Topic: Japan in Winter (Read 5760 times)

Concorde-SST · « **on:** October 13, 2006, 04:08:30 am »

Hello,

I´m going to Japan in coming winter 2007 (February). I´m
visiting Tokyo and Kyoto definitely.

Are there any recommendations for this country? Especially
for photography in winter?

thank you + best regards!

Andreas.

BernardLanguillier · « **Reply #1 on:** October 13, 2006, 08:32:45 pm »

Quote

I´m going to Japan in coming winter 2007 (February). I´m
visiting Tokyo and Kyoto definitely.

Are there any recommendations for this country? Especially
for photography in winter?
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Hello Andreas,

Kyoto and Tokyo are indeed nice in the winter, with much fewer people in the temples. Expect the weather to feel colder than the mild temperature would have you believe.

Some more places that you might want to consider if you want to have a chance to experience a further feel of old Japan with snow:

- Koya san in Wakayama prefecture, about 2 hours from Osaka, is a complex of temples on top of a mountain. Very cold, but it is possible to stay in temples and experience some of the harsh monks life there,
- Takayama/Shirakawa in Gifu prefecture could be an interesting side trip between Tokyo and Kyoto. It could be very cold with a lot of snow though,
- Kanazawa with its amazing Japanese garden, castle and old pleasure houses,
- in case you venture north of Tokyo I would definitely recommend visiting Takedera between Sendai and Yamagata City. Nearby is the Zao onsen ski resort on top of which you should be able to see what Japanese people call "snow monsters". Frozen trees having turned into ice sculptures. That place is extremely cold with temperatures going down to -15 at day time with strong winds.

Some things to consider:

1. It gets dark very early in Japan, probably around 5PM in February (if not earlier).
2. Many places, like temples in Kyoto, typically close their doors at 4PM or 4:30 PM,
3. The whole sea of Japan side of the country will be covered by a potentially very deep layer of snow. There is no equivalent in Europe.

Cheers,
Bernard

Nemo · « **Reply #2 on:** October 15, 2006, 02:35:08 pm »

Take a look to Michael Kenna pictures...

Concorde-SST · « **Reply #3 on:** October 15, 2006, 02:47:45 pm »

Hello Bernard,

thanks a lot for your informations - I was aware of the
short winter daylight hours but not of the early closure
times of the temples...

Do you have an idea for a good travel guide for Japan?
How are the Lonely Planet books there?

May the sushi be with you!

:-)

best regards,

Andreas.

BernardLanguillier · « **Reply #4 on:** October 16, 2006, 01:36:18 am »

Quote

Do you have an idea for a good travel guide for Japan?
How are the Lonely Planet books there?
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Andreas,

Yep, LP is OK.

Otherwise I have also been using books in French. If you read french I can send send you some further references.

Cheers,
Bernard

Hank · « **Reply #5 on:** October 16, 2006, 09:30:13 am »

I'd hop a plane for Hokkaido. If your timing is right the ice festival in Sapporo is superb and the northern coastal region around Nemuro is starkly beautiful. With snow (variable), Hokkaido has a stark beauty unlike anyplace else in Japan.

BernardLanguillier · « **Reply #6 on:** October 16, 2006, 07:53:31 pm »

Quote

I'd hop a plane for Hokkaido. If your timing is right the ice festival in Sapporo is superb and the northern coastal region around Nemuro is starkly beautiful. With snow (variable), Hokkaido has a stark beauty unlike anyplace else in Japan.
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Yep, Hokkaido can indeed be very nice in the winter, but extremely cold... Quebecq class if you see what I mean.

The snow festival can be nice if you don't mind crowds. I would suggest staying in Otaru instead of staying in central Sapporo. Besides, don't miss the Shikotsuko extension, well worth a look would it only be for the beauty of the lake itself.

In Northern Hokkaido, another winner is Shiretoko peninsula until Feb end because of the icebergs drifting from Russia all the way to the Utoro area.

Cheers,
Bernard

Concorde-SST · « **Reply #7 on:** October 17, 2006, 02:16:12 am »

Hello guys,

thanks again for the suggestions, yes I´m going to
Hokkaido too, for the japanese cranes and eagles!

Then the snow monkeys bathing in the hot tubs and
after this Kyoto.

I´m not sure if I can add the festival too but lets see!

Bernard, thank you but unfortunately I am not literate
enough to read or speak french... :-)

Thanks again!

Andreas.

BernardLanguillier · « **Reply #8 on:** October 17, 2006, 07:24:34 am »

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Bernard, thank you but unfortunately I am not literate enough to read or speak french... :-)

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You have another 4 months!

Better than me who only have 3 days to learn Chinese until my departure on Saturday...

Cheers,
Bernard

Anon E. Mouse · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2006, 01:27:22 am »

The snow line in Japan is an east/west divide - there will be no snow in Tokyo, but there will be on the other side of the island in Niigata.

Here are some other places to think about:

Nara (better than Kyoto IMHO)
Oku Nikko
Hidaka
Kamakura
Tsukiji fish market in Tokyo
Kumano Taisha
Hasedera and Muro-ji
Koya-san still has the 24km pilgrimage route to the top which is a nice hike.
Mizugaki-yama
Hiroshima and Miyajima
Nintokutennoro (the necropolis in Sakai)

Japan has many "secret" places that you could spend a month in one place and never exhaust the new discoveries. I have been here for 16 years and I am always finding something new.

BTW, what are you looking for?

David Hufford · « **Reply #10 on:** December 30, 2006, 11:36:39 pm »

Since you are coming to the Tokyo area, I would suggest (as someone else has) Nikko, which is about 1 hour outside of Tokyo.

There will likely be snow--and lots of it. Once you get to the small town of Nikko, you can take a bus to Tokogawa Ieyasu's shrine, which in itself is worth the trip. You can also go deeper into the mountains (weather permitting). Lake Chuzenji area is nice. There is wildlife such as Japanese monkeys (many) and you may also see deer.

The Kanaya Hotel near Chuzenji is very nice and generally not very full this time of year. There are other hotels in Nikko town, but I'd suggest staying in one in the mountains if possible.

It is quite cold this time of year up there, but it is still central Japan, so it's not like Montana. As far as daylight hours, Tokyo is about the same latitude as Greensboro North Carolina, so daylight is not that short. They simply don't switch between daylight savings and standard time. You could look at it as extra daylight in the morning---dawn is earlier relatively speaking.

I hope to go there again myself this winter.

(You could also consider Hakone, which is a sort of resort area near Tokyo. Some decent photography opportunities are there, and it isn't as remote as areas of Nikko.

BernardLanguillier · « **Reply #11 on:** December 31, 2006, 02:08:21 am »

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The Kanaya Hotel near Chuzenji is very nice and generally not very full this time of year. There are other hotels in Nikko town, but I'd suggest staying in one in the mountains if possible.
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As a side comment, there are 2 Kanaya hotels in Nikko, the old one close to the Temples, and the newer extension near Chuzenjiko.

Both are very nice, but about as expensive as it gets.

Cheers,
Bernard

Author Topic: Japan in Winter (Read 5760 times)