This is the Osaka Mint, which has one of the most iconic places in Japan to go for hanami, or cherry blossom viewing.
This is one of Japan’s largest kimono-wearing contests. It’s organized by a school that teaches people how to wear the kimono properly. Over 6,000 people entered the contest, which aims at passing on traditional kimono culture.
This is yabusame, a traditional form of mounted archery. An archer riding a horse takes aim and shoots arrows at three consecutive targets. At this time of year, rituals involving yabusame are held at shrines across the country. Both locals and tourists love these events!
Every May, dolls like these in the form of young samurai boys can be seen decorating Japanese homes. It is a long-held tradition for families to display a variety of these samurai dolls as a prayer for their sons to grow up healthy.
During this time of year, these carp-shaped wind socks, known as koinobori in Japanese, are put up all over the country. The colorful koinobori, which represent the wish for a family’s boys to grow up strong and healthy, typical come in a “family set.”
This is the Sanja Festival, held each year around this time in the Asakusa area of Tokyo. Groups of people carry mikoshi, or portable shrines, on their shoulders and parade vigorously around town.
Taue is the process of planting rice seedlings in the paddy fields. Rice planted now will be ready for threshing and harvesting in the autumn. Although it is common these days to use a rice transplanter, planting by hand is still practiced throughout Japan.
In June, Japan enters its rainy season, and colorful hydrangeas can be seen blooming throughout the country. Many temples have hydrangeas in their gardens, and lots of visitors come to see them.
This is one of the most famous type of cherries in Japan and they are now ready to be harvested! Sweet, juicy cherries are a fantastic summer fruit.
This is a firefly. The word for firefly in Japanese is “hotaru.” This time of year, hotaru can be seen flying around clear streams, enchanting people with their magical glow.
In Japan, people enjoy the country’s many rivers. Some people go rafting, others take boat cruises. One popular activity in Tokyo is to cruise the city’s waterways in an old-fashioned houseboat.
In July, mountain trails are opened all across Japan. People enjoy hiking during the summer season. Many people from Japan and abroad gather here at Mt. Fuji for the “opening day ceremony” which prays for the safety of climbers.
On July 7th, Japan celebrates an event called Tanabata, or the Star Festival. People write their hopes on colorful ornaments, and make a wish to the stars.
Lots of people come to this annual morning glory market which is held in Tokyo around this time of year. Morning glories have been cherished since old times in Japan. Their refreshing colors are said to help people cool down during the hot summer months.
This is a popular summer tradition in Japan. Thin wheat noodles are poured down a bamboo chute. The noodles are carried by running water, and people catch and eat them with their chopsticks.
This is a traditional paper fan called uchiwa. Uchiwa fans can be used not only to keep yourself cool during the hot summer, but also to fan fires, including those for cooking!
This is the Kanto Festival, which is held in Akita each August. It is known as one of the three great festivals of the Tohoku region. Kanto are paper lanterns shaped like rice bales hung from long bamboo poles.
This is a field of alpine flowers at Mt. Taisetsuzan in Hokkaido. In summer, alpine flowers like this can be found blooming on mountainsides around the country.
Shaved ice, called kakigori in Japanese, is the perfect summer treat, a dessert to help you stay cool. Ice is put through a block shaver, and then topped with your favorite flavored syrup. Popular Japanese flavors include ground green tea and sweet red bean.
his is a senko-hanabi, a traditional incense-stick firework. It’s a small firework -- even children can enjoy them. You often see families and groups of friends playing with senko-hanabi in their yards on summer evenings.
Sanma is a popular fish in Japan that’s often eaten in autumn. It’s known as the Pacific saury in English. Sanma caught at this time of the year is very fatty and tasty. All across the country, at festivals and other events, sanma is served up salted and grilled.
Lots of tourists, from Japan and abroad, come here, to the Hakone highlands. Pampas grass, known as susuki in Japanese, covers the plains. Susuki is the perfect ornament to enjoy the harvest moon viewing on an autumn night.
This is the Danjiri Festival, which is held in Kishiwada city in Osaka. People pull around large wooden floats called danjiri, and run energetically through town, praying for an abundant harvest.
Red dragonflies, known as aka-tonbo in Japanese, are a symbol of autumn, and even make an appearance in a famous children’s song.
Every year, around this time, the harvesting of rice takes place all across Japan. Rice that has matured is picked either by machine or by hand, and then dried under the sun and threshed.
Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle stands in a sea of clouds. It is one of the few original castles that remain from the days of the samurai and the ninja, and it has always enchanted people with its magical beauty.
