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I’m really not a person who likes the heat and before arriving in Japan last week, I was not looking forward to the hot weather. I checked the forecast just before I left the UK and saw they were predicting record temperatures – wonderful! Yet one week into my trip, I am completely distracted by how fun Japan in the summer is, offering tons of unique experiences and with a great holiday atmosphere all around. Here are just 5 of the reasons why Japan a fantastic place to visit in July and August.
Fireworks 花火
You might think you’ve seen pretty good firework displays but Japanese displays are in a league of their own. These are common place all over the country but Tokyo’s highlights are the Sumida-gawa festival on at the end of July and the Tokyo Bay display just last weekend. I was lucky enough to be able to watch part of the 90 minute show from my Tokyo hotel room. Organisers can be pretty competitive so expect to see not only different colours and patterns but also kanji and characters from Japanese animation!
Festivals 祭
July and August are full of fantastic festivals all over Japan and which each have their own unique atmosphere. Some of the very best happen in the Tohoku region during August – Aomori is the stage for the fantastic Nebuta festival, for example. As darkness falls, huge illuminated floats are pulled through the streets by armies of local people to a cacophony of bells, flutes and drums. On the last night of the festival the floats are loaded onto boats and floated out to sea against the backdrop of a spectacular firework finale!
Nebuta Festival in Chiran, Kagoshima (mini version of the Aomori festival!)
Festivals in Japan are rich and vibrant occasions. Girls put on their best ‘yukata’ (a light kimono) and often the men wear traditional dress as well. For music lovers, summer also hosts Fuji Rocks and Summer Sonic which this year hosted Two Door Cinema Club, Metallica and Muse to name a few.
Couples dressed up for the festivities
Climbing Mt. Fuji 富士山
With the snow melted and temperatures at the top mild enough, July and August is the official climbing season of Mt. Fuji. Recently listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the climb to the top of the 3,776m dormant volcano and the views from the top at sunrise are fantastic.
Food 料理
Nothing beats Japanese festival food. Stalls selling various delicious meat skewers, corn on the cob, okonomiyaki, fried noodles, shaved ice, chocolate bananas – the list goes on.
Beer Gardens ビールビアガーデン
Summer is all about beer gardens. Sapporo has the king of beer gardens for a month from 20th July when Odori Koen, the park which runs through the heart of the city, is transformed into a giant beer garden. Each of Japan’s major brewers has a square where they set up a bar and outdoor seating for visitors to enjoy from early afternoon into the evening. The new craze this summer is frozen beer – perfect to quench the thirst in the heat!
