Festivals – Journey To The East

Japan Cherry Blossom Tours

Yuki Takano — Wed, 26 Mar 2025 06:00:25 +0000

Discover the Beauty of Cherry Blossoms in Japan

Embark on a once-in-a-lifetime experience with Japan’s Cherry Blossom tours. As the delicate pink flowers bloom across the country, they create a picturesque landscape, making it the best time of year to experience Japan’s natural beauty and culture.

If you’re considering booking a Cherry Blossom tour, keep reading to find out what to expect on the tour, and why it’s considered one of the most beautiful times of year.

What Are Cherry Blossoms, and Why Are They Special?

Cherry blossoms, or sakura in Japanese, are more than just native flowers. In Japanese culture, Cherry Blossoms symbolise renewal and the fleeting nature of life, blossoming for only a short period each spring.

This makes the Cherry Blossom season one of Japan’s most well-known and cherished traditions. Japanese people celebrate the arrival of long-waited spring with a party called hanami under the cherry trees with their friends and families.

When and Where To Find Cherry Blossoms In Japan?

Typically, the Cherry Blossom season starts in March and goes through till mid-April, however, it is important to note that the timing of the flowers’ blooming can vary per region.

The Cherry Blossoms appear first in the warmer regions in south and west Japan and gradually move north and into the higher altitudes.

Popular places to view the Cherry Blossoms include:

Tokyo – which is typically one of the first places to witness the bloom of the Cherry Blossom. There are multiple parks and gardens around Tokyo, including Ueno Park and Shinjuku Gyoen.

Kyoto is known for its temples and gardens, and becomes even more beautiful when the Cherry Blossoms bloom, particularly around the Philosopher’s Path and Maruyama Park.

Hokkaido’s blossoms peak in early May, offering a beautiful late-spring escape.

Each of these locations offers its own unique charm, making your cherry blossom journey through Japan one filled with variety and wonder.

What to Expect on a Cherry Blossom Tour From Journey to the East?

Offered to small groups of 8 per trip, Journey to the East offers a range of Cherry Blossom small group tours from a comprehensive 15 Day tour, which visits all the major icons of Japan framed by stunning pink blooms, to tours that visit more off-the-beaten-path destinations to see the flowers in rural settings, and a food focused Cherry Blossom tour.

Designed for the seasoned traveller, the Cherry Blossom small group tours come in two styles, Comfort and Signature, all with typical Journey to the East’s personal care, knowledgeable guides, and professionally curated itineraries.

If you prefer a private tour during cherry blossom season, Journey to the East uses its expert knowledge to design a personalised tour for you, taking travel stress out of the equation.

Our Japan Cherry blossom tours offer a balanced blend of sightseeing and cultural immersion. The scenic beauty and deeply meaningful experiences provide an enriching and unforgettable journey for all travellers

Book A Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience

Japan’s cherry blossom season is more than just a beautiful time to visit—it’s an experience that connects you with nature, culture, and tradition.

Whether you’re strolling through a tranquil garden or witnessing a temple framed by pink blossoms, this is a journey you’ll never forget.
Book your Cherry Blossom Tour today.

Best places to see cherry blossom in Japan

Yuki Takano — Mon, 14 Oct 2024 23:24:44 +0000

This blog post will discuss when, and in particular where to see cherry blossoms in Japan.

When is the best time to see cherry blossom in Japan?

This is the sixty four million dollar question. As we discussed in our last blog, it is generally from late March to April depending on locations in Japan. However, timing is slightly different from year to year due to climate and weather. It is hard to predict far in advance, and the best way to see the blooms is to spread your chances and include many cherry blossom spots in the hope that you will see different stages of cherry blossoms and hit the peak at some time during your stay.

So, we still recommend you travel from late March to April if you are travelling in Honshu, the main island of Japan (or into May if you are travelling to Hokkaido. See below), but include a few different microclimate spots such as lower and higher altitudes, coastal towns and in the mountains to maximize your viewing.

Our top 3 picks for the best place to see cherry blossom in Japan

I travel all over Japan every year, and my favourite places to see the delicate pink flowers tend to be in the countryside rather than cities. Cherry blossoms at iconic sights in Tokyo and Kyoto are beautiful, but I recommend you consider including some of the less-known viewing spots in rural Japan in your trip. In the countryside, less crowds means you can leisurely enjoy strolling, or perhaps have a picnic under the trees. You can also immerse yourself in the regional cultures and traditions more easily.

