Japan boasts numerous traveler locations that can be sincerely liked throughout the frigid embody of iciness. These include breathtaking vistas exceptional to the snowy season and the luminous spectacle that graces the winter skies.
We have thoughtfully curated a selection of 21 locations ideal for the iciness season, wherein you will get pleasure from the distinct charm of Japan in winter!
1.【Yamagata】- Ginzan Onsen
Ginzan Onsen nestles quietly amidst the mountains within the town of Obanazawa, Yamagata Prefecture. It exudes the romantic atmosphere of the Taisho generation. When it became a filming vicinity for the NHK drama "Asa ga Kita," it immediately captured the nation's attention and its reputation spread some distance and huge.
Though it is a hot spring city, alongside the banks of the Ginzan River, you'll find Western-fashion multi-story wooden accommodations constructed from the late Taisho duration to the early Showa era. Strolling through this nostalgic streetscape is without a doubt charming.
This location is especially ideal for taking pictures of snowscapes, attracting many foreign visitors. After wandering via the hot spring road, you can choose to heat yourself with a delectable warm pot in the warm springs or inns.
- Ginzan Onsen Information
- Address: Ginzan Shinhachiri, Obanazawa City, Yamagata Prefecture
- Access: Tohoku Shinkansen / Yamagata → Ou Main Line Rapid 40 min → Oishida Bus 15 min → Obanazawa 40 min → Ginzan Onsen
- Phone: 0237-22-1111
- Official Website
2.【Nagano】- Snow Monkey Park
The "Snow Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen)" is famous for the Japanese macaques that soak inside the warm springs. You may also have visible photos of monkeys bathing in warm springs; they hail from Jigokudani, the only and only vicinity within the world in which you could witness this heartwarming spectacle.
The sight of those monkeys taking part in a warm bathtub is undeniably endearing and heartwarming.
Although open year-round, most Japanese macaques prefer to shower in lower temperatures. Even in winter, the hot spring baths may additionally now and again be closed, so make certain to check the actual time cameras earlier than you go to.
- Snow Monkey Park (Jigokudani Yaen Koen) Information
- Address: 6845 Yamanouchi, Shimotakai District, Nagano Prefecture
- Access: Refer to the site for transportation info
- Phone: 0269-33-4379
- Official Website
3.【Mie】- Nabana no Sato
Nabana no Sato（なばなの里）, a floral subject matter park in Mie Prefecture, offers a picturesque international interior and an enormous greenhouse. The venue boasts around 5,000 bulbs of autumn camellias and masses of styles of flora from all over the international, all blooming for the duration of the 12 months.
From past due October to early May of the subsequent 12 months, they host an illuminations event that has acquired excessive praise and has gained the top prize in the nationwide lighting ranking for three consecutive years. The event lasts for approximately 1/2 12 months, but the recommended time is all through iciness. It's whilst the illuminations are at their maximum beautiful, permitting you to completely delight in the romance of the lighting.
Among Nabana no Sato's illuminated presentations, the "Kagayaki Corridor," a tunnel of light, is mainly popular. Stretching about 200 meters, it's a sight to behold.
- Nabana no Sato Information
- Address: 333 Urusan, Nagashima-cho, Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture
- Access: Various transportation alternatives are to be had; please confer with the professional transportation guide
- Phone: 0594-45-1111（9:00～17:00）
- Official Website
4.【Hokkaido】- Hakodate
Hakodate changed into once taken into consideration one of the world's pinnacle 3 nightscapes. Admiring Hakodate's night view from the 334-meter-excessive Mount Hakodate remains relatively popular, attracting numerous visitors. Hakodate now not handiest helps you to experience the civilization and enlightenment history of the Meiji generation, however, it additionally keeps many retro brick and Western-style buildings.
In wintry weather, the snow reflects the mild, making the nighttime view even more beautiful. From December to March every 12 months, the city of Hakodate shines brightly in the course of the "Hakodate Winter Festival," making it even brighter than regular. Due to wintry weather road closures, it is really useful to use the cable automobile to attain the summit of Mount Hakodate.
