Visit Japan Now

Japan is known for its colorful festivals (matsuri). If you are planning to take a vacation in Japan, you surely should try to plan your tour in a way that will allow you to cover as many of these festivals as possible. Some festivities take days to complete. Given below are some of the most famous festivals and their approximate dates.

February - February in Japan attracts more than a million visitors both from within the country and from all over the world. It is the time of ‘Sapporo Snow Festival’. The highlight of the festival is the display of hundreds of statues made of ice, which all belong to one theme (mostly from the events of the last year). There are ice slides, amusement rides and variety of concessional stands for enjoying sumptuous food.

July and August - ‘Kyoto Gion Matsuri’ kicks of July. One of the top 3 national festivals of Japan, this has a colorful parade of tall floats. It is also called the festival of Yasaka Shrine. August begins with Nebuta Matsuri, the lantern festival which has huge lanterns on display. Don’t miss it if you are traveling to Japan during August. In the 2nd week of August, Awa Odori,a traditional dancing festival, is held in the Tokushima city.

Hope you enjoy your visit to Japan. You can read more about Japanese Festivals here!

As all visitors and residents of Japan will tell you, it is almost impossible to narrow down the landmarks to those you must see in a short period of time. But if you divide your activities into regions, themes, or historical periods, you will have a better shot at covering all of the basis. One of the best ways to tour Japan is to focus on the buildings and architecture of the country. Some of the most beautiful and educational landscapes can be viewed just by choosing a group of buildings to view on your trip.

Begin with the Great Buddha of Nara in Nara, Japan. A survivor of historical battles the hall and statue have retained their status as the world’s biggest wooden building with a frontage of 57m with 47.5m of height. The Imperial Palace, namesake to numerous locations in American and around the world, is located in Kyoto. The Palace has been rebuilt ten times because of fire damage. In Kyoto city, you will want to visit the Ginkaku Shrine. It was built by a Japanese politician that has a love of the arts. The Hoodo, a Buddhist temple consecrated in 1053 is located in Kyoto Prefecture. Tourists will enjoy Mount Kamakuru, featuring temples, shrines and the Great Buddha of Kamakuru. Lastly, Aizu Castle, was originally a mansion constructed by Ashina Naonari in the first year of Shitoku Era. Throughout the years it has been renovated and fortified and has grown to be one of the major tourist sites in Japan.