Japan Tours in January

Travel to Japan in January and enjoy the top sights decked in winter splendor. The month of January is the peak of the winter season in Japan, when the weather is bracing and fresh, and mountainous areas beckon travelers to frolic in the snow, warm up with a delicious cup of hot green tea, and relax in an onsen.

January is one of the best times of the year to view the curious and cute snow monkeys at the Jigokudani Monkey Park in Nagano Prefecture. The Snow Monkey Park is a natural hot spring habitat where groups of monkeys come down from the mountains to bathe, and it is fascinating to observe their daily living. Though they can be viewed all year round, the wintry scene of the adorable monkeys relaxing around boiling pools wreathed in fresh snow makes for a most memorable visit.

January is a popular time to tour the charms of Hokkaido, and as Japan’s winter playground, there are locations on the north island that only truly come alive during this time of year. Sapporo, Hokkaido’s chief city, invites you to admire the local landmarks – Odori Park, the Sapporo Clock Tower, Sapporo Beer Museum, and the Susukino Entertainment District. Otaru city beckons travelers with the rustic charm of an old Japanese fishing port, where they enjoy fresh local sushi, the Otaru Canal, and a Glass-blowing Museum. But take some time out of the main cities to discover Hokkaido’s authentic charm. Take an ice-breaker cruise off the coast of Abashiri to experience the sounds of the drift ice – one of Japan’s 100 Soundscapes, view the frozen waterfalls of Ginga and Ryusei in the Sounkyo Gorge, and witness the dance of the Tancho “red-crowned” crane in the Kushiro Marshlands.

The mountains of Japan are especially lovely in January, when the smaller towns and villages in the countryside receiving a dusting of winter charm atop a layer of fresh snow. In the Hida Mountains of Gifu Prefecture you can see Old Town Takayama, which retains much of the rustic lifestyle and construction from the feudal Edo period. UNESCO-inscribed Shirakawa-go preserves some old-fashioned farmhouses with thickly thatched roofs “folded like hands in prayer”; the sleepy mountain village blanketed in snow looks just like a scene in a holiday postcard. So much of Japan is gorgeous in January, and the perfect time for a winter tour.