Earlier this year, Japan has banned the entry of many oversea visitors in order to limit the spread of the virus. However, the nation-wide state of emergency in Japan was lifted on May 25th. Japan has re-opened schools, cinemas, sports clubs and department stores since the beginning of June and is expected to gradually re-open borders from the end of June. This will start with countries in which COVID-19 has largely been contained (such as Australia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand) and will continue to add more countries to the list.

As the country begins to open up, many are eager to start looking into travel plans for later this year or next year. If you're looking to travel, you may want to consider the seasons you'd like to visit Japan and what you'd want to see. For example, this year, Fuji Shibazakura Festival (between mid-April to late-May) was cancelled due to COVID-19, but you still have a chance to see it next year!

Each year, Fuji Shibazakura Festival (富士芝桜まつり), located about 3 km south of Lake Motosuko in the Fuji Five Lakes area, displays the breathtaking scenery of 800,000 pink moss against the backdrop of Mt Fuji. This festival has been held for one month from mid April till mid May and attracted thousands of visitors every year. It is worth seeing if you're planning to visit Japan in the Spring.

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Japan is known for its summer “hanabi” (花火) firework festivals. Hanabi firework displays have had a long history in Japan, with hundreds of fireworks shows all across the country, usually in the summer between July and August. It is a fun and enjoyable time for people to relax in a festival atmosphere, dress in yukata and having a few bites along the streets filled with food stalls.

However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic this year, many of Japan’s summer firework festivals have been cancelled. Since many people were disappointed in the sudden cancellations, several of the country’s pyrotechnicians came together to organize a surprising fireworks project called “Cheer Up! Hanabi” that would have all 47 Prefectures in Japan participating in the project. The project’s aim was to avoid having large crowds gather, as is typical of normal hanabi fireworks events. Therefore, the organizers originally announced that each prefecture would keep the date and time of its hanabi event secret and the fireworks would only be displayed for five minutes each.

To everyone’s surprise, the plans later changed and on June 1, 2020 at precisely 8:00 PM, Japan's sky lit up with bursts of fireworks in all 47 Prefectures. In total, there were over 160 companies that voluntarily participated in this project, contributing to the simultaneous launch of hanabi fireworks displays in all 47 Prefectures throughout Japan. It was a spectacular sight to behold for those who were able to catch a glimpse of the displays. As the name implies, ‘Cheer Up! Hanabi’, was an event that would ideally provide hope to the people for the end of the COVID-19

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Yamanashi is known for its delicious wine, delectable fruits, and its scenic beauty. To experience this, one of the best places to visit in Yamanashi is the Fuefukugawa Fruits Park.

Fuefukugawa Fruits Park (笛吹川フルーツ公園) is a 32.2-hectare fruit theme park located in Yamanashi City of central Yamanashi Prefecture.

The park showcases many famous wine and fruit known to Yamanashi, plus a variety of flowers and other botanical elements for every season. The park is also known for its amazing view of the Kofu Basin and its 300-meter-high mountain range, which is considered one of Japan’s best night scenes.

The park holds many facilities such as the Fruit Plaza, an outside ‘Aqua Athletic’ area, many restaurants including the Orchard Café, and even a dog park. There are also many events that are held throughout the year at the park. Here is a list of some of the annual events held at Fuefukugawa Fruits Park.

March is an eventful month in Japan, so let's celebrate them at the Fuefukugawa Fruits Park!

Girl’s Day (Hinamatsuri), on the 3rd day in March, is a day that celebrates the happiness and health for young girls. On this day, hina arare (bite-sized Japanese crackers) and peach flowers will be distributed to visitors at the park to celebrate the event.

March is also the month to harvest strawberries, and there will be many events with live comedy shows, strawberry tasting, wine tasting and origami making stalls for the celebration of Strawberry Day in the Fuefukugawa Park.

【Date】: Saturday, March 2, 2019

【Time】: 10 am to 3 pm

【Place】: Fuefukugawa River Fruit Park Fruit Park Square (Dome), etc.

Why not stop for a while and view the peach blossoms and many other flowers that bloom during the spring season?

