jill

Hello, my husband and I have an opportunity to visit some friends in Japan in January, and I'm wondering if someone can share some information on the weather and general experience that time of year. <BR><BR>We would spend two weeks there, we aren't super outdoorsy-people but would be interested in visited some more rural parts of Japan. Are there many fewer tourists during the winter? Would there be a lot of closures? I should add that we live in the Midwest and if it would get above freezing we would wear shorts (ok not really)<BR><BR>Thanks for any advice!

Hanuman

I was in Japan last December and the weather was around 1 degree celcius in Tokyo. Heard it was around - 6 in Sapporo.<BR><BR>

lizbeth

Jill,<BR>Could you post again with a little more detail on where your travels within Japan will take you? Remember that Japan is a "long" country north to south, and conditions in Kyushu are vastly different from those in Hokkaido!<BR>In general, do note that central heating is rare in Japanese homes. Space heaters, long underwear, hot baths early in the evening, hot tea and hot sake are the coping tools in cold weather.

jill

Hanuman and Lizbeth, thanks for your reponses. To be honest we have no real plans for our 2 week stay in Japan at this point beyond spending 4-5 days in Tokyo with our friends. I guess I'm just looking for reassurance that January is not a completely ridculous time to visit Japan. <BR><BR>Thanks again.

lcuy

Japan can be really beautifull, as snow may disguise the less beautu\iful aspects of a county\ry..not that Japan has much to hide! It can be very cold, especially as a chill damp wind blows across much of the country, and people tend to not have much insulation and heat in their homes. I would think it is a lot like the midwest plains outdoors, but not as warm inside. Many of the roads/buslines in the mountainous areas will be closed, so you should check if you are heading to really remote areas. It also becomes hard to tell the hotels and restaraunts from private residences when their doors are closed due to the cold! Other than that, I'd jump at the chance to go then. Crowds will be non-existent and inns will be happy to see you!<BR>

E.J.

In January in Tokyo, the weather is still fairly mild (compared to Philadelphia, where I live). Around New Years, many businesses shut down and don't re-open for a couple of weeks after New Years day. But to make up for that, there are lots of festivals and hords of cheerful people walking around the streets. If you will be in Tokyo on or about a week after New Years day, go to Meiji Jingu in Harajuku.

jill

Thank you all for your help - we're going to go for it!!<BR><BR>Good luck with all your trip planning and dreaming...

lizbeth

Jill,<BR>I'm glad you're going to follow through with your plans. I don't think you will regret it a bit. Since you are used to dressing for midwest winters, I think you'll be just fine.<BR>My most recent trip to Japan was in early December of 2001. I found it a terrific time to travel, low-key and uncrowded. For most of my trip, I was in southern Honshu and in Kyushu, so I ran into relatively mild weather all along. <BR>If you are interested in shrine and temple architecture, be assured that these structures are charming with a dusting of snow - Hiroshige, Hokusai and Hasui (all woodblock artists) would not have done so many images of them if it wasn't true.<BR><BR>If you get a chance to go to a hot springs (even just for a day), take it! Lying in the waters and looking out at the snow is pure pleasure.<BR><BR>Please let us know if you obtain any more detail about your plans.<BR><BR><BR><BR>

jill

Lizbeth, hot springs in the snow sound fantastic. If you have some specific suggestions I would love to hear them. <BR><BR>To be honest, we would much rather visit at a time when there will be few other tourists than go when the weather is "perfect" and battle crowds. I am much more interested in observing and experiencing other cultures than seeing the sites, you know??<BR><BR>And yes, being a Midwesterner you learn to enjoy yourself despite some fairly inhospitable weather. I will definitely come back with questions when we have more details on our trip, thanks again.