Seasons

Winter

The Japanese celebrate 1st January as the start of the New Year. Most people visit shrines and temples to pray for good luck, visit friends and relatives to exchange greetings, eat special food and drink sake. Except for the extreme north, winter in Japan is not very severe, and is usually tempered by warm sunshine and blue skies.  Winter sports are certainly popular and a full range is on offer in central and northern Japan. Japan’s ski resorts boast some of the best powder snow in the world. Winter in Hokkaido creates spectacular scenery, deep powder snow and superb snow skiing and snowboarding conditions. The world famous Sapporo White Illumination and Snow Festival attracts between 1 to 2 million people every year who come to view the elaborate snow sculptures. Another winter festival is the Kamakura Festival  which features small igloo/snow huts built to enshrine the God of Water. Inside the huts the children set up Shinto shrine alters and decorate them with offerings of food and flowers. This festival is a popular past-time for children and families in snowy areas. Japan’s hot spring resorts known as onsen are also a popular place to visit during the winter months.

The average temperature range during the winter months (December, January, February) is 1 to 9 degrees Celsius.