Square log rolling is a type of folk performance that has been a part of life in Tokyo for 400 years. It has its origins in the process of building rafts for transport. Performers train from a young age to master the craft, which requires both skill and dignity.
Now is the time of year for soba - buckwheat noodles. Fresh-picked buckwheat seeds have a fantastic aroma, and they are ground up to produce the flour used to make soba.
The Japanese word kouyou refers to the changing colors of the leaves in autumn. Kouyou literally means "crimson leaf." And among beautiful autumn foliage, the Japanese have always been particularly fond of the maple leaf known as momiji.
Right now it’s the season for catching sakura shrimp. Sakura means cherry blossom, and as their name suggests, sakura shrimp are light pink in color. These small shrimp, which come from the deep sea, taste great tempura-fried. And they go perfectly with a bowl of soba noodles!
The chrysanthemum is a beloved symbol of Japan. Now is the best time of the year for viewing chrysanthemums, and exhibitions are being held across the nation. Especially popular are displays where human figures are formed using chrysanthemum flowers.
This is a market specializing in zuwaigani, or snow crab, which can be caught in the Sea of Japan. Snow crabs have soft shells and are packed with tasty meat. Many people enjoy grilling them over the fire, and they’re also very popular in miso soup.
This is Sanriku Railway’s Kotatsu Train, which runs through northeastern Japan during the winter months. A kotatsu is a traditional heating system. On this train, people put their legs inside the kotatsu to stay warm while enjoying great food, drink, and scenery.
This is Hana-Touro, a series of light-up events that take place in the shrines, temples, and city streets of Kyoto. This popular attraction will be held in the Arashiyama area from December 9th to the 18th.
The Japanese Orange, or Mikan, is a fruit that is commonly eaten during the winter. Mikans are produced in warm regions and have a range of varieties. Because of their sweetness, and the fact that their skin can easily be peeled by hand, it makes them a favorite among the Japanese people.
Floating in this hot spring are yuzu, a type of citrus fruit. Hot water with yuzu inside is known as “yuzu-yu" -- bathing in yuzu-yu is said to warm the body during the cold winter. With their great taste and lovely aroma, they are also featured in countless Japanese dishes.
During this time of year, colorful lights displays adorn the nighttime landscape in cities across Japan.
Osechi are special dishes which are served during the New Year’s holidays. All around Japan, people celebrate the New Year with osechi food, which is said to bring good fortune.
On January 5th, the Tsukiji Market holds Hatsuzeri or its first auction of the year. Huge tuna are lined up, and a heated battle begins!
Kakizome is a Japanese term for the first calligraphy you write at the beginning of the new year. It is an old tradition to write out your personal goals and resolutions for the year.
This is Sanju-sangen-do, a 120-meter-long temple in Kyoto. At the beginning of each year, a long-range archery event called the Toshiya takes place here.
Battojutsu is a traditional sword-drawing art. This demonstration uses live blades, and it represents a prayer for a healthy and peaceful year.
The Hadaka Matsuri is a ceremony which has been held for over 500 years. 9,000 men seeking good fortune, and wearing nothing but loincloths, grapple for sacred sticks thrown into the melee.
Here is a hot spring in Nagano Prefecture where you can see Japanese macaques taking a dip to warm themselves up! Many thousands of people from around the world come here to see these so-called “snow monkeys”.
Omiya Bonsai Village is located in the city of Saitama, 30 kilometers north of Tokyo. The area’s annual festival, held from May 3rd to 5th, attracts many bonsai lovers.
“Kangeiko,” literally “midwinter training,” is a traditional way for martial artists to hone their fighting spirit by purifying the mind and overcoming hardship. These karate practitioners train hard in front of a waterfall every winter.
Mount Zao in the Tohoku region is a famous ski resort and one of the few places you can see what are known as "snow monsters" -- trees covered in snow and ice, with amazing shapes formed by unrelenting freezing winds.
Every year on March 3rd, Japanese families with daughters display Hina dolls to pray for these girls’ happiness and prosperity. This huge Hina dolls pyramid is set up every year to promote the doll-making industry of Saitama Prefecture.
The maneki-neko is a common lucky charm for businesses in Japan. It is said, “if a cat washes its face, it will rain” -- thus driving people into shops!Maneki-neko are often made of ceramics. Look for them at restaurants and shops.
This is a university　graduation ceremony. Many female students wear hakama. They have been developed as a formal,elegant type of kimono that’s easy to move around in like a skirt.
The flowering of sakura, or cherry blossoms, begins in the southern parts of Japan before proceeding northward.