When is the best time to go to Japan for couples?

While the cherry blossom will always make the picture-perfect backdrop to a romantic spring getaway, Japan has plenty to offer couples (newlywed or not!) at any time of year.

It all depends on what you’re after. Steaming hot springs and cosy ryokan inns surrounded by snow, white-sand beaches and swaying palms beneath sunny, blue skies — or perhaps traditional Japanese dress and culture against a blaze of autumn leaves. Whether you’re a die-hard romantic or just want to get away with your significant other, Japan does couples’ travel like nowhere else.

Cherry Blossoms

We’re certainly not the first to say it: the cherry blossom season sees Japan is at its most beautiful and romantic, and as such it’s a very popular time for honeymooning and couples’ travel in general.

We have a whole section devoted to when to see the cherry blossoms, but the season typically runs from late January in Okinawa to early May in Hokkaido, with the main island seeing its best blooms in late March and early April.

One potential drawback if you’re after a bit of privacy is that this is Japan’s busiest period for tourism, which means crowds are unavoidable in popular locations.

Our advice is: don’t be put off by the crowds. This is Japan, so they’re the politest and friendliest crowds around, and without them you wouldn’t get one of the best things about the season: the festive atmosphere that sweeps up the country along with the blossom, bringing good cheer and plentiful hanami blossom-viewing parties.

If you do need a breather, take a walk in the morning to enjoy the blossoms without the hubbub, go after dark to see it illuminated against the night sky, or rent bikes or a rickshaw to get away from the beaten track. Even in a big city you can always find a quiet backstreet or garden: Kyoto has over 2,000 temples, after all — and many of our favourites are completely overlooked by travellers.

Onsen

There’s no time of year we wouldn’t love an onsen bath, but the winter months are when Japan’s famous hot springs come into their own. Sitting in a steaming bath outside your cosy ryokan room, surrounded by blankets of snow, perhaps with some champagne or sake nearby… It doesn’t really get more special than that.

January and February are the best time to travel if you’re hoping for snow, especially in mountainous regions. Whole towns (such as picture-perfect Kinosaki Onsen) have grown up around famous hot springs, and you’ll find their streets filled with couples dressed in matching yukata bathrobes, dawdling from one bathhouse to another, stopping for lunch or dinner. Kusatsu Onsen, Ginzan Onsen and even Hakone are great spots for indulging in this favourite Japanese pastime.

Same-sex couples have an advantage in the wonderful world of onsen-sampling as most public baths are segregated by gender. But everyone else, don’t despair: many traditional inns have ‘kashikiri’ baths which can be reserved for private use for a small fee, and higher-end inns usually offer rooms with a private hot spring included.

Traditional dress-up

For the peacocks among you, donning traditional Japanese kimono and yukata robes (including make-up for the ladies) is a great experience at any time of year, but it’s especially picturesque against the backdrop of cherry blossom or a blaze of autumn leaves.

Kyoto is the easiest place to do it, as you stroll through traditional, wood-panelled streets (no small feat in geta sandals and a kimono, you can take it from us) and have your picture taken surrounded by one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

Valentine's and White Day

The Japanese don’t take romance lightly, so it should come as no surprise that they’re all-in on Valentine’s Day.

Expect Valentine’s-themed everything — from Kit-Kats to window displays to cuddly toys — but especially chocolate. In Japan, it’s traditional (since the 1980s, anyway) for women to give chocolates to the men in their lives on Valentine’s Day, and for men to repay the favour a month later, on White Day (14th March).

If you’re hoping to do something special on either day, it’s wise to plan ahead and make a reservation, as popular restaurants, cafés and other romantic spots will be thronged (more so on Valentine’s than on White Day). And if you’re not into all that mushy stuff, avoid the crowds and book something private!

Beaches

Japan has over 14,000 islands and 34,000km of coastline, but if you’re looking for the real deal (we’re talking white sand, glittering seas and secluded resorts — the works) Okinawa is the place to find it.

Most people don’t think of Japan as a beach destination, but these laid-back, subtropical islands combine indigenous Ryukyuan culture, stunning scenery and Hawaiian influences to create an unmistakably Japanese take on the classic beach paradise.

The best times to travel to Okinawa are spring (March to early May) and autumn (September to early December). Outside of these periods, you risk catching typhoon season or baking in the pressure-cooker heat and humidity of July and August.

If you’re not keen to travel as far as Okinawa, Yakushima Island is much closer to mainland Japan and offers plenty of scope for a couples’ getaway. Think primeval rainforest hikes, sandy beaches with nesting turtles, and open-air baths by the sea. In this case, March to May offers the best hiking weather, while mid-July to September is best for beaches.