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Wintertime is here!
Happy 2025! Winter has made its mark now with quite chilly temperatures as of late, frost coating the ground and even snow falling some days. Fireworks were set off all around the world, ringing in the year of the snake. Are you looking forward to visiting Japan in 2025? 2025 will be an exicting year for Japan, especially with the start of the Osaka Expo in April.
Wintertime in Japan means that much of Japan turns into 'snow country', also known as 'yukiguni.' Did you know that Japan is the snowiest country in the world? Aomori, located in the Tohoku Region, can receive up to 8 metres of snow in a year! This makes for some stunning views and experiences during the wintertime, which is one of the best times to visit Japan!
Japan celebrated the new year with lots of traditional food and events. From osechi ryori (a mixture of various small dishes), toshikoshi soba (soba noodles eaten on New Year's Eve), to kagami mochi (mochi eaten after the New Year), the new year is a busy time. Many people visit shrines shortly after the new year, something known as a 'hatsumode'. You can ring in the new year, wishing for good fortune or success for the upcoming year. Many people also return omamori and other shrine goods such as daruma dolls which are ritually burned to give thanks for the previous year.
This month we have Wakayama Prefecture, cycling the length of Japan, Hokkaido's Snow Festival, and more - let's go!
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We sat down with Oscar Boyd to chat about his recent adventure in Japan, where he cycled from the entire length of Japan from southernmost point in Kagoshima to the northernmost point in Hokkaido!
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Winter is one of the coolest times to visit Japan, here's a few top spots to see if you're exploring Japan in wintertime!
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January 3rd marked 100 days until the start of the Osaka Expo. Make sure to get your tickets and prepare to experience the world at Yumeshima in April!
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Northern Japan is very well known for the amount of snow it gets and how cold the winters how, but one of the best ways to get through the cold is an onsen!
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Wakayama Prefecture of the Kii Peninsula is home to some of the best trekking trails and hidden gems in Japan, let's see what the prefecture has!
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Yukimatsuri, Hokkaido's famous snow festival is known for magestic sculptures and creation from the snow, but did you know how much work is done to make the festival a success?
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Explore Japan through some amazing cruises!
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Winter is here and trees are frosty and have shed their leaves, so let's find an appropriate kigo to use for this month's haiku!
Our word this time is 木の下! Read as 'konoshita', this word means 'under a tree'. Sitting under the trees is a great way to pass the time during the year, especially in late autumn and even winter when you are out for a walk. Let's see what sort of haiku we can make!
Haikus are made with a 17 mora combination in 5-7-5 style, with occasional 'kireji' punctuation.
Our first line has our seasonal word and is 5 mora - 木の下に (ko no shita ni)
Then a 7 mora line - 目を離さず (me o hanasazu)
And lastly 5 mora - 最後の葉 (saigo no ha)
Completed, our haiku reads as -
木の下に (ko no shita ni)
目を離さず (me o hanasazu)
最後の葉 (saigo no ha)
Under the tree,
My eyes don't look away,
From the last leaves.
Haiku writing can be challenging yet fun, have you written one before?
Send a haiku you've made to our Instagram account @visitjapan_uk and we may feature them in future newsletters!
Here's some highlights of what we've learned over the past few months:
1) Wakayama Prefecture's Kumano Kodo is a wonderfully historic pilgrimage trail, have you trekked it before?
2) Northern Japan is quite snowy at the moment, make sure to check out some of their amazing onsens!
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There's lots of Japan related events and shows happening in the UK - Let's see what's going on! |
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- Toyama Prefecture and Osaka were featured on the New York Times 52 Places to Go in 2025 list!
- Wanderlust Magazine featured Japan in its Good to Go List 2025, read more about it here!
- Japan House's exhibit, 'Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan's food replica culture' will be on until 16 February, make sure to give it a visit!
- The Osaka Expo begins in less than 100 days, have you gotten tickets yet?
- Read about visiting Japan from Becky Pomfret in Fabric Magazine!
- Learn about osoji, large cleaning events at places such as shrines and temples before the new year, from Kate Crockett.
- The Simose Museum and Art Garden Villa in Hiroshima is a wonderful place to admire art and the Seto Inland Sea, read a review by Ben Southan here!
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Let's take a quick look at something cool going on in Japan! |
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- Revitalising regional areas has been an important aspect of many places within Japan. Ozu City in Ehime is one such city that is working to renovate and rebuild many historic buildings that have been affected by depopulation and other factors. Through OZU STORIES, you can talk with and learn from local residents, visiting buildings pre and post restoration, and discussing the issue with stakeholders and residents who live in the town.
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Releasing 14 February, COTTONTAIL is the award winning debut film from British/Irish writer and director Patrick Dickinson. Featuring actor Lily Franky from
Shoplifters and Academy Award nominee Ciarán Hinds, the film follows Kenzaburo and his son Toshi as they travel to spread Kenzaburo's wife and Toshi's mother Akiko's ashes at Lake Windemere in England.
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That’s it from us for this month!
Keep up with all this and much, much more by following us on Facebook and Instagram.
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