Are you making ready for a visit to Japan in April? We have now collected all of the related details about climate circumstances, seasonal occasions and general bills for anyone visiting this time of 12 months.
Enchanting landscapes with blue skies, a sea of pink cherry timber stretching out in opposition to the backdrop of Mt Fuji and the scent of flowers lingering within the air. April is among the hottest months to go to Japan.
In the event you’re contemplating visiting Japan in April, you’ve come to the best place. This information will reply all of your questions on climate circumstances and clothes, offer you some journey suggestions & methods, and educate you about the perfect festivals.
Is April a Good Time to Go to Japan?
Total, April is a nice month to go to Japan.
From round mid-March, 1000’s of blooming cherry timber flip the nation into an exquisite sea of pink. The annual “cherry blossom entrance” takes off on Japan’s southernmost primary island Kyūshū (excluding Okinawa) and progressively strikes northwards till it reaches Tōhoku (mid-April) and Hokkaidō (late April to early Might).
Cherry blossoms are identified for his or her volatility. In the event you’re travelling to Japan in March or April, it’s finest to control the cherry blossom forecasts as fickle temperatures and rain have an effect on the flowering interval.
The first blooming forecast for the 2024 cherry blossom season was introduced on the finish of January. Common updates are deliberate for the next weeks.
Relying on the climate, cherry blossom season in every place lasts for a complete span of round two weeks. It’s divided into three phases: the opening of the primary blossoms (kaika, 開花), the interval of full bloom (mankai, 満開) and the petals drifting from the timber, which the Japanese like to match to a snowstorm (sakura fubuki, 桜吹雪).
Nonetheless, travelling round Japan in April additionally means coping with big crowds of individuals and larger costs for flights and lodging than different months.
Good climate, cherry blossom season and Golden Week (a sequence of 4 nationwide holidays) make April one of many busiest and costliest months to go to Japan (see below for more).
Climate in Japan in April
Japan is an archipelago that stretches over 3.000 kilometres from its northernmost to southernmost level. This implies temperatures fluctuate drastically relying on the prefectures you’re planning to go to throughout your journey.
In April, spring totally arrives in most areas of Japan. Gentle days of as much as 20°C make exploring cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka a gratifying expertise. Throughout cherry blossom season, folks love gathering in parks for a picnic beneath the blooming timber and having fun with time with household and mates.
Tōhoku and Hokkaidō in Northern Japan are nonetheless colder, whereas Japan’s tropical getaway Okinawa awaits guests with nearly summery climate round this time of 12 months. Under, you will discover the typical day by day temperatures for Japan in April:
| Imply temperature | Max. temperature | Min. temperature | |
| Sapporo, Hokkaidō | 7.3°C | 11.7°C | 3.4°C |
| Tokyo | 14.3°C | 19.4°C | 9.8°C |
| Osaka | 15.2°C | 19.9°C | 10.9°C |
| Fukuoka, Kyūshū | 15.4°C | 19.9°C | 11.5°C |
| Naha, Okinawa | 21.5°C | 24.3°C | 19.1°C |
Supply: Japan Meteorological Agency (averages between 1991–2020)
The probability of rain on Honshū (which incorporates cities like Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) in April is round 30%. However you don’t should be too nervous. There may be just a few wet days, however April will not be Japan’s wet season. Total, you’ll be able to count on clear skies and average rainfall:
| Sunshine hours | Rain (in mm) | |
| Sapporo, Hokkaidō | 175.8 | 54.6 |
| Tokyo | 178.8 | 133.7 |
| Osaka | 192.6 | 101.9 |
| Fukuoka, Kyūshū | 188.1 | 118.2 |
| Naha, Okinawa | 120.9 | 161.0 |
Supply: Japan Meteorological Agency (averages between 1991–2020)
What to Put on in Japan in April?
When visiting Japan in April, you’re ideally ready with a layered look.
Following the “Golden Route” between Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Hiroshima, you’ll be able to count on nice temperatures of as much as 20°C in the course of the day. Days with few clouds and loads of sunshine really feel heat however not sizzling but.
Convey some T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts and sweaters, lengthy trousers, and comfy footwear/sneakers.
Temperatures drop rapidly as quickly because the solar goes down. In April, the nights are nonetheless chilly at round 10°C. Ideally, you all the time have a gentle (waterproof) jacket in your bag. In the event you are inclined to get chilly rapidly, bringing a gentle scarf and hat/beanie is usually a lifesaver.
The above-listed issues are necessities for a visit to cities like Tokyo, Osaka or Fukuoka in April. Be certain that to regulate your wardrobe in line with your vacation spot inside Japan.
Is Japan Crowded in April?
As tempting as taking a visit to Japan in April could also be due to beneficial climate circumstances, there’s one main downside. April is Japan’s peak journey season. Some locations turn into insanely crowded at first and finish of the month.
