When to Go

San-yo is the sunniest region in Japan, and almost any time is a good time to visit. The northern shore, or San-in, does get a strong dose of winter, but the reward is a wonderfully long, delightful spring. Like most of Japan, western Honshu gets oppressively muggy by midsummer, but the wind off the Nihon-kai cools the San-in coast. Summer festivals and autumn colors are spectacular throughout the region, and these always attract many tourists; reserve well ahead if you are traveling then.