- Hakodate Information
- Address: Mount Hakodate, Hakodate City, Hokkaido
- Access: Direct flights to Hakodate Airport from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Sapporo, and other towns, then transfer to a bus; rather, take JR to Aomori, Sapporo, and transfer to a bus.
- Phone: 0138-23-3105
- Official Website
5.【Kyoto】- Kinkaku-ji
Kinkaku-ji, the Golden Pavilion, is a breathtaking sight regardless of when you visit, but its winter look, surrounded by way of snow, is particularly captivating.
Located inside the northern part of the Kyoto Basin, Kinkaku-ji is in an area that regularly sees snowfall. If you are fortunate, you might witness the Golden Pavilion blanketed in a pristine blanket of white.
Snowfall is usually restricted to 3 days, but why now not plan your visit during this era to understand the valuable iciness surroundings? Not handiest the rooftop of Kinkaku-ji and the remote mountains but also the timber around and the islands floating within the Mirror Pond are all included in snow. You must see this "Snow-Covered Kinkaku-ji"!
Even with mild snow, it often melts by noon, so it's nice to go too early. You can also test Kinkaku-ji's cutting-edge fame through actual-time cameras.
- Kinkaku-ji Information
- Address: 1 Kinkaku-ji-cho, Kita-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Access: Take a city bus and get off at "Kinkaku-ji-michi."
- Visiting Hours: 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
- Phone: 075-461-0013
- Official Website
6.【Tochigi】Ashikaga Flower Park
Ashikaga Flower Park, positioned in Tochigi Prefecture, is illuminated from past due October to early February, lighting up its 94,000 square meters.
It is considered one of the most important illumination venues inside the Kanto area, presenting a tremendous region adorned with over 4. Five million colorful lighting is truly a masterpiece.
The park's illuminations are normally divided into three subject matters based totally on the season, permitting you to revel in lighting fixtures displays for events like Christmas and New Year.
- Ashikaga Flower Park Information
- Address: 607 Hasama-cho, Ashikaga City, Tochigi Prefecture
- Access: Refer to the respectable transportation manual
- Phone: 0284-91-4939
- Official Website
7.【Hokkaido】Biei Town, Blue Pond & Shirahige Waterfall
As the name suggests, the surface of the pond glints with a clear cobalt blue, making it a famous visitor destination affectionately referred to as the "Blue Pond." Beyond its beautiful blue hue, the submerged larch and white birch bushes standing quietly within the pond create a dreamy ecosystem.
From November to April every year, the Blue Pond in Biei holds a lighting event. Located approximately 17 kilometers from Biei Station, the place is surrounded by means of dense forests and offers a tranquil environment. During the deep winter season, the water floor freezes and is covered in snow, making the particular blue color of the pond invisible—a truly magical sight.
But why does the "Blue Pond" seem blue?
The secret to the pond's azure color lies in daylight and water satisfaction. The water in Biei River close to the Blue Pond includes aluminum, sulfur, and limestone. When it mixes with the water of the Biei River, frequently known as the "Blue River," it generates invisible colloid debris. Sunlight that falls there scatters via the debris, developing the mysterious blue of the pond.
Just a ten-minute power from the Blue Pond, the Shirahige Waterfall also hosts a mild show. It illuminates throughout the 12 months and can be loved alongside the Blue Pond.
- Biei Town, Blue Pond & Shirahige Waterfall Information
- Address: 1-2-14 Honmachi, Biei-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido
- Access: Take the JR educate from Sapporo Station to Asahikawa Station (approx. 1 hour and half-hour), then transfer to a local educate to Biei Station (approx. 32 minutes).
- Phone: 0166-92-4321
- Official Website
8.【Nagasaki】Huis Ten Bosch, Kingdom of Light
The famous subject park in Nagasaki, "Huis Ten Bosch," hosts an illumination event known as the "Kingdom of Light" every 12 months from October to the following Golden Week. One of the highlights of this European fashion subject park, designed to resemble remote places, is its lighting fixtures displays.