Hokuriku (the Sea of Japan side of Honshu)

The Hokuriku region includes Niigata, Toyama, Ishikawa and Fukui prefectures. Apart from Ishikawa prefecture, the other areas are much less known by international tourists, yet, they are very accessible (connected by shinkansen). Hokuriku region is rich in culture such as regional food and crafts, naturally spectacular, and most importantly has many gorgeous cherry blossom viewing spots including castle grounds, Japanese gardens and along river banks. This year in 2024, I was very lucky to see possibly the best cherry blossom displays I have ever seen, it was on our Cherry Blossom Tour of Sea of Japan Coast with our guests.

Kyushu

Kyushu is the southernmost island among the four main islands of Japan. It is known for its temperate climate and laidback lifestyle. Kyushu has a great combination of features of Japan that travellers to the country look for. Vibrant city and nightlife of Fukuoka, best known pottery towns and rural landscapes in Saga, samurai history and mighty Mt Aso in Kumamoto to name a few. Kyushu is slightly warmer than Honshu, and you can catch cherry blossoms early in the season. We run the Food and Cherry Blossom Tour of Kyushu Japan focusing on Japanese food cultures and production as well as cherry blossoms.

Tohoku (Northern Honshu)

We have run the Cherry Blossom Tour of Northern Japan for many years and this has been very popular with our guests. Some cherry blossom sites such as Hirosaki Castle and Kakunodate are getting famous, but still not too overly crowded. Travellers can enjoy staying in a small local hotel or ryokan, enjoy authentic rural experiences and the warm hospitality of local people. You can see cherry blossoms in Tohoku much later in the season into late April.

You still have lots of time to plan your trip to Japan for the 2025 cherry blossom season. Book your Cherry Blossom Tour today.

Written by Yuki Takano

Director of Journey to the East Pty Ltd

Yuki founded Journey to the East, a tour operator specializing in tours to Japan with her husband Col in 2013. Yuki travels to Japan regularly for her research, and creates unique tours for the guests.

Children’s day in Japan

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 06:06:44 +0000

Children’s Day and Golden Week in Japan

Japan has a quite few national holidays in May and one of them is Children’s Day (KODOMONO HI ), celebrated on 5th of May every year. It started as a celebration for boys, to wish them a healthy and happy life. It has now developed into a celebration for not only boys but for all children. In addition, these days it is an opportunity for kids to show their appreciation of their parents for their effort and dedication in raising them.

When spring arrives Japan, flowers are blooming, and the weather is pleasantly warm. A lot of people think April is the best time to visit Japan, which is true if you want to see cherry blossoms. However, weather-wise, May would be a better month. Whilst the weather is already started to warm in April, there still are a few chilly periods whereas May is consistently warm and sunny. Hence if weather is your main concern, then May would be the best season to visit Japan.

If you are planning to visit Japan during the spring season, be mindful that Japan has a week with a series of public holidays starting from the end of April through to the first week of May, which is known as Golden Week. The Golden Week is a combination of a few national holidays including the Children’s Day and a weekend, so can extend as long as 10 days. It is one of the busiest times for any of the popular tourist destinations throughout Japan. Pre Covid-19, you could expect large crowds everywhere you visit at this time and rather long queues to get into any popular sightseeing places. With the current situation and the world aiming to get back to normality, you would not expect a large crowd this year.

How is the Children’s Day celebrated in Japan?

KOINOBORI (carp streamers)

When the children’s day is getting closer, some houses hang up the carp streamers (called KOI NOBORI in Japanese) on their balconies or in their backyard. Carp is a symbol of strength, courage, and success. So, the families hang out the carp streamers in the hope that their children will grow up well. When the wind blows, it looks as if the carps are swimming in the sky. As you can see in the picture, there are usually a few carp in one set. The black carp, the largest one, represents the father and the red carp represents the mother, the blue carp represents a child (traditionally, the son) and if you have more kids in the family, usually more carp streamers such as pink, green and orange ones can be added representing other siblings.

GOGATSU NINGYO (May dolls) & KABUTO (warrior helmet)

Besides the carp streamers, another typical item that is part of celebrating Children’s Day is GOGATSU NINGYO (May dolls) which contain samurai armor, sword and KABUTO (a warrior helmet as pictured here). They are usually displayed in a prominent place in the house to represent the parent’s wishes to raise strong and powerful boys.

