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Looking for any suggestions regarding when the best time of year to go to Japan would be? Considering making a trip in 2018. It would not be a long trip though. Likely a week. I 100% want to go to Tokyo.
Any suggestions or ideas would be greatly appreciated !
The Gion Festival (Gion Matsuri) in Kyoto is a great time, but you will have to book way ahead. Gion at any time of the year can be fun even you can't make it to the festival. There's also Kiyomizudera in Kyoto, which is a bustling area if not a bit too touristy. Still lots of fun. Personally I like Kyoto better than Tokyo for the cultural experience. Lots little museums, temples everywhere and a slower pace than Tokyo. IIRC, it's about a 3 1/2 hour trip on the shinkansen from Tokyo to Kyoto so visiting both cities on a one week trip is not unreasonable
Since Tokyo was all business for me, I really didn't do a whole lot of it. The Imperial Gardens and Castle are cool. Tsukiji (pronounced ski-gee) Fish Market is a unique experience. Even if you don't go to the fish auctions, there are tons of little restaurants in the area and most are good/not over-priced. Tokyo Station is Grand Central on heavy steroids, be ready for culture shock the first time you go in there. Somebody else will have to tell you about Tokyo's nightlife.
I don't recommend going during Golden Week. At least my clients told me that it was a bad time because nobody is working, but that is not a first hand experience.
If you're young, I found Golden Week an ironically fun time to go. Lots of club specials at The Womb, Ageha, etc. Plus, some of my favorite DJs held amazing raves during this time. I also attended 3 out of 6 doujin events ie M3-39, Comitia, and Reitaisai. Good times, good times. Fractured my left hand LOL Raving from 11am to 7am the next day. Going to two raves at once.
Shoutout to my crazy friends DJing at Shibuya Dimension! Tried to get me drunk, but I ended up getting them drunk. Bwahahaha!!
We're researching to go...I'm thinking Cherry Blossom time would be ideal but not sure if we can swing 2 weeks that time of year. So much to see in Japan!
In winter, you can go to Hokkaido for skiing or some other winter recreation. You can also go to Okinawa for subtropical beaches.
Summer is not the ideal time to see Tokyo or Kansai, but once again, you can go to Hokkaido. Hokkaido is the favorite destination for Japanese. I do understand first time visitors don't want to miss Tokyo, but few Japanese go to Tokyo for vacation.
Spring and Fall are the best time to visit Kansai and Tokyo.
There are many lesser known places in Japan that worth a visit, for example, Yakushima. Japan isn't a small country, the diversity is often underrated.
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