama | Japan's top producer of mikan, ume plums and persimmons | Nanko ume (Minabe), Arida mikan, Mount Koya and the Kumano Kodo trails |
| Tottori | Japan's least populous prefecture (around 530,000) | Nijisseiki pears, rakkyo shallots, the Tottori Sand Dunes |
| Shimane | Japan's largest shijimi clam catch (Lake Shinji) | Izumo Grand Shrine, Iwami Ginzan silver mine, the dojo-sukui loach-scooping dance |
| Okayama | The "Land of Sunshine": most days with under 1 mm of rain | Muscat grapes and white peaches, Kurashiki school uniforms and jeans |
| Hiroshima | 60% of Japan's oysters | Also No. 1 for lemons. The Atomic Bomb Dome and Itsukushima Shrine |
| Yamaguchi | Japan's largest pufferfish market (Shimonoseki) | The Akiyoshidai karst plateau, Kintaikyo Bridge, heroes of the Meiji Restoration |
| Tokushima | Almost 100% of Japan's sudachi citrus | Awa Odori, the Naruto whirlpools, LED pioneer Nichia |
| Kagawa | Japan's smallest prefecture and top udon consumer | Sanuki udon, Shodoshima olives, Kotohira-gu Shrine |
| Ehime | Japan's top producer of mikan and other citrus | Imabari towels (around 60% of the domestic market), Dogo Onsen |
| Kochi | Japan's highest forest cover at 84%, and top aubergine producer | Pole-and-line bonito fishing, the Shimanto River, yosakoi |
| Fukuoka | Kyushu's largest metropolitan area; "Amaou" strawberries | Hakata ramen, mentaiko, a top producer of bamboo shoots |
| Saga | Japan's top nori seaweed producer | Arita and Imari porcelain, the Yoshinogari site, the Balloon Fiesta |
| Nagasaki | The prefecture with the most islands (around 1,480) | Japan's top pearl producer, champon, site of the atomic bombing |
| Kumamoto | Japan's top producer of tomatoes and igusa rush (tatami facing) | Almost 100% of domestic igusa rush. The great Aso caldera and Kumamon |
| Oita | Japan's most hot springs and largest flow of spring water | Beppu and Yufuin. Also almost 100% of Japan's kabosu citrus |
| Miyazaki | A top broiler-chicken producer with long hours of sunshine | Mangoes, chicken nanban, pro baseball spring training camps |
| Kagoshima | Pigs, sweet potatoes and kurobuta pork | Japan's largest pig herd and second for tea. Sakurajima and Yakushima |
| Okinawa | Japan's highest birth rate; sugar cane and pineapples | Japan's only subtropical prefecture. Shuri Castle and Churaumi Aquarium |
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Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to visit Japan?
Cherry blossoms peak in late March to early April (Tokyo, Kyoto) and autumn leaves in mid to late November. Summer (July–August) is hot and humid, and typhoons are most common in August and September. Winter brings snow and hot springs in Hokkaido, while Okinawa stays around 15 °C even in January.
When can I climb Mount Fuji?
The climbing season runs only from early July to early September. Since 2025 a ¥4,000 trail fee and advance booking are required. 'Bullet climbs' without a rest are discouraged; most people stay a night in a mountain hut and watch the sunrise.
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