What food is eaten to celebrate Children’s Day in Japan?

You will find special Japanese sweets sold at confectionary shops and supermarkets throughout Japan around the time of children’s day. They are very traditional Japanese sweets and have been eaten by Japanese people for centuries.

1. CHIMAKI

Chimaki is a steamed glutinous rice dumpling wrapped in a bamboo leaf.

2. KASHIWA MOCHI

Kashiwa mochi is a rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in oak leaves (Kashiwa) which symbolise good fortune and prosperity. This is because the oak tree does not shed its old leaves until new ones have grown.

Journey to the East offers tours with May departures. One of our most popular group tours at this time is the “Garden and Art Tour of Japan “. For more information, please visit,

If you prefer to travel with your own private group, then Journey to the East can help you with a tailor-made tour. Please check out our Private Tours page. We have a range of model itineraries for private tours to start planning your next holiday to Japan. Let us assist you with creating the trip of a lifetime! Why not chat with one of our professional travel consultants through our Contact Us page.

We look forward to hearing from you soon!

Journey to the East offers a range of most exciting Small Group Tours of Japan. Please check them out !

Valentine’s Day in Japan

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 05:01:39 +0000

What is Valentine’s Day in Japan like?

Is Valentine’s Day celebrated in Japan? Valentine’s Day occurs every February 14th around the world and generally people exchange candy, flowers and gifts between loved ones and special friends. Indeed, when the tradition started men gave gifts to ladies they secretly admired.

The mysterious far eastern country, Japan, has a Valentine’s culture of its own. Many local supermarkets, department stores, and patisseries are full of chocolate products every year from late January to February 14th. The Valentines advertisements and gift wrapping are decorated in red and pink ♡ shapes. Valentine’s Day in Japan has a unique tradition; it is the day when women give chocolates to men to “confess their love.”

Types of Valentine’s Day gifts in Japan

Until a few years ago, Valentine’s Day in Japan was the day when women confessed their love to men, however, the event has changed with time. Of course, some people still make a “confession of love”, but Valentine’s Day in Japan is becoming an opportunity to express various forms of “affection” with a gift of chocolates. Here are some examples.

Honmei-choco: a chocolate gift of true love

The traditional way of thinking in Japan. A woman gives chocolates to a man she loves and confesses her love to him. Some present handmade chocolates, others buy expensive ones, but all are true gifts from the heart. For a single person it is a confession of love, for those already in a relationship, it is considered the proof of ongoing love.

Giri-choco：a chocolate gift of courtesy

First appeared around the 1980s. Japanese women prepared chocolates for men, such as friends, bosses, colleagues at work, customers to whom they wanted to show their appreciation or friendship. Giri-choco has no romantic implications. It is intended to convey gratitude and deepen communication, and many are purchased at a reasonable price.

Tomo-choco：a chocolate gift for friend

This is a friendship gift. Women and especially teenage girls give chocolates to each other as proof of their friendship. They enjoy this opportunity to choose chocolates that match their girlfriend’s tastes, such as sweets and cute things, and to create the opportunity to comment on each other’s gifts.

Fami-choco：a chocolate gift for family

Chocolate that is lovingly given from female family members to male family members (husband, son, father, etc.). Women enjoy cooking chocolate-based confectionery with their children to share with their family. The whole family enjoys the time together at home on February 14th.

Gohobi-choco：a chocolate gift to reward oneself

Women buy chocolates for themselves. As a reward to themselves for working hard at work or in their daily lives, women give themselves the treat of chocolates.

White Day：a return gift for women from men

Another unique Japanese custom. On March 14th, one month after Valentine’s Day, men will offer a return gift of cookies, marshmallows, candies etc. to women. A man who was given a Honmei-choco (true love gift) but does not want to reciprocate the affection, will not offer a return gift.

The history of Valentine’s Day in Japan

Valentine’s Day concept is believed to have been brought to Japan for commercial purposes by the retail and confectionery industry in the 1950s after World War Ⅱ.

The question is, why did Valentine’s Day become a day that women choose to confess their love to men?

In Japan, ‘Yamato Nadeshiko’ which means a traditional Japanese woman who is modest, walks three steps behind her man making him look good, was regarded as how a woman should be. Therefore, it was difficult for women to be forward with their feelings. However, around the 1950’s Japanese women started to gain more control as major consumers, and they were further influenced by the Women’s Liberation movement in the United States. For these reasons, it is believed that this unique Valentine’s Day culture in Japan became a big hit and spread all over Japan.