The "Kingdom of Light," offering a whopping thirteen million mild bulbs, turned into crowned the sector's biggest illumination event at the "tenth Illumination Award" within the "Comprehensive Entertainment Division" on November 11, 2022, and has maintained the pinnacle role for ten consecutive years (2013-2022). It's a need-to-see enchantment for the duration of the wintry weather season.
As night falls, Huis Ten Bosch transforms into the "Kingdom of Light." Regardless of the season, you may revel in the illuminations all 12 months round. The lighting fixtures are modifications with the seasons.
How about immersing yourself in the atmosphere of Halloween at the same time as playing the park's atmosphere and cuisine? Both adults and youngsters can experience a European-style Halloween.
- Huis Ten Bosch (ハウステンボス) Kingdom of Light Information
- Address: 1-1 Huis Ten Bosch-machi, Sasebo City, Nagasaki Prefecture
- Access:
- Train: Get off at "Huis Ten Bosch Station" on the JR Omura Line, then walk for about 5 mins.
- Bus:
- From Nagasaki Airport, take the airport bus (approx. 50 mins) to Huis Ten Bosch.
- From Fukuoka Airport International Terminal, take the airport bus (approx. 1 hour and 35 mins) to Huis Ten Bosch.
- Admission: One-day skip: Adults 7,000 yen / Youth 6,000 yen / Children 4,600 yen. Various time-specific price tag fees are to be had; please consult with the official site for info.
- Phone: 0166-92-4321
- Official Website
10.【Gifu】Gero Onsen
Gero Onsen, originating within the Hida River basin, is one of the maximum renowned warm springs globally, ranking along Arima Onsen in Hyogo Prefecture and Kusatsu Onsen in Gunma Prefecture as one of Japan's three most important hot springs.
This warm spring metropolis, targeted across the Hida River, harmoniously combines an energetic environment with the environment of a mountain village, creating the allure of Gero Onsen. The hot spring water is easy and silky, leaving the pores and skin radiant and exquisite.
From October to March, Gero Onsen hosts fireworks displays every Saturday. Depending on sporadic activities or vacations such as Halloween, Christmas, Coming of Age Day, and Valentine's Day, special-themed fireworks displays can be loved every week. Although the display lasts for the best ten minutes, the fireworks look tremendously beautiful inside the clean winter nighttime sky.
Near the fireworks venue in Gero Onsen, you will locate unfastened foot baths, imparting a remarkable manner to heat up your chilly toes.
- Gero Onsen Information
- Address: 801-2 Yunoshima, Gero City, Gifu Prefecture
- Access: Please visit the official guide
- Phone: 0576-25-2064
- Official Website
11.【Hyogo】Awaji Island, Nada Kuroiwa Narcissus Park
Awaji Island, also referred to as the "Island of Flowers," even has a "Tanba Flower Tour" where you can go across the island to look at plant life. Especially in the course of the scarce winter season, one of the pleasant locations to respect blooming white narcissus flowers is the Nada Kuroiwa Narcissus Park. The pleasant time to witness them is from past due December to late February, that's simply beneath months.
Spread across about seven hectares of land going through the southern slope of Mt. Fuji, you'll locate five million wild narcissus plant life in complete bloom.
The view from Narcissus Mountain overlooking the sea is particularly stunning. Be positive to climb to the statement deck to enjoy the remarkable view of the sea and the narcissus flowers.
- Awaji Island, Nada Kuroiwa Narcissus Park Information
- Address: 2 Naguro, Minamiawaji City, Hyogo Prefecture
- Access:
- Train: From Himeji Station, take the JR Akashi Line to Akashi Station, then transfer to the JR Nishi-Akashi Line to Nishi-Akashi Station. From there, take the bus to the Tanba Black Iwa Narcissus Village.