Cherry Blossom Season
Firstly, the cherry blossom season attracts hundreds of thousands of vacationers from throughout the globe annually. Late March to early April is normally the perfect time to see the beautiful white-pink flowers in full bloom round Tokyo, Osaka and Kyoto.
Throughout these weeks, well-liked cherry blossom spots like Osaka Fortress Park, Ueno Park in Tokyo, and the Kiyomizu Temple in Kyoto are normally full of folks. The identical applies to day journey locations outdoors Japan’s primary cities like Himeji Castle and a few areas round Mt. Fuji (together with Hakone).
One technique to keep away from the crowds is to go to lesser-known cherry blossom spots within the surrounding prefectures. However even right here it’s best to all the time count on the parks to be busier than traditional.
Golden Week
In late April, the so-called Golden Week additional spurs tourism in Japan. This time period refers to a sequence of 4 nationwide holidays inside a seven-day window beginning with the Showa Day on April twenty ninth and ending with the Kids’s Day on Might fifth.
Throughout Golden Week, many Japanese take the chance to journey. Not solely home motels and technique of transportation such because the Shinkansen get booked up rapidly (in the event you journey throughout this time, it’s suggested to pre-book tickets for the Shinkansen). Costs for worldwide flights to and from Japan additionally skyrocket round this time of 12 months.
Travelling to Japan throughout Golden Week is feasible however not advisable. Schedule your flights for the weeks earlier than or after Golden Week if you wish to lower your expenses and keep away from giant crowds.
Prices of Travelling to Japan in April
As said above, April is certainly one of Japan’s peak seasons for home tourism. Costs for flights to Japan are larger than traditional between mid-March and early April (when most worldwide guests schedule their flights for cherry blossom season).
Earlier than Golden Week (see above), flight costs normally rise much more. As a result of quite a few nationwide holidays between the top of April and the start of Might, many Japanese folks journey each inside and outdoors Japan.
This makes discovering reasonably priced flights extraordinarily tough. Once more, it’s finest to keep away from coming to Japan throughout Golden Week.
On high of that, lodging may even be much more costly in comparison with different months. The extra demand, the costlier the motels. If you wish to go to Japan on a finances, it’s finest to keep away from April.
Greatest Issues to Do in Japan in April
Sunny days, consuming hanami dango below blooming cherry timber and strolling via enchanting landscapes with vibrant flowers in abundance – April is the month that sees Japan lastly awake from its winter slumber.
1000’s of individuals have a good time spring and the fantastic thing about nature via flower festivals with cherry blossom occasions being the preferred amongst them. Need to have a picnic beneath the blooming cherry timber?
Japan’s spring nights turn into much more scenic via illumination occasions throughout cherry blossom season (often known as yozakura (夜桜) or “night time cherry blossoms”) all over the place throughout the nation.
Right here’s an summary of some well-liked issues to do in Japan in April:
- Take pleasure in hanami: Hanami (that means “cherry blossom viewing”) is among the most beloved Japanese traditions in the course of the spring season. Seize your self a blue picnic sheet, some snacks and drinks and head out to a park that enables guests to take a seat beneath the blooming cherry timber. Don’t neglect to stick to the essential guidelines talked about below whereas having fun with the swaying pink flowers above you.
- Strive seasonal cherry blossom sweets: No hanami expertise is full with out making an attempt among the inventive limited-edition sweets, snacks and drinks Japanese food companies come up with for sakura season yearly. Be careful for pink packaging and wrapping when visiting comfort shops and supermarkets in March and early April. It is best to discover a whole lot of cherry blossom-flavoured stuff. Many cafés and eating places supply limited-edition spring menus, too.
- Go to Japan’s numerous flower parks and fields: Shibazakura, nemophila, wisteria, azalea, peonies, tulips – many different flowers moreover cherry blossoms embellish April in Japan. Flower festivals happen everywhere in the nation all through spring. Try our listing of chosen seasonal occasions below for some inspiration.
- Go strawberry selecting: Though strawberry season in Japan begins in December, strawberry selecting is a well-liked exercise in the course of the heat spring months. Strawberry farms could be discovered throughout Japan, however the prefectures of Tochigi, Fukuoka and Kumamoto are the top-producing areas.
- Journey to Okinawa: April is among the finest months to go to Okinawa. Common temperatures properly above 20°C make for an ideal early summer time getaway. The wet season hits Okinawa round mid-Might, just a few weeks earlier than Honshū.
Primary Guidelines for Cherry Blossom Viewing
Earlier than heading out for cherry blossom viewing your self, it’s best to preserve some primary guidelines in thoughts:
- Cherry blossoms are there for everybody to take pleasure in. Plucking the flowers off the timber and touching or forcefully bending the twigs is frowned upon. Admire them from a slight distance as a substitute.
