Honeymoon in Japan: When/where to travel

Hello!

My future husband and I are planning to visit Japan for our honeymoon (first time for both). Very excited!

We are thinking a 2 week stay, arriving and leaving from Tokyo.

We want to miss Golden Week, but still make cherry blossom season. Also, we're wary of getting crazy tourist prices/crowds because of the season.

So, I come to you for sage advice!

When is the best time to come during the March-April-May period?

And, where should we absolutely plan to visit in a 2 week timeframe?

Any - and all! - suggestions are welcome. Thank you!!

The peak cherry blossom time for most of Japan is before Golden Week, so you can arrive and leave there before then with a chance of seeing something.

Here's this year's blooming times to give you an idea of dates: http://japan-guide.com/e/e2011.html
Of course depending on weather they could open earlier or later than that.

Hi there. Cherry blossom time depends on where you are., but it is usually over by mid April. We were in Japan in early March one year and it happened while we were there and was at its peak when we left in the second half of March.

We went to Japan in mid April this year and most of the sakura in Tokyo was gone, though it was still in full bloom at Bessho Onsen which by the way would be a nice place to spend a night or so on a honeymoon. There was also the odd tree in bloom in Kyoto and through to Kinosaki Onsen, even in late April.

I've been to Japan on about 9 occasions, I think mid to late April is my favourite so far because the weather is cool but not freezing, you still see some snow on the peaks, it isn't peak tourist time so prices are good and travel is easy, there is still some sakura around, and toward the end of the month it is actually pretty warm. Our trip was pretty ideal for me - Tokyo - Bessho Onsen - Karuizawa - Kyoto - Kinosaki Onsen - Enoshima, though there are plenty of other great places to visit.

Cherry blossoms means crowds. Maybe Hokkaido for late blooms. Japan offers so much for a romantic destination. Mountain onsens,scenic walks,historical sites it is never ending. Kanazawa/west coast is amazing. Minimal time in major centres can reduce costs, but places such as Kyoto,Hiroshima are always on my agenda. Get a JR pass to cover long distance travel. The people are great,food fantastic,scenery outstanding- you WILL have a good time!!

Thanks for the info guys!

Think mid-late April would be ideal for us, but it looks like that's when Golden Week starts.

Will keep thinking. Maybe push it to May instead? Possibly catch the last of the cherry blossoms and warmer weather?

If you have any other must-see stops for us, please keep sharing them!

I would recommend you to include visiting onsen town in your itinerary, staying in a ryokan overnight and enjoy the hot spring is very relaxing and romantic, since it's your honeymoon, it will be perfect.

Unfortunately, I think if your trip gets pushed back to May I doubt there will still be any cherry blossoms. To give you an idea, about halfway down http://sakura.weathermap.jp/area.php?city=Tokyo there is a graph of what was the cherry blossom forecast for 2015 in Tokyo, and it only really lasted to Apr/10, with best viewing between Mar/28 and Apr/3. Obviously, if you are thinking of visiting North of Tokyo than it is slightly pushed back but May is very unlikely unless you visit Hokkaido. If you are interested in experiencing cherry blossom season while avoiding Golden Week rates/congestion I would recommend coming in the weeks prior to GW instead. Weather around March/April/May is very volatile and changes drastically from week to week so it's a bit hard to comment on how that will turn out for you.

In terms of must-sees, definitely agree re: onsen town. A lot of things will depend upon your interests but some of my favourites are Nikko (some renovations going on at the moment but the atmosphere is still incredible), Miyajima & Hiroshima, Kanazawa, Beppu, Tokyo, and Hakone. Enjoy!

If you want to visit mid-to-late April, the Tohoku region might be a good choice. Cherry blossoms do draw crowds regardless, but I imagine even the cherry blossom crowds in Tohoku will not be as crowded as Kansai and Kanto. The Tohoku region in general is not as popular a tourist destination, since most people plan trips around Kyoto and Tokyo.