Spring is one of Japan's busiest tourist seasons, especially in early Spring, when the snow is still melting but Spring is starting to peak. Among the seasonal events, visiting parks to see the beautiful cherry blossoms is a must-see, but you'll find a plethora of activities from March to May.
Cherry blossoms or Sakura are pretty much known as the official flower of Japan. While they begin blooming in late February, you can see their full majestic beauty from mid-March to late May. Cherry blossoms are so important that Japan hosts hanami, or flower viewing parties, where you convene by a cherry blossom tree and enjoy refreshments. There are numerous parks, castles, and temples where you can view the cherry blossoms, including Fort Goryokaku Park in Hokkaido or Osaka Castle in Osaka. If you want, you can book a tour and see many cities, as you'll learn more about the history of Japan and have the services of a knowledgeable guide.
The international feel, welcoming vibes, and endless opportunities, the chance to teach English in Japan is the perfect place for wanderlust educators. Japan can offer you the best of both worlds — small town and big city locations are available to enhance your teaching skills. For teaching abroad you need to have some preparation and there are several quality articles written about how to teach English in Japan. You need to consider where to find a job, where would you like to go, for how long and if any teaching quals are required.
This route features a combination of cable cars, trains, buses, and ropes and goes from Toyama City to Nagano. Alas, it is closed during the winter. However, it's a sight to be seen in spring as the snow corridor is open. You can explore the snow corridor by hiking or by bus to see snow walls up to 20 metres high near Japan's mountains.
Every year, on the third Sunday, more than 100,000 tourists attend this ancient boat party. You'll get to re-enact a scene from 1,000 years ago by dressing in ancient clothes, boarding the boats which are adorned with dragons or birds. Each boat has a different theme, whether it be singing, traditional dance, or Japanese poetry.
Osaka and Tokyo host six professional sumo wrestling championships annually. These wrestlers have worked through a hierarchy of divisions and are the best of the best. Many tourists prefer to watch sumo wrestling in Tokyo because the fans are always enthusiastic and know the wrestlers' strengths and weaknesses. Alternatively, Japan also hosts an amateur sumo wrestling competition to see which wrestler can make an infant react first.
Children's Day occurs annually on May 5th, the last day of Golden Week. Golden Week is technically one of the busiest times to travel so plan accordingly. However, you'll find that amusement parks and movie theatres are less populated this week. Japan often releases its huge blockbusters this week. At the end on May 5th, Children's Day is celebrated in honour of health and happiness for the children. You'll find tons of carp streamers hanging from homes and businesses in honour of the big day.
Too many choices? Consider going on tailor made Japan tours and holidays just for you. This way, you don't have to stress over vacation planning as someone else suggests the best attractions fit for your schedule and budget.
These are only a few of the activities Japan has to offer in Spring. You'll find an abundance of other flowers, as well as a number of local festivals.