- Bus: There are direct buses from Kobe and Osaka to the Tanba Black Iwa Narcissus Village.
- Phone: 0799-56-0720
- Official Website
12.【Kumamoto】Kurokawa Onsen
Kurokawa Onsen has been offered stars in the Michelin Green Guide Japan. The enchantment of the city's panorama lies in the fact that, whilst it's a small warm spring resort, there are numerous inns and ryokans coated up alongside the banks of the Tawarayama River, at an elevation of seven hundred meters.
One popular way to experience the hot springs is with the "Yuyudama" price ticket, which lets you absolutely savor 28 open-air baths in Kurokawa Onsen Village. You can soak in 3 fashionable open-air baths at every hotel.
From overdue December to late March every year, Kurokawa Onsen holds the "Kurokawa Onsen Yumetama" event, which has become a conventional winter interest. About three hundred bamboo lanterns are positioned across the Tawarayama River that flows through the new spring city, emitting a gentle and mild glow.
- Kurokawa Onsen Information
- Address: Tawarayama, Minamioguni Town, Aso District, Kumamoto
- Access：
- From Fukuoka: Direct excessive-speed buses are to be had from Hakata Station, Tenjin Station, and Fukuoka Airport (West Japan Railway High-Speed Bus).
- From Kumamoto: Direct excessive-speed buses run from Kumamoto Station, Aso-Kumamoto Airport, and Aso Station (Kyushu Yoko Bus).
- Phone: 0967-44-0076
- Official Website
13.【Ibaraki】Fukuroda Falls
"Fukuroda Falls (袋田の滝)" is one of Japan's 3 principal waterfalls, located in Ohtawara Town, Kuji District, Ibaraki Prefecture. The illuminations occasion, held from November to January on account of 1999, has become extremely famous. Tourist buses even go to view the illuminations at night time.
The course main to the waterfall is likewise brilliant. You'll skip through a 276-meter tunnel from the ticket window to the waterfall, with the tunnel's indoors illuminated by means of one-of-a-kind themed lighting every 12 months.
The lighting fixtures event has become a seasonal spotlight of Ohtawara Town. The hundred-and-twenty-meter extensive and seventy-three-meter excessive waterfall is breathtakingly stunning when illuminated, supplying an extraordinary atmosphere in comparison to daylight hours viewing. A mysterious area created through nature and light will let you find out the brand-new allure of Fukuroda Falls.
- Fukuroda Falls Information
- Address: three-19 Fukuroda, Ohtawara Town, Kuji District, Ibaraki
- Access:
- From JR Mito Line "Fukuroda Station," take a bus for about 10 minutes and get off at "Takimoto," then walk for 10 minutes.
- From JR Mito Line "Hitachi-Ota Station," take a bus for 15 mins and get off at "Takimoto," then stroll for 10 minutes.
- From JR Mito Line "Fukuroda Station," it is a 40-minute walk.
- Phone: 0295-72-4036
- Official Website
14.【Kanagawa】Sagami Lake
In the Sagamiko Resort Pleasure Forest, an occasion called "Sagami Lake Illumilion" is held every 12 months from November to early April. It's a large-scale illumination event proposing 6 million LED mild bulbs, with every area lit up in step with a topic each winter.
Across the great forty,000 rectangular meters of gardens, the tranquil woodland creates an evaluation of mild and shadow, blended with the illumination of 6 million light bulbs, resulting in a dreamlike space that you may not discover in the city.
During the illumination period in wintry weather, you could additionally enjoy middle-of-the-night entertainment rides inclusive of a Ferris wheel and a carousel underneath the glow of the lights. Taking a cable vehicle to climb the hill, you'll see 3-dimensional lighting decorations using the herbal contours of the panorama, presenting a dynamic view hardly ever visible inside the metropolis.
