四季 · The seasonal guide to Japan
Cherry blossoms to winter onsen — where to go, and when, to catch Japan at its most beautiful.
四季 · The four seasons
夏 · Right now
Fireworks festivals, yukata nights and cool alpine escapes.
Yes, it's hot. It's also the season of Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, Aomori's glowing Nebuta floats and 20,000 fireworks over the Sumida River. How to do a Japanese summer well — and stay cool doing it.
Everyone tells you to skip Japan in June. They're wrong. Glowing blue hydrangeas at Kamakura's Meigetsu-in, the Hakone hydrangea train, half-empty temples and a country at its greenest — here's how to do the rainy season right.
物語 · From our writers