- Lay out your hanami blankets solely in areas the place it’s permitted. Sitting beneath the cherry timber is forbidden in some parks.
- Don’t take up extra space than you want together with your picnic blanket. Don’t be too noisy. Take your trash again residence with you when leaving the park. Many different folks additionally need to spend a pleasing time with their household and mates.
Festivals and Occasions in Japan in April 2024
Listed here are some festivals and occasions that can happen in Japan in April 2024:
- NAKED Sakura Festival in Nijō Fortress, Kyoto (08/03/2024 – 07/04/2024): This digital artwork exhibition is right for everybody who desires so as to add slightly further magic to their cherry blossom expertise in Japan. Although the exhibition itself is ready to start out in early March, the perfect time to go to might be when the cherry blossoms within the gardens of Nijō Fortress are in full bloom between late March and early April. Entrance begins at 6 PM and ends at 9 PM (closure at 10 PM).
- Ueno Cherry Blossom Competition in Ueno Park, Tokyo (mid-March to early April): Ueno Park is named probably the most well-liked cherry blossom spots in Tokyo and attracts a lot of guests with its cherry blossom avenue comprising over 800 timber annually. At night time, the timber are illuminated by lanterns.
- Osaka Fortress Park Cherry Blossom Competition in Osaka (late March to mid-April): With round 3,000 cherry timber, Osaka Fortress Park is among the hottest cherry blossom spots in Kansai. At Nishinomaru Backyard, the cherry blossoms are lit by lanterns at night time.
- Beppu Hattō Onsen Festival & Mt. Ōgi Fireplace Competition in Beppu, Oita Prefecture (01/04/2024 – 07/04/2024): Generally known as Japan’s onsen capital, Beppu hosts a competition to have a good time its sizzling springs annually in early April. Along with parades and free entry to among the metropolis’s sizzling springs, an enormous bonfire is lit the identical week in Mt. Ōgi. In the event you’ve all the time been interested by Japan’s sizzling spring tradition, this competition is the right selection.
- Sakura Tulip Festa in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture (early April to late April): Over half one million tulips adorn the flower fields on the annual Tulip Festa in Sakura Metropolis all through April. Throughout the competition, you’ll be able to dig up tulip bulbs, take pleasure in road meals or take a ship journey on Lake Inba.
- Nemophila Harmony at Hitachi Seaside Park, Ibaraki Prefecture (mid-April to early Might): Yearly between mid-April and early Might, Hitachi Seaside Park in Ibaraki Prefecture sees a pointy rise in guests when a sea of blue nemophila flowers covers Miharashi Hill. Try the blooming forecasts earlier than visiting for the perfect expertise.
- Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Competition in Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture (19/04/2024 – 05/05/2024): Even in case you are too late for cherry blossom season in Central Honshū, you’ll be able to nonetheless see them blooming when travelling up north to Tōhoku in late April. Hirosaki Metropolis in Aomori Prefecture hosts a well-known annual cherry blossom competition with a number of road meals and an illumination occasion at night time. The dates introduced are topic to vary relying on the blooming forecasts of the cherry blossoms.
- Ashikaga Flower Park Great Wisteria Festival in Ashikaga, Tochigi Prefecture (mid-April to mid-Might): Ashikaga Flower Park is among the most acclaimed journey locations to witness the fantastic thing about wisteria in Japan. Other than loads of wisteria, you too can see azalea flowers and peonies blooming across the identical interval. At night time, the park hosts a wisteria light-up occasion. Don’t neglect to take a look at the blooming forecasts earlier than visiting.
- Fuji Shibazakura Festival in Fuji Motosuko Resort, Yamanashi Prefecture (mid-April to late Might): Throughout the Fuji Shibazakura Competition, you’ll be able to see round 500,000 Shibazakura crops (generally known as “moss phlox” in English) turning big fields in entrance of Mt. Fuji right into a pink dreamscape. Once more, check out the climate and blooming forecasts earlier than visiting!
Conclusion – Visiting Japan in April
April is one of many busiest and hottest journey intervals in Japan. Nice climate, loads of blooming flowers reminiscent of cherry blossoms and lots of nice festivals make this time of 12 months improbable for a visit.
Though touristy spots in well-liked cities are extra crowded than traditional, the lovely spring landscapes make visiting Japan in April undoubtedly price it. Simply keep away from Golden Week on the finish of the month if attainable. A extreme improve in home tourism makes Golden Week even busier than cherry blossom season.
If you wish to profit from wonderful climate circumstances and the attractive colors of nature with fewer crowds, the autumn foliage season in November is an effective different. Japan is busy in November, but not almost as swamped with vacationers as in April. Finally, all of it relies on your private preferences.