- Sagami Lake Information
- Address: 1634 Wakayama, Aiko District, Sagamihara City, Kanagawa
- Access: Please visit the official guide
- Phone: 0570-037-353
- Official Website
15.【Hokkaido】Lake Akan
Lake Akan is considered one of Hokkaido's maximum scenic spots, situated within the Akan-Mashu National Park, surrounded by deep nature and forests. It is likewise known for being the habitat of the "marimo," specified as an herbal monument.
Lake Akan is well-known for its inexperienced marina. "Frost plant life" is a sight that can simplest be visible from December to March while Lake Akan freezes. This is an herbal phenomenon where water vapor sublimates from the ice surface and paperwork frost-like crystals.
Frost vegetation can be visible whilst the morning temperature is around -15 degrees Celsius or lower, and there's almost no wind. It's said that they could handiest be visible from December to January, however at Lake Akan, you may nonetheless see them until early March.
- Lake Akan Information
- Address: Lake Akan Onsen, Akan-cho, Kushiro City, Hokkaido
- Access: Please visit the official guide
- Phone: 0570-037-353
- Official Website
16.【Fukui】Mikuni Onsen
Mikuni Onsen is a sequence of warm spring inns along the coast of the Sea of Japan, close to Fukui Prefecture's ideal visitor destination, Tojinbo. Its distinct function is the several open-air baths where you can soak at the same time as enjoying the sunset over the Sea of Japan. The day-ride hot spring facility "Mikuni Onsen Yuapoto" is distinctly popular due to the fact you may soak in the warm springs even while gazing at the Sea of Japan.
Rich warm springs, the advantages of the ocean, and the warm temperature of the recent spring. Mikuni Onsen in Tojinbo is a magical location wherein you can completely loosen up your body. The warm spring water is smooth and fashionable, without special functions. Bathing in a hot tub whilst the sun sets, all of the fatigue from the day will really be washed away.
Additionally, you can't omit the "Echizen crab" stuck at Mikuni Port. The season generally runs from early November to late March, and many vacationers visit Mikuni Onsen at some point in the wintry weather to seize Echizen crab. During this season, you may revel in diverse dishes providing Echizen crab at the accommodations.
- Mikuni Onsen Yuapoto Information
- Address: 2-18-1 Shukuni, Mikuni-cho, Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture
- Access: Get off at Mikuni Minato Station on the Echizen Railway Mikuni-Awara Line, then walk for five minutes.
- Operating Hours: 10:00 AM - 11:00 PM
- Phone: 0776-82-7070
- Official Website
17.【Yamanashi】Lake Kawaguchi
When it comes to the winter amusement at Lake Kawaguchi, it is all approximately "Winter Fireworks." Every year, from mid-January to mid-February on weekends and February 23rd, called "Fujiyama Day," winter fireworks mild up the sky with Mount Fuji within the heritage.
There are 3 launching sites: the principal venue, Oishi Park, and the sub-venues, Tatamiishi Iwa and Yagisaki Park. Within a 20-minute show starting at 8:00 PM, fireworks jump in the clean winter nighttime sky. As the venues are relatively apart, you may take the Kachikachi Ropeway to get a view of fireworks and night scenes from all three locations right away from the mountaintop of Tenjosan.
If you want to peer fireworks with Mount Fuji in the historical past, depart the venue and watch for the fireworks launched from the north aspect of Lake Kawaguchi. If you are sitting close to the Lake Kawaguchi Circular Hall, you can witness the fireworks against the backdrop of Mount Fuji in the winter sky.
- Lake Kawaguchi Information
- Address: Oishi Park, Kawaguchiko Town, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi
- Access: Take the Lake Kawaguchi Loop Bus or the West Lake Loop Bus from Kawaguchiko Station and get off on the Kawaguchi Herb Hall.
- Phone: 0555-72-3168
- Official Website
18.【Gifu】Shirakawa-go
"Shirakawa-go" is a UNESCO World Heritage-indexed village of thatched-roof houses, registered in 1995. There are over 100 thatched-roof homes of diverse sizes, a number of which are still inhabited.
