Japan

Spring (late March to early May) brings cherry blossom across much of Honshu, starting in the south and moving north; Kyoto and Tokyo are at their busiest then. Autumn, especially November, is cooler and clear, with maple colour in the temples and mountain parks. June to mid-July is the rainy season in most of the country. Summers are hot and humid in the cities; Hokkaido stays cooler. Golden Week at the end of April is a major Japanese holiday, so trains and hotels fill up. Winter is excellent for snow in Hokkaido and the Japan Alps, and for clear views of Mount Fuji on cold days.

A classic first trip runs Tokyo → Hakone or Mount Fuji → Kyoto → Osaka, often with a day at Hiroshima and Miyajima. The shinkansen makes that corridor easy in a week to ten days. With more time, add Kanazawa or Takayama for smaller cities and wooden streets, or fly north to Hokkaido or south to Okinawa. Many travellers buy a Japan Rail Pass for the long-distance legs and use IC cards for local trains and metros. Staying in a ryokan with an onsen for at least one night is worth planning into the middle of the trip.

Kyoto’s temples photograph best early, before tour groups; Fushimi Inari’s torii gates and the bamboo at Arashiyama are iconic but crowded by mid-morning. In Tokyo, mix neon districts like Shinjuku with quieter shrines and garden paths. Mount Fuji is often clearest in winter from the lakes or the shinkansen window on a dry day. On phones, leave location on so ZikZak can place each frame; night shots in Osaka or Tokyo need a steady hand or a short burst. Rainy-season greenery is beautiful if you protect the lens.