Conclusion

Although Valentine’s Day does not have any historical or spiritual connection with Japanese people, they embraced the spirit of Valentine’s Day and developed it in their unique way. Japanese generally are flexible in accepting other cultures and events.

Whether there is a religious or traditional connection or not, Japanese love festivals. Around Valentine’s Day streets and shops are decorated beautifully just like they are during Christmas time. Pretty red and pink love heart decorations encourage shy Japanese people to open up with their love.

Why not visit Japan in February and enjoy Valentine’s Day in Japan? You will be surrounded by the feeling of love and delicious chocolates that are beautifully displayed.

Journey to the East has two tours running across Valentine’s Day including the very special and popular Snow Spectacular Tour of Japan

Winter in Hokkaido and Sapporo snow festival

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 04:54:36 +0000

If you are thinking about a winter trip to Japan, we highly recommend you include Hokkaido where you can have the best snow and winter experience!

Hokkaido is the northern end of Japan’s island and the largest prefecture in Japan. The capital city of Hokkaido is Sapporo, and it takes just less than 2 hours to fly from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. The Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri ) Japan is the biggest and most well-known winter festival in Japan. Hokkaido island is quite large and offers magnificent nature and unique landscapes. Also, the indigenous people of Hokkaido the “Ainu” add a fascinating and distinct culture to the island.

Today in this blog, I hope you will find more about Hokkaido and interesting things to do during the winter time.

Sapporo Snow Festival “Yuki Matsuri”

Sapporo Snow Festival (Yuki Matsuri) began back in 1950, when local high school students created six snow sculptures in Odori Park. After that, the snow festival became known as a seasonal event held every winter by people in Sapporo. Today, it has become the biggest winter festival in Japan, and held every year for a week in early February.

The snow festival is usually staged on three different sites: Odori site, Susukino site and Tsu Dome site.

The Odori Park

The Odori Park is the main venue for the Sapporo ice Festival. The park runs right through the city of Sapporo. There are about 400 snow and ice sculptures at the festival, and you can see many different sizes of beautiful artwork made by snow and ice. The festival’s famous large snow building sculptures that measures more than 25m wide and 15m high are also exhibited there. An illumination and projection mapping show lights up the venue at night and creates the magical winter wonderland.

Apart from the snow and ice sculptures, there are musical and dance performances delivered from stages made of ice, lots of food stools – local and international food including warm beverage, and snow activities such as ice skating for families and kids.

The Susukino site

At the Susukino site, ice-carving exhibition/competition is held. Susukino is also known as one of the largest entertainment districts in Japan. During the festival season, you will find lots of beautiful ice sculptures lit up all the way along the middle of the street. There you can also find small bars made out of ice where you can try some hot mulled wine or cocktails.

Winter Activities in Hokkaido

Hokkaido experiences huge amounts of snowfall during the winter especially from December to February. The quality of powder snow in Hokkaido is highly praised and attracts people from all over the world for its world-famous skiing destination. For those who are not really into skiing or snowboarding, don’t think you have to miss out all the winter fun! Hokkaido offers variety of unique winter activities that you cannot experience in the mainland of Japan.

One of the experiences you can only have in Hokkaido is seeing drift ice aboard an icebreaker cruise in the Okhotsk Sea. In the town of Abashiri, you can board an icebreaker to experience first-hand the break the drift ice. You will take the most exciting winter voyage there.

The Kushiro wetlands are home to Japan’s beautiful red-crested white cranes (Tancho-zuru). Kushiro Shitsugen National Park is a huge wetlands area which was designated in 1987 to protect the dwindling population of red-crested cranes. You can visit the crane sanctuary to see these elegant birds ‘dancing’ in their natural environment and white snow.

There are still plenty of ways you can enjoy in the snow. Why not put Japanese snow shoes on and walk around the massive beautiful snowy land. You may like to go ice-fishing, take a ride across the frozen lake on a snowmobile, snow tubing or sledding. You can also simply enjoy playing snowball fights or making your own snowman.

