Hanami or "flower viewing" is a tradition that involves picnicking in sakura-filled parks like Tokyo's Ueno Park. Families and friends bond while they celebrate the cherry blossom and the coming of spring.

Though sakura blooms typically peak in late March on Honshu, they can bloom up to late April in Hokkaido.

Held under the shadow of Mount Fuji from mid April to early June, the Fuji Shibazakura Festival features vast fields of pink, white and purple shibazakura flowers spread out all over the plains of Yamanashi.

With clear blue skies plus countless flowers framed by Mount Fuji, it’s a selfie paradise!

During the height of summer from August 2 - 7, Aomori comes alive with a daily parade of nebuta - floats crowned by enormous, colourful lanterns frequently flanked by a procession of taiko drums, musicians and dancers.

On the final night, it all ends with a magnificent fireworks show over the bay!

Arguably the most famous festival in Japan, Gion Matsuri is held in July among Kyoto’s ancient streets and climaxes in a grand parade full of towering floats carrying dozens of people.

Lively Yoiyama festivals are also held on the evenings before, featuring food stalls, exhibitions and lit floats.

Held in Gifu, the Takayama Festival is actually two different festivals!

Centered around two shrines, the spring Sanno festival (Apr 14-15) and autumn Hachiman festival (Oct 9–10) both star yatai floats topped with dancing karakuri puppets. Their elaborate construction and night parades are a marvel to behold!

The Doburoku Festival is a series of harvest festivals held at the village of Shirakawa-go – famed for its prayer-hand houses.

From mid to late October, processions, lion dances and folk singing feature heavily alongside servings and divine offerings of doburoku or unfiltered, pulpy sake - hence the festival’s name!

The Ouchi-juku Snow Festival takes place in the remote mountain village of the same name on the second weekend of February.

Snow lanterns lit by men dressed in loincloths, fireworks lighting up snow-covered roofs and local specialties like negi or leek soba make it a winter must-visit.

Lasting only one week in Feburary, the Sapporo Snow Festival transforms the Hokkaido capital Sapporo into a world of ice and snow sculptures.

At various sites, local and international artists breathe life into everything from world landmarks to anime characters – all with ice and snow.

Beloved far and wide, various regions in Japan offer up their own unique take on the perfect combination of ramen noodle and soup broth.

Each wagyu cow is raised with strict rigor and care to produce the world’s most expensive beef, renowned for its greaseless fat and melt-in-your-mouth texture.

Traditional Japanese fine dining that prizes freshness and presentation via multiple rounds of carefully selected dishes.

Prepared only by licensed chefs due to its poison, fugu pufferfish lures diners with its premium freshness and subtle texture.

Fatty and nutritious, unagi or eel is almost always served kabayaki-style: marinated in sweet soy sauce and grilled to perfection.

Ama are women freedivers who fish traditionally without modern gear. Guests can enjoy freshly caught and cooked seafood together with them.

Called the king of winter cuisine in Japan, Hokkaido crab is scalded and cooled quickly to lock in its fresh sweetness.

Harvested from Japan’s bountiful waters, palm-sized oysters cooked by grill or hotpot means a rich seafood night.

Hot pot dish that cooks meats in sweet sauce before dipping them in raw egg to heighten their deliciousness.

Japan’s #1 summer treat, this ice cream is rich in local, high-fat dairy and comes in regional flavours like lavender or even wasabi.