ENGLISH.KUPASONLINE.COM—Winter is one of the most coveted seasons for Indonesians. The cool air, plus the falling snow brings its own charm for those of us who usually live in the tropics. All this time, we may think that winter can only be enjoyed in places that are far away, such as in Europe, the United States, or Canada. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to be willing to go that far to be able to enjoy winter.
Winter requires special preparation, especially for us Indonesians who are used to sunny and tropical weather all year round. Indeed, the preparations tend to be many and heavy, but it’s better that way so that we can stay comfortable and warm in the destination country. Here are some items that need to be prepared before enjoying winter in Japan.
1. Jackets/Coats
A jacket or coat is needed to protect the body from cold air stings. A jacket or coat is basically able to keep you warm, so it has to be thick. Meanwhile, materials that are able to keep the body warm include wool and fleece.
2. Earmuffs
The ears need to be covered because it is one of the limbs that are sensitive and vulnerable to changes in the weather. In addition, earplugs are also useful to prevent ear freezing.
3. Beanie Hat
A beanie hat is able to prevent the head from feeling dizzy from the cold as well as a warmer. Suitable beanie materials include knits and fleece.
4. Scarf/Pashmina
The scarf or pashmina has the function of protecting the neck from the cold because the neck is also a part of the body that is sensitive to changes in the air. Apart from that, a scarf can also be used as a cover for the mouth and nose when extreme weather such as a blizzard occurs. Good materials for scarves include polyester fleece and wool. It is also recommended to wear a scarf or pashmina which has heating technology.
5. Sweaters
Sweaters function as body warmers when the weather is cold, and in order to be warm you should wear a sweater first before you layer it again with a jacket/coat. Sweaters that are able to keep the body warm are made of knitted, wool and polyester fleece.
6. Shoes
The cold weather clearly requires you to wear shoes. Since winter is definitely synonymous with terrain that is more slippery or difficult to explore because of the snow, wear trekking shoes or boots made of leather or suede. Avoid sneakers or flats, and don’t forget to wear thick socks first!
7. Gloves
Gloves are useful to prevent your fingers from freezing which is fatal because hands are also sensitive body parts. For that use gloves made from knit or leather.
8. Drugs
Before you think about feeling winter, you should really understand your body’s weaknesses. For example, if you have certain allergies, then bring the allergy reliever that you usually use, or for example, if you have asthma, always have an inhaler on hand.
Even if your immune system is good, you should also carry simple medicines as a preventive measure, such as paracetamol to get rid of fever or pain, medicine for diarrhea, or other supplements to prevent unwanted things.
9. Other Personal Needs
This point is also related to the point above because only you know exactly what your body needs. For example, to avoid dry skin or lips, you can buy a moisturizing lotion and lip balm, wind oil, warm balm, and so on.
Winter Tour in Japan
Apart from visiting various tourist attractions in Japan, you can also do many activities that can only be enjoyed when winter arrives. This is it…
Ski Tourism
Japan has various international standard ski tourism sites, most of which are located in northern regions such as Hokkaido, Nagano, Tohoku, and Niigata. Apart from skiing, you can also do snowboarding there.
Hokkaido – Hokkaido is the snow capital of Japan. Hokkaido holds around 1200 snow festivals annually in Japan, Hokkaido also has many favorite ski sites and hot springs, such as Niseko.
Nagano and Nagata – These two ski paradises are located close together and not far from Tokyo. Nagano is also the host city of the 1998 Winter Olympics and is a must-visit place for ski lovers because of the supportive terrain and perfect track shape. Favorite winter attractions there include watching monkeys bathe in hot springs at the Jigokudani Snow Monkey park and satisfying your passion for skiing and snowboarding at the resort area of Hakuba.
Tohoku – Tohoku is located in the northern part of the island of Honshu dan and covers about 6 prefectures. Tohoku is perfect for winter sports fans who want a different vibe. This is because apart from being relatively quiet, Tohoku also offers traditional Japanese winter experiences such as onsen.
Onsen
Onsen is typical Japanese hot spring baths based on hot springs. Apart from being a medium for relaxation, onsen is also believed to have properties that are channeled from its various mineral contents. The onsen is divided into several compartments, such as male or female onsen, outdoor and indoor. Bathing in an onsen is perfect for those of you who want to escape the winter chills or are tired after a long day of activities.
Sapporo Snow Festival
This festival was first held in 1950 and takes place in Sapporo, the capital of the island of Hokkaido. The Sapporo Snow Festival is the largest in its category and attracts millions of tourists annually. At this festival, you can see hundreds of sculptures and sculptures all made of snow and ice for a week. While watching the “ice art exhibition” you can also sample various Hokkaido street food.