Otaru City

Otaru is a small harbour city, about 40 minutes from Sapporo by train. The Otaru Snow Light Path Festival is usually held around the same time as the Sapporo Snow Festival. The city becomes decorated in lights, glittering lanterns and small snow statues for about a week. The light path on white snow creates the most romantic atmosphere. You can enjoy the view of warm yellow light path over the canal area on foot.

Food you must not miss in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is also well known for high quality fresh seafood, agricultural and dairy products, beer and whisky productions with its unique climate and large farmlands.

Fresh seafood and Sushi – You can definitely tell the difference in quality and freshness!
Miso Ramen – Ramen is very popular Japanese food and has many different flavours, but if you are in Sapporo, you must try Miso Ramen. It is a specialty of Sapporo.
Dairy products – Milk, cheese, cakes and some sweets. Also, soft serve in Hokkaido is a must.
Jingisukan – Grilled mutton dish made with a special nabe pot. It is a specialty Sapporo gourmet food.
Beer, Wine and Whisky – World’s famous Sapporo beer and Nikka Whisky, worth visitng their factory.

Winter is special time of the year in Japan, being much quieter and full of traditional events and rituals. Snow against red gates of shrines and temples, or in the rural fields add serene feel to this densely populated country.

Our Snow Spectacular Tour of Japan has been designed to offer the best of winter in Japan! This small group tour of just 8 guests takes you on a unique 15-day journey through the heart of the Japanese Alps and to the remote wilderness of Japan’s northernmost island of Hokkaido. It includes the 2022 Sapporo Snow Festival. The tour reveals the spectacular beauty of Japan during winter-time through an amazing selection of experiences.

If you are interested more in food, why don’t you join our Food Tour of Hokkaido? This 13-day Food Tour is staged on an island of Hokkaido and offers you a gastronomic Japanese food adventure in Hokkaido. You will be exploring the regional specialities from ramen to premium wagyu beef, whisky to sake, traditional sweets to freshest seafood

Hanami and Cherry Blossoms in Japan

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 04:48:04 +0000

Needless to say, Sakura (cherry blossoms) would be the biggest attraction during spring in Japan for many people.

The cherry blossoms usually start fully blooming in the southern part of Japan around the end of March and gradually move up to the northern part of Japan. The blooming time is only for a week or two. What makes cherry blossoms even more attractive is that they are so fragile, short-lived and scatter their petals just a few days after they flower.

Sakura (cherry blossoms) are closely tied to Japanese history, culture and identity. Originally used to divine the year’s harvest, sakura came to embody “wabi-sabi” philosophy and shinto ideals of impermanence, hope and renewal.

Spring is also the special season for many Japanese people. Being 1st of April is the beginning of financial year in Japan, our new chapter of life usually starts in April – new school, new semester, university entrance or very first full-time job after graduating from school. School graduations are in March and entrance ceremonies are in April, new friends at the new place, the beautiful cherry blossom has somehow always been in my childhood memories.

Each year when the spring season comes, Japanese people go outside and gather together to admire the beauty of the cherry blossoms.

Why not enjoy the sakura (cherry blossoms) in the Japanese way while you are in Japan?

What is Hanami ?

Hanami (花見), which lietrally means “flower viewing” in Japanese, is the traditional custom of enjoying and admiring the beauty of cherry blossoms.

People sit under cerry blossom trees in a park, gather in a group of family and friends, eat, drink and chat for hours.

Hanami is like a picnic or a party in the cherry blossom season, and some groups actually stay there all day into the night time.

Hanami at night is called Yozakura (夜桜). The illuminated sakura trees and falling petals create the most fantastic atmosphere.

How to enjoy Hanami?

There are many sites throughout the country famous for their spectacular blossoms, such as parks, mountains, sakura-lined streets, temples and shrines. You can enjoy Hanami under the sakura trees at any parks. Popular sites often become very crowded with lots of people so you need to go early and secure your spot. Some places have yatai (mobile food stalls) where you can buy street food and drinks.

Why not stop for a while, admire the beauty of cherry blossoms, relax and have your obento and drink under the cherry blossoms?

If you like to know when is the best time to see cherry blossoms to plan your trip, you might find the Sakura forecast is very useful! Every year, Japan Meteorological Corporation release its forecast of cherry blossoms flowering in each area. Remember though, even in the same city the peak blossom time may vary based on the species of cherry trees in the park, so use expert knowledge to be at the right place at the right time.

What to bring to Hanami?

