5 reasons why Tokyo rocks in the winter
I don't know about you, but I get just a teensy bit let-down when the holidays end.
You go back to normal routine. Your clothes are a pinch too tight. The tree is gone, but there are still little needles and specks of glitter everywhere. And the skies are super grey and depressing.
Oh, wait a minute! The skies are NOT grey - if you head to Tokyo!
In Tokyo the sky is bright blue, almost cloudless, in the winter.
It is chilly. January is the coldest month here in Tokyo with temperatures generally hovering between two - ten degrees Celsius. It can be windy and humid and and you absolutely need to dress warmly.
But!
There is a bright, warm sunshine that makes an appearance almost every single day and lays a cozy blanket over the city.
When I am in the sunshine, sitting at an outdoor cafe or walking down the sidewalk, I gaze up into the wide, blue skies and I think, “Yeah! I can deal with this kind of winter!”
Bring it on!
The days are short (Japan does not observe daylight savings time) and chilly, but the beauty of the skies and the almost constant sunshine is perfection.
While most cities are donning their 50 shades of grey wardrobe, Tokyo is regally dressed in stunning blues and golds.
The famous Tokyo Tower, highlighted by wonderfully blue skies.
It is a great city to look up in….something I rarely ever did in New York!
I would love to have a party at this boat house, located just around the corner from restaurant T.Y. Harbor
Want another reason to enjoy Tokyo’s blue skies and almost-certain sunshine? Here is a big one:
The ever-illusive Mt Fuji is a little less shy in winter.
There is something magical about this mountain. Each time I see it, I am instantly reminded of a world that is bigger than just me. It is a fantastic site, but also well-known to hide - a lot!
I think I lived here for almost one year before I was ever allowed a glimpse.
During the winter months, when there are fewer low-hanging clouds, you can see Fuji-san, dressed in a snowy peak, much more easily.
There are many, many locations to spot Fuji-san either up close or from within the city.
For great views, without leaving the Tokyo area try:
The summit of Mt Takao - not only a wonderful way to work off those extra holiday calories, you have the bonus of (cross the fingers) spotting Fuji at the top
The viewing deck of the Tokyo Tower - a two-for-one if you are visiting Tokyo!
The Sky Tree observation deck - as Japan’s tallest structure, you won’t have any buildings standing in your way
Mt Fuji with her snowy cap is a wonderous site and a fabulous contrast to Tokyo, which receives almost no snow in the winter.
The Tokyo Sky Tree - so many reasons to visit including the fab views of Fuji-san this time of year.
Snow is not an often occurrence in Tokyo, but it does happen from time to time.
The average snowfall in Tokyo is between two to five centimeters annually. They say it really snows in Tokyo about once every six years.
We experienced this in 2018 when Tokyo had its greatest snowfall (23 centimeters) in four years and its coldest temperatures (around minus four degrees Celsius) in nearly 40 years.
We were enthralled with the beauty and the charm of the snow. The contrast with the cityscape, the nature, the buildings was beautiful.
There was also a little comedy mixed in with the beauty, as we watched well-dressed ladies brushing heavy snow from the sidewalks with old-school brooms and one particular salaryman parking his gorgeous and not-fit-for-snow Maserati.
The city stopped, if only for a few hours, covered by a white blanket.
And…. if you haven’t skied in Japan, with its bubbly, marshmallow-like powder, you have actually never skied, I promise.
After living in Switzerland for many years and racing to the mountains each weekend of the winter season (yep, all 18 of them, each year), I thought I was pretty set for skiing. I thought I had seen the best.
But...in Japan, game on!
The conditions, the nature, the snow are all just that fab.
There are so many places to visit in Japan, which are also quite convenient to Tokyo and I am sure that each snowbunny will have his or her faves.
Here are just a few places (the ones that we will visit this winter):
Hakuba, Nigano - well-known for hosting including alpine and nordic ski events during the 1998 winter Olympics and some of the infrastructure from the Olympics still remains in use
Yuzawa, Nigata - boasts the highest annual snowfall in Japan
Nozawaonsen, Nagano - hosted the biathlon events during the 1998 Nagano Winter Olympics and considered the best locations to combine wintersport with a traditional onsen (hot spring) experience
Mt Naeba, Yuzawa - Lulu and Friso will be skiing with school for a few days here, so we will (of course!) take the chance to meet them and ski on!
And perhaps we will also manage another sneaky weekend in Niseko, Hokkaido
Can you believe the awesome-ness of ski street food in Japan?! I LOVE this. Only a shame that I am allergic to oysters!
If you are an onsen (Japanese hot spring) kind-of-guy (I have to admit that I have not yet become a lover of this concept, but am working on it!) you will also love another one of Tokyo’s winter wonders.
While the skies are blue and the air is chilly, warm up in an onsen.
My friends who love a good soak swear by the calming, restorative experience of the onsen. Click here for recommendations.
Other than the onsen, an incredible part of the Japanese tradition which is also popular in Tokyo is the celebration of seasons in flowers.
I cannot get enough of experiencing the change of time though flora.
I suppose we tend to think of flowers in the spring or in the summer. But, in Tokyo, a concrete jungle of a city, you can find gorgeous blossoms - and millions of people celebrating them - almost all the time.
I love this about Japan and cannot wait to see the Nanohana (or Rapeseed plant) and the Ume (Plum Blossoms) this winter.
The Nanohana plant is grown mostly for its seeds in the West (rapeseed oil) but in the East, the flowers are celebrated, the fruit eaten (closely related to broccoli) and the seeds used too. Check out the beautiful yellow blossoms at:
Mother Farm, Chiba - enjoy the largest collection of plants in the Kanto area and then enjoy the animals and the farm surroundings
The Ume flowers are not as celebrated as the ever-famous Cherry Blossoms in Japan, but they are actually the very first sign of spring. And...just as beautiful! For a glimpse:
Hanegi Park in Setegaya - go during the festival for the best experience!