If you feel that skiing or snowboarding is too extreme, you can still take a walk in big cities like Tokyo or Osaka which has the mascot of Osaka Castle. In Tokyo, many buildings along downtown areas such as Tokyo Tower, Ginza, Tokyo Midtown, and Roppongi Hills are decorated using colorful lights and light shows to enliven the atmosphere while welcoming Christmas and New Year.
Travelers planning to go to Japan needn’t worry, because these things will make you want to travel there even more!
1. Japanese Winter Temperatures and Scenes
The temperature during winter in Japan is almost the same as winter in Korea. The temperature will change during the day and night. The coldest temperature is from December to January when the temperature can reach 2-3 Degrees Celsius. It doesn’t rain much in winter, so the air is very dry. The seasonal climate in Japan is a bit extreme, so the air humidity is only around 30%.
But you don’t need to worry, even though the air is very cold, don’t miss the snowy scenery, even though not all cities are snowing. Cities like Tokyo, Fukuoka, and Osaka rarely see snow. Many travelers come to Japan to witness the beautiful scenery of the shrines that blends with the whiteness of the snow!
2. Enjoy typical winter food while participating in Japanese year-end celebrations
Winter in Japan is the season for fish that are dense in texture and have a lot of fat in them. There will be lots of fish such as cod, tuna, sardines, and mackerel every winter. The most famous Japanese cuisine in winter is Nabe! This fish soup contains various kinds of vegetables and is perfect for eating in winter!
Apart from fish, there are also ingredients commonly used for special New Year dishes, such as lobster and red crab as well as various kinds of radish, lotus root, and spinach which are included in typical winter foods in Japan.
The Winter Festival in Japan is a year-end celebration that is the main attraction for many travelers. There are many light shows before Christmas to see the turn of the year at the Joyano Kane event! Or he rings the bells in each temple 108 times, that is, 107 times before the New Year and 1 more time after the New Year.
3. Winter clothes in Japan
Many travelers are confused about what winter clothes in Japan are like! How to deal with the slightly windy Japanese winter, you should wear a knitted hat or earmuffs. If you are outside and the day is a little cloudy and it’s late at night, you should make preparations that can warm your feet.
Apart from wearing thick socks or pants, it is recommended that you bring Cairo or some kind of patch that you can stick on your feet. Cairo will make your feet feel warm in the very cold weather. The very cold weather in Japan makes hot springs or Onsen the prima donna there!
4. Take a walk to see Mount Fuji
Mount Fuji is an icon of Japan! So it’s not right to visit Japan without seeing the beauty of Mount Fuji! Autumn in Japan and the perfect blend with the beauty of Mount Fuji! A favorite destination for travelers when visiting Japan, the location is not too far from Tokyo, only about 2 hours by bus or if you want it faster you can take the train which only takes 1.5 hours!
Mount Fuji
However, if you want to climb Mount Fuji from January to March, station 5 will most likely be closed! But don’t be sad just yet, you can still enjoy the beauty of Mount Fest in winter from a distance i.e. from lake Kawaguchi! Relax, the beauty of Mount Fuji has not diminished at all, in fact, it is even more beautiful than Lake Kawaguchi.
5. Feel the cold weather while learning Japanese history and culture
The reason why Japan is the most popular destination is that there is a lot of history and culture that can be explored more deeply in this one country. Kyoto, there are more than 1600 temples that you can visit while in Japan. Maybe it takes more than one year, yes, to visit all the existing temples. Since time is too short, just visit some famous shrines in Kyoto such as Fushi Inari, which has 1000 torii gates that you usually see on Instagram.
6. Winter and Theme park? No need to worry!
It can’t be denied anymore~ Japan is a paradise for travelers who like to play in Theme Parks such as Universal Studios Japan, Disneyland to Tokyo Disneysea all in Japan! What season is July in Japan? Holiday season! This time it is not July that is being discussed, because in July the weather is a little hot, so visiting theme parks in winter is a must when it’s winter in Japan!
7. Skiing in the snow
It’s far away to come to Japan in winter, it’s incomplete if you don’t try activities that you can’t try in tropical countries like Indonesia, that’s right! Skiing on vast expanses of snow is a popular snow activity or sport in Japan. From December to January there are many ski resorts that you can visit. Try to visit Hokkaido, because it is in the northern part so the temperature there is much colder than in Tokyo or Osaka.
8. Go Skiing
The beauty of the expanse of snow can no longer be doubted, the famous Resort Kiroro Resort is one of the favorite resorts for travelers. There’s nothing wrong with trying to ski at a renowned resort in Japan! But if you only visit Tokyo and still want to ski, you don’t need to worry because in Tokyo there is Snow Town Yeti Ski near Mount Fuji. Unlike in Hokkaido where ski resorts open in December, in Tokyo, they open in October!