Shirakawa-go is one of the areas in Japan with the heaviest blizzard, every so often accomplishing 2-3 meters! During the wintry weather, from the end of December to early March whilst there is massive snow accumulation, you can experience the snowy landscapes of Shirakawa-pass. The buildings buried in snow make it feel like you've stepped right into a scene from a Japanese people story.
From mid-January to mid-February, there are illuminated nights, so make certain to test the timetable. The lighting fixtures floating in the tranquil silver world will enchant you as if you've entered a fairyland.
- Shirakawa-go Information
- Address: 2495-3 Ogimachi, Shirakawa, Ohno District, Gifu
- Access: Please visit the official guide
- Phone: 05769-6-1013
- Official Website
19.【Nagano】Suwa Lake
Suwa Lake, located at an altitude of 759 meters in Nagano, shows a phenomenon known as "Suwa Lake Oshimodo" for the duration of the coldest length from January to February. The ice at the absolutely frozen surface of Suwa Lake again and again expands and contracts due to the temperature differences between morning and night, forming cracks and rising in stripes.
The "ice roads" shaped by the cracks on the lake floor, just like the name "Oshimodo" indicates, appeared as sacred pathways where deities pass through and had been worshipped by using locals as a divine prevalence given that ancient instances. Every year, the Yasaka Shrine in Suwa City is responsible for staring at and accomplishing Shinto rituals predicting true omens for the year based totally on the occurrence of Oshimodo.
Suwa Lake Festival and Suwa Lake Fireworks Festival (held on August 15 every year) are one of Japan's largest gala, adding color to the summertime night sky in Suwa's conventional activities. The night sky and the lake floor burst with brilliance. The sound of fireworks reverberates from all sides of the encircling mountains, offering a lovely revel. The water fireworks that bloom within the lake are specific to Lake Suwa.
- Suwa Lake Information
- Address: Suwa City, Nagano
- Access: Please visit the official guide
- Phone: 0266-52-2111
- Official Website
20.【Kyoto】Kifune Shrine
Kifune Shrine is located in the serene mountainous region of northern Kyoto, a ways eliminated from the city. Their "Yukihi Kagari Limited Illumination" event, to be had only in January and February, gives a risk to recognize the mesmerizing snowscape at night time.
As the name suggests, "Yukihi Kagari" is most effective hung on snowy days. Furthermore, the selection to proceed with the occasion may be introduced at the same day at three:00 PM. Only the precise occasion dates will be announced on the reliable website and legit social media channels. It's a surprising iciness scene, and you will best recognize if you could witness it on that day, making it pretty a unique enjoy.
The lighting time for the snow lanterns at Kifune Shrine is from twilight until eight:00 PM. Due to confined parking areas, it is encouraged to apply public transportation. Kifune Shrine, situated at an altitude of approximately three hundred meters, can get pretty cold at night. Please make sure to dress warmly when traveling.
- Kifune Shrine Information
- Address: 180 Kurama Kibune-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture
- Access: Get off at Kifuneguchi Station and transfer to Kyoto Bus #33 sure for "Kifune."
- Phone: 075-741-2016
- Official Website
21.【Yamagata 】- Zao Onsen
These timber, covered in ice and snow, are known for their unusual shape, incomes them the name "Snow Monsters."
Around November to December each year, the timber begins to be protected by using ice and snow, and as time goes on, the layers of ice and snow progressively become thicker. This phenomenon maintains until early March, but the satisfactory time to view it's miles is in February, in the course of the height of ice and snow accumulation whilst you could witness giant frozen timber.
The Zao Ropeway to the summit of Mount Zao has been opened, making it easy for every person to attain the pinnacle. From past due December to February, additionally, they host a midnight illumination event. You can enjoy the sight of these unusual frozen trees appearing within the darkness.
- Zao Onsen Information
- Address: Zao Onsen, National Forest within Togatta Onsen, Zaomachi, Katta District, Miyagi Prefecture
- Phone: 0224-87-2610
- Official Website
