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How to Spend Springtime in Japan

By Kitty and Puppy Apr 11, 2018

This post is also available in: Italian

Spring: The Most Enjoyable Season to go Outside

In Japan, there are four seasons: spring, summer, autumn/fall) and winter. Each season has its own good points such as fireworks at summer and skiing in winter, spring’s and autumn’s warm weather makes it enjoyable to spend time outside and there are many events for us to enjoy. While going on a trip is a great idea, just walking around outside in the park is also a wonderful way to spend time during spring. Below are some ideas we recommend you to enjoy spring.

 

Lounging in the park

Surprisingly, lounging the park is not as popular in Japan as it is overseas because many people feel embarrassed being seen lying on the ground. It might be typical to see groups of people lounging in the park on TV commercials or in other countries such as the United States. We enjoy feeling the gentle and warm atmosphere in spring. We don’t need to spend money on lounging at a park, and we can also pass our time by reading a book or brainstorming ideas or napping.

 

Shopping

We also recommend spring shopping! How about going to department stores or shopping malls to see how hectic spring-time sales are and what seasonal items are available. If you go to a shopping mall, you may enjoy events there, such as music lives, dance performances, traditional art shows or displays and special talk shows by famous TV characters or well-known artists. You can enjoy seeing spring items, buying merchandise for spring, watching performances and joining special events in department stores and shopping malls. The cost depends on a purchase as well as the transportation fees. However, if they are close, you don’t have to spend a lot money.

 

Having a Party or Picnic

Hamami (cherry blossom viewing) parties and picnics may also be a good idea. You can have a great time enjoying food and games in nature with friends or co-workers. If the party members bring their own food, you can hold a party at a reasonable price around 1,000 yen through to 3,000. When spending time outside at the weekend, it’s very crowded outside, so be sure to plan ahead.

 

Join a Workshop

There are some workshops held for specific spring-time events. Since Japanese people tend to be more active in spring, thanks to warm weather, it’s popular to start learning something new. For example a special spring-time workshop, where participants learn to dye a cloth in indigo called Ai-zome in Japanese. Although it can cost around 5,000 yen it could be an interesting Japanese experience to try if you are interested in textiles. 

 

Going on a Trip

Even though it can cost a fair amount, depending on the destination, it’s possible to get a wonderful experiences traveling through Japan. The most northern part of Japan, Hokkaido, is one of the most famous areas to travel on springtime. It generally costs over 100,000 yen  including hotels and the transportation charge. But this new experiences and great food are worth it.

 

Points about What We Would Like to Do in Spring Time

As the options above show, there are various ways to spend spring time in Japan. How can we prioritize our time and decide how to get the most out of spring? At a great expense, we may obtain a unique experience or discovery. We can always rethink of a way to save our spendings later. In Japan, spring is a wonderful season when you can try to do many things and I hope these ideas have inspired you to try something new.

Kitty&Puppy/Japan