Picnic sheet – Bring your own picnic sheet. You can sit down, lie down and relax under the sakura tree.
Rubbish bags – You will need to take your rubbish with you when you leave the site. Most of Hanami sites do not have rubbish bins in place.
Wet wipes/ hand sanitiser – Everyone probably will have them in this COVID situation today, but bear in mind sometime public water access is hard to find.
Obento – You can find gorgeous and beautiful obento boxes which are specifically made for Hanami at department stores or supermarkets. There are many in varieties from Japanese style obento to sandwiches or a mixed-platters.
Snacks & Drinks – Bring enough snacks and drinks to treat everyone! You will find lots of items (such as cans of beer, bottles of tea, or boxes of chocolate) with pretty pink sakura design. They are only available for the short cherry blossoms season.
Sakura mochi – Special Japanese sweets for the season! It is a pink rice cake filled with sweet red bean paste and wrapped in a salt-preserved cherry blossom leaf.
Cash – Some places have yatai (small food stalls), and they usually accept cash only.

We are offering a wide range of Cherry Blossom Tours of Japan. Each of our spring tours has been specifically designed to show you the best of Japan during Japan’s famous cherry blossom season. On each trip the settings are different to take advantage of the season as it rolls by each year. We are also happy to arrange customised Private Tours specifically for you.

Choose springtime in Japan with Cherry Blossom Tours of Journey to the East to take you to the magnificent Japanese cherry blossoms at just the right time, and you know it is going to be a holiday of a lifetime.

We look forward to showing you beautiful Japan as soon as possible!

Hinamatsuri (Japanese Girls Festival)

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 04:22:57 +0000

What is Hinamatsuri (Japanese girls festival)?

In Japan, every year on the 3rd of March we celebrate Hinamatsuri. It is a celebration of girls, and some say this Japanese traditional custom started in the Heian period which is over 1,000 years ago. Hinamatsuri is a celebration where parents wish and pray for the happiness and health of their daughters by displaying special Hina dolls on red cloth covered platforms. And to complete the celebration, a traditional Japanese feast would be served at home.

In the old days, people believed that the dolls possessed special power to keep evil spirits away. So, in addition to celebrating the happiness and health of girls, it was believed that Hina dolls would protect their daughters and keep unwanted diseases and accidents away as the dolls would take their place to absorb all the misfortune.

Parents would usually display Hina dolls around the middle of February and pack them away as soon as the 3rd of March is over. This is because according to an old Japanese superstition, if the dolls are still left out after the Hinamatsuri, it will bring the family bad luck and that the family would have trouble marrying off their daughters. The superstition comes from the thought that if you cannot be organised enough to pack things away timely, you cannot possibly become a great lady and find a good husband to marry.

The Hinamatsuri is also known as Momo no Sekku which means the peach blossom festival. Peach blossoms, which bloom around late February to early March, are regarded as a sign of spring’s arrival. When winter is finally almost over and a long-awaited spring is just around the corner, it is celebrated as Momo no Sekku.

How is Hinamatsuri celebrated?

For families with young daughters, Hinamatsuri would be a very important occasion where the family would hold a big party. Particularly while the daughters are still young, parents tend to go overboard to make this day memorable.

The first and most important part of celebrating Hinamatsuri is the display of Hina dolls. The Standard Hina dolls is a set of 15 dolls arranged together on five- or seven-tiered red cloth covered platforms. These 15 Hina dolls represent an imperial family in ancient times. There are 2 dolls at the top of the tier representing the Emperor and Empress, followed by three court ladies, five musicians, two ministers and three servants, there are also small pieces of furniture and small dishes.

When I was a child, it was common to have a five or seven tier set. The dolls are usually passed down from older generations or gifted from grandparents. These days, it is more common to have a simpler version of Hina dolls where the set would only have two dolls (Emperor and Empress) or a very compact dolls set. I guess it is because that a five or seven tier set would cost from approximately AUD 3,000 to AUD 15,000 depending on the quality. In addition, with the current living arrangement, where most people in Japan live in a more compact space, it would be highly inconvenient to display a 15-doll set. Hence, the custom is modified to fit into the current lifestyle.

What do we eat on Hinamatsuri?

CHIRASHIZUSHI
The main dish to have on the day of Hinamatsuri is Chirashizushi also known as scattered sushi. This dish consists of sushi rice spread on a plate or bento box artfully decorated with a variety of colorful and pretty toppings. The common toppings on chirashizushi are thinly sliced egg crepes, shiitake mushrooms, snow peas, nori (seaweed), lotus root, prawn, salmon roe, crab meat and raw fish. It is such an aesthetically pleasing dish packed with umami rich ingredients.

