10 THINGS TO DO IN JAPAN IN WINTER

It was not in our plans, but when one hears the traveling call, one cannot suppress the desire to buy a ticket. So with those we change the warmth of Thailand for the cold of the full Japanese winter. We arrived in Osaka in mid-January with the plan of touring some less known areas of the country of the Rising Sun. And we enjoyed it as two children! Although you may think that visiting Japan at this time of the year is not a great idea, you are very wrong. Take note because we are going to tell you the 10 best things to do in Japan in winter.

Spoiler: it's going to be very cool ☺

Beyond the temples of Kyoto, which look impressive under a blanket of snow, or vibrant Tokyo, with Christmas decorations, we have looked for true experiences to enjoy in Japan especially in winter. Put on a cardigan (or better a warm coat) because the cold is guaranteed.

One of Japan's biggest attractions in winter is the area known as “the Japanese Alps,” a series of mountain ranges that stretch in the center of Honshu Island, between the prefectures of Niigata, Toyama, Nagano and Gifu, and that They have peaks up to 3,000 meters high.

In winter it is normal to find copious snowfalls, which cover the landscape entirely in white, which does not mean that we cannot move from one place to another. In fact it is a very well connected area, to which we recommend you spend several days, to know its main attractions. They cannot be missing:

• The villages of Shirakawa-go Y Gokayama, with its traditional A-shaped houses, in style gasshō-zukuri.
• Kanazawa, with neighborhoods of samurai and geisha where it is easy to go back in time.
• Takayama, a city with a lot of charm and perfect base to get to know the Japanese Alps.
• Hirayu Onsen, and take the opportunity to take a relaxing bath in its hot springs.
• Matsumoto and its castle, the oldest in all of Japan.
• Kiso Valley Y Nakasendo Route, if only to know the most famous villages, such as Magome and Tsumago.

Unlike other areas of Japan, which appear to be depopulated in winter, Nagano is a hotbed of activity since the first snowflakes begin to fall. And not only for its ski resorts (which we will talk about later), here is a most peculiar place: Jigokudani Snow Monkey Park. It is a park with natural thermal pools (onsen) where you can see a community of monkeys taking a comforting hot bath. Winter is the best time of year to see them, because when temperatures start to rise, they prefer to hide in other areas of the valley.

Now, keep in mind that you will NOT be alone: ​​there are many macaques, but more tourists. In the entrance on the Snow Monkey Park (coming soon) we tell you more 😉

It is normal to feel envious of the monkeys (their faces are of real pleasure), but you will also have the opportunity to take a relaxing bath. A few kilometers from there is Shibu Onsen, a small village where the traditional is to plant the traditional yukata and tour its public thermal baths (this time for humans).

Without a doubt, an ideal plan if you are visiting Japan in winter is to buy a plane ticket to Sapporo, in the north hokkaido island. Why? Because here, at the beginning of February, one of the most famous festivals in the country takes place: the Sapporo Snow Festival. For 2 weeks the city is filled with ice and snow sculptures (some the size of a building!). There are three points where these curious works of art are concentrated: the Odori Park, the Susukino neighborhood and the Sapporo Dome.

For us, one of the best things to do in winter in Japan.

Do not leave Sapporo without visiting the nearby Ottaru, a small and charming city less than an hour away. The reason? In the same period of the Snow Festival the Light path festival, in which hundreds of illuminated ice and snow lanterns are displayed, placed along the city channel.

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Another of Japan's most famous and fun winter festivals is celebrated on February 3 and welcomes spring! Of course, with temperatures that make you think that winter has already passed. We talk about Setsubun no Hi, whose purpose is to try to ward off demons and bad luck with the mamemaki ritual. To do this, roasted soybeans are thrown while the phrase is pronounced: 'Oni wa soto! Fuku wa uchi! ', which would literally be something like "Out with the demons, may good luck come!"

It is a party that is celebrated throughout the country, so if you are in Japan on that date, do not miss it! Without a doubt, one of the best things to do in Japan in winter.

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If you feel like Elsa de Frozen on the snow slopes, you're in luck: Japan is one of the emerging destinations in terms of active tourism and its orography, full of mountains, makes it one of the best places to ski (and the most original).

And if there is a popular destination in Japan for skiing, that is Nagano, which hosted the 1998 Winter Games. Around this city there are several very popular ski slopes, such as Hakuba, Nozawa Onsen or Shiga koren. But there are other areas in Japan to ski, such as the ski resort of Niseko (Hokkaido), or that of Gala-Yuzawa (Niigata).

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If your ability to stay on skis is void, you should learn this word well: rotenburo. It is an outdoor hot water bath, usually surrounded by nature, and where taking a bath is an almost spiritual experience. Imagine having a snow-covered Japanese garden in front of your eyes, while you, naked and relaxed, dive into a pool of boiling water. Aiiiins, what a gustirrinin!

There are hundreds of rotenburo scattered throughout Japan, but 3 of the prettiest are these:

• Takaragawa Onsen Osenkaku
• Shirahone Onsen
• Nyuto Onsen

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Something very positive about traveling to Japan in winter is that the skies are usually clear and blue, allowing the shy Mount Fuji Be in full view of all voyeurs. During the rest of the year it is rather prone to hide behind the clouds, so it is a perfect occasion to contemplate it. It’s cool, right?

There are several ways to visit the mythical mountain, you can do it with a day trip from Tokyo or do it for free. One of the objectives of our second trip to Japan was to see the silhouette of Mount Fuji after the Chureito Pagoda. It is one of the most typical and beautiful postcards of the country, and we refer to the photo.

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The best thing about the cold in Japan is that you will always have an excuse to put a good plate of steaming ramen in your body. Japanese cuisine is one of the best in the world and, although sushi may not appeal to you too much when the temperature is around 0º, don't worry because there are thousands of other options: the aforementioned ramen, sobas, nabe (in the photo) and, of course, tea matcha and the sake hot. Kanpai!

Although everything is said ... it is not going to be the cold who gets away from sushi!

10. Contemplate the flowering of the plum (ume)

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We finish this list with the 10 best things to do in Japan in winter with this event. Not as famous as the sakura (Japanese cherry tree), but the umeIt is the prelude to the explosion of spring and, if you hurry us, the plum blossom is even prettier than the cherry tree and the most reproduced in Japanese paintings. Plums (ume) are symbols of life and rebirth, which begin to bloom in mid-February, so if you travel during this month ... keep an eye on the tree branches!

It catches us in Tokyo, from where we wrote this post and enjoyed it in one of the best places: the Hanegi Park 🙂

Here we leave you the map with our tour with the best plans to do in Japan in winter:

These are, for us, the best things to do in Japan in winter. We admit that at the beginning, we had ruled out traveling in this cold season ... but after informing ourselves a little and seeing the enormous amount of activities that can be enjoyed, we put the blanket to the head and there we went. Now, after the trip, we can't be happier about the decision. Japan in winter is very cool. Of course, he wears warm clothes!

For more information about Japan, visit: www.japan.travel/es