Pre-Reservation for Winter and Spring

Plenty of reasons to visit in Japan Winter and Spring.

Contents

• What is a Pre-Reservation?
• Winter and Spring climate in Tokyo and Kyoto
• What to do in Winter and Spring season?

What is a Pre-Reservation?

As our residents only have to give us a one month notice, before they want to move out, most vacancies can only be confirmed around one month before moving in. For people who want to plan ahead further and want to secure an accommodation months before their arrival, we offer a so-called Pre-Reservation.

By using Pre-Reservation, you would be on our Priority List for any Sakura House accommodation and we will contact you when our room vacancies for your move-in date are confirmed. It is possible to just give us your preferences like budget and location, but also to be prioritized for your preferred share houses, guest houses or apartments.

While a specific room cannot be guaranteed, we do guarantee you an accommodation when placing a Pre-Reservation and it is completely risk-free. If you decide to cancel your reservation before choosing a room, your deposit is fully refundable.

For one person in a share house, guest house or apartment the deposit is 20,000 JPY and for each additional person in a share house room or apartment a deposit of 10,000 JPY is necessary.

There are no further initial costs like key money, guarantor fees or agency fees like it is common in Japan and where you easily have to pay 300,000 to 500,000 yen or even more upfront as move-in costs.

Winter and Spring climate in Tokyo and Kyoto

Summer in Tokyo and Kyoto is hot and humid, but from September on in the autumn season it is cooling down a little bit. However, it is still warm enough to swim until October!

Winters are usually not too cold and from November to February is the best time to see Mt. Fuji from Tokyo.

Spring in Japan is generally a three-month period, from March to May. In March, temperatures in Tokyo are an average of 13 degrees during the afternoon, and 5 degrees Celsius during the morning and evening. In April, afternoon temperatures reach an average of 18.5 degrees, while temperatures in the morning and night are around 10.5 degrees Celsius. In May, we can experience around 23 degrees Celsius during the afternoon, with temperatures decreasing to around 15 degrees in the evenings and mornings.

What to do in Winter and Spring season?

So what are the unique things to do in Winter and Spring season? Let’s find out!

Cherry-blossom viewing

In most major cities in between, including Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, the cherry blossom season typically takes place in early April.
Furthermore, the blooming time of cherry trees differs from year to year depending on the weather. If the weather during the months and weeks preceding the cherry blossom season is mild, blossoms will open early. If it is cold, blossoms will open later.

Festivals

Festivals in Japan are being held year-round and there are a lot taking place in winter as well, especially around October. However you can even find them in winter as well, for example the famous Yuki Matsuri, also known as “Sapporo snow festival” in Hokkaido, which is taking place around January and February each year.

Winter illuminations

Around Christmas and New Year winter illuminations are popular attractions in cities across Japan. Most start between November and December and are a magical experience you shouldn’t miss.

Halloween and New Year’s Eve countdown

Did you know that Halloween is extremely popular in Japan? Put on a costume and party at the famous Shibuya Scramble Square.

It is also a famous gathering spot for the New Year’s Eve countdown.

Hatsumode – the first shrine visit in the new year

Hatsumōde (初詣) is the celebration of the first shrine or temple visit in the new year. It is also a great time to get an omamori (lucky charm) for a fortunate year to come!One of the popular hatsumōde spots is the Soji-Ji Temple in Nishiarai Daishi. Soji-Ji Temple is just a few minutes walk away from our SAKURA HOUSE NISHIARAI DAISHI.

Winter sports

Skiing is one of the most popular winter sports in Japan and there are many great options for day trips available around Kyoto and Tokyo.

If you do not have any ski or snowboard gear, you can easily rent it at the ski resorts.

Near Tokyo you can find plenty of options in Nagano, Fukushima or Niigata. A few of the most famous ones are:

• Hakuba Ski Resorts (Nagano) – around 3.5 hours from Tokyo
• Nozawa Onsen (Nakano) – around 2.5-3 hours from Tokyo
• Myoko Kogenin (Niigata) – around 3 to 4 hours from Tokyo

Close to Kyoto you can find many options especially around Lake Biwa, for example:

• Biwako Valley Ski Resort – around 1 hour from Kyoto
• Kutsuki Snow Park – around 1 hour from Kyoto
• Hakodateyama Ski Resort – around 1.5 hours from Kyoto

While not close to Tokyo or Kyoto, Niseko in Hokkaido is also one of the most famous ski resorts in Japan. There are direct flights to Sapporo available, usually via New Chitose Airport.

Onsen

Especially on colder days and after a busy day skiing, a dip in one of Japan’s hot springs is a soothing experience.

There are different kind of onsen depending on the water source. There are waters with different minerals and properties as well as temperatures. On average an onsen is between 38 and 43 degrees Celsius warm.

Make your Pre-Reservation for Winter and Spring today! We are more than happy to assist you finding the right place to stay.