CLAM SOUP
Clam shells symbolise a harmonious couple. As such, it is an important dish to have on Hinamatsuri to wish a daughter a perfect husband and happy marriage in their future. The soup is very subtle, clean, and refreshing. Only featuring the quality of broth from clams, the soup is topped with zest of yuzu citrus and mitsuba (Japanese parsley) to add freshness.

Japanese calm clear soup in soup bowls for Japanese doll’s festival.

HISHI MOCHI
Hishi Mochi is a tricolor diamond shaped mochi (rice cake). The diamond shape is thought to represent fertility and the tricolour of red, white and green symbolises health.

HINA ARARE
These multi coloured rice puffs are a traditional confectionery eaten on Hinamatsuri day. Generally, they come in pink, green, yellow and white. There are two types of Hina arare, Kanto (the Greater Tokyo region) style which is the most common and is made from ordinary rice puffed and coated with sugar, and Kansai (the Greater OSAKA region) style which is made of glutinous rice and generally flavoured with soy sauce, seaweed and shrimp.

JAPANESE SWEETS
Many kinds of Japanese sweets would be available during Hinamatsuri such as tri-coloured rice balls and lollies with shapes of Hina dolls and flowers.

When the Hinamatsuri season comes, you will see a lot of Hinamatsuri sweets displayed at many supermarkets throughout Japan and Hina dolls exhibition will be available at museums around Japan. When you see these decorations, it makes you feel that spring is just around the corner, the weather is warming up and flowers such as peach and plum blossom will start to bloom throughout Japan. This is one of the most exciting and delightful times to enjoy Japan. Journey to the East offers many spring tours starting from March through May. Relax, unwind, explore and feast with one of our Japan spring tours for your next holiday. To find out more information about our tours, please visit our cherry blossom tours

Journey to the East offers a range of most exciting Small Group Tours of Japan. Please check them out!

Setsubun in Japan

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 03:50:00 +0000

Setsubun “節分” is the day before the beginning of spring in the old calendar in Japan (This year it was 2nd February). On this day, we throw soybeans to Oni (demons) while shouting “Oni wa soto, Fuku wa uchi! (Devils out, Fortune in!)”.

The Mame maki (throwing beans) and eating a whole Sushi roll (Eho-maki), on this day, is a traditional Japanese ritual. It is believed to get rid of all the bad luck and bring happiness and good things for the coming season.

On the day of Setsubun, Mame maki events are usually held at shrines and temples throughout Japan. It is definitely interesting to see and experience if you ever visit Japan this time of the year!

Takayama Festival

journeytotheeast — Tue, 15 Feb 2022 01:39:36 +0000

The Takayama Spring Festival starts mid-April and runs for two days.

The centuries old Takayama festival apparently started in the 17^th century. There is little documented history about the start of the event, it is held to commemorate a good harvest. One of the largest festivals in Japan, it is a spectacle not to miss.

The Takayama festival is famous for the large ornate floats which are pulled around the city at night for two or three hours. Some floats (yatai) have their origins dating back to the start of the festival in the 17th century.

They are splendidly decorated with intricate carvings of gilded wood with detailed metal and lacquer work inside and out. The ornate floats are also decorated with intricate embroidered drapery. As dusk settles in, dozens and dozens of lanterns are lit on each of the floats. The floats each represent a district in Takayama and the teams associated with each float are dressed in their district’s traditional dress.

From morning to late afternoon of both days of the festival, the yatai are on display in the streets of Takayama in specially designed storehouses. Several of the yatai have large sophisticated mechanical dolls called karakuri ningyo and they can move and dance.

The colour and atmosphere at the festival are something you will remember for a long time and especially because the festival is right at the peak of the cherry blossom season too. Wondering through Takayama is fascinating at the best of times but the festival takes it up yet another notch.

As you can imagine, the festival is a very popular event visited by several hundred thousand people from across Japan and the world. You can imagine Takayama swells in numbers and to get accommodation you need to book early. As a result, hotels in Takayama are booked out many months in advance.

The Journey to the East APRIL Cherry Blossom tours will takes you right to the heat of this unforgettable display of culture and history.