02The land

Four rhythms

The season rewrites the country

Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu have four clear seasons, with Hokkaido colder and Okinawa warmer. The national tourism site publishes a guide for each season. So no month is always bad: each season opens one scene and closes another.

1. January
2. February
3. March
4. April
5. May
6. June
7. July
8. August
9. September
10. October
11. November
12. December

• Snow and north · December to February. Hokkaido and the mountains for snow; cities quieter and colder.

  iSourceClimate of Japan · WikipediaTravel Japan — seasonal guides (spring, summer, autumn, winter) · Japan National Tourism Organization

• Cities and blossoms · March to May. The tourism board’s spring guide; milder weather for many cities.

  iSourceClimate of Japan · WikipediaTravel Japan — seasonal guides (spring, summer, autumn, winter) · Japan National Tourism Organization

• Heat and islands · June to August. Humid on Honshu; Okinawa subtropical and suited to the sea.

  iSourceClimate of Japan · WikipediaTravel Japan — seasonal guides (spring, summer, autumn, winter) · Japan National Tourism Organization

• Leaves and cities · September to November. The tourism board’s autumn guide; color and clearer days for walking.

  iSourceClimate of Japan · WikipediaTravel Japan — seasonal guides (spring, summer, autumn, winter) · Japan National Tourism Organization