In Japan, ‘momo no sekku’ (peach blossom festival) is celebrated between early and mid- April when these flowers begin to bloom. Traditionally, peach flowers were believed by the Japanese to drive away bad spirits, and are used as decoration during this season. During this time, visitors can enjoy drinking matcha tea and ‘okashi’ (Japanese snacks) and have a nice “Flower Tea Party”. The tea is limited to the first 200 visitors to arrive and the fee is just ¥200 per person for the first 200 people to arrive.

【Date】: Sunday, April 14, 2019 - Sunday, April 15, 2019

【Time】: 10 am to 3 pm

【Place】: Yamanashi City Ezohara 1488, Fuefuku River Fruit Park entrance square

Got a week off for Golden Week (one week holiday usually around the end of April to beginning of May)? Visit the Fuefukugawa Fruits Park!

In the month of May, the Green Fest & Child Festival is quite popular with families that have children. One of the major events, ‘Masu no Tsukamidori’, (Grabbing of Trout) is held in this month where participants are able to partake in catching trout fish (for elementary students or younger only). Other events include the Yo-kai Watch character show (based on the popular game of Japanese forklore) or live entertainment with various food and drink stalls, usually located at the Entrance Square or Fruit Plaza of the park.

【Date】: Friday, May 3, 2019 - Saturday, May 4, 2019

【Time】: 10 am to 4 pm

【Place】: Entrance Square / Fruit Plaza

Try the sweet cherry that are harvested in this season and experience the annual cherry seed catching tournament!

There will be special events for ‘Cherry Day’ at the park in June. One event is the piling of cherries where participants pile up as many cherries as possible in one minute. This tournament will be held twice a day—one in the morning and another in the afternoon. Visitors can also catch cherry seeds at another tournament, also held twice daily.

One of the most popular events is the tasting of the famous Yamanashi cherries. With a maximum of 150 people competing at once, participants can taste as many cherries as possible until all the cherries run out. These events can be enjoyed with rosé wine tasting.

【Date】: Saturday, June 9, 2019 - Monday, June 10, 2019

【Time】: 10 am to 3:30 pm

【Place】: Tent in front of the Fruit Workshop

During the months of July and August, visitors can enjoy sweet, aromatic and plump peaches at the Fuefukugawa Fruits Park. From the end of August to September, the park will begin to celebrate the harvesting of grapes, in which Yamanashi is known for as it is the largest producer of grapes in the region.

【Date】: Sunday, July 14, 2019 - Monday, July 15, 2019

                  Sunday, August 4, 2019 - Monday, August 5, 2019

                  Sunday, September 1, 2019 - Monday, September 2, 2019

【Time】: 10 am to 3:30pm

【Place】: Fuefukugawa Fruit Park Funabasho Front Front Convention Venue

If you’re in Yamanashi in October, enjoy the different tastes and flavors of Yamanashi cuisine here! The Fuefukugawa Fruits Park will showcase many Yamanashi cuisine, including specialties such as the Fujisakura Charcoal Pork, Fujikawa Yakisoba (fried noodles), ice croquettes, and of course local wine and beer. At the fair, there will be lots of delicacies you can choose from, and there will usually be entertainment such as comedy shows and craft booths for the children.

【Date】: Sunday, October 20, 2019 - Monday, October 21, 2019

【Time】: 10 am to 4pm

【Place】: Yamanashi City Ezohara 1488, Fuefuku River Fruit Park entrance square

In November, there will be one day dedicated to the Major Night Scene Concert. In the morning, there will be the harvesting of the Japanese radish and the planting of barley seeds. The outdoor concert, held by FM Fuji, will then be held in the afternoon and is free to all visitors.

【Date】: Sunday, November 3, 2019

【Time】: 3pm to 8pm

【Place】: Chikyuu Genki Village "Hatake in the Sky "

December is when everyone is celebrating the holidays. In Japan, illuminations are usually scattered all over the country, and Fuefukugawa Fruits Park is no exception. The park will have a Christmas-themed day with many lights and there will be many games such as bingo to make it lively for visitors.

【Date】: Saturday, December 22, 2019

【Time】: 10am to 3pm

【Place】: Yamanashi City Ezohara 1488, Fuefuku River Fruit Park entrance square

The dates of events will be announced on the official park website:
https://fuefukigawafp.co.jp/

In Japan, culturally, it is believed that a kami (deity or spirit) resides in mountains, oceans and all things related to nature. It is also believed that Toshigami (a Shinto deity of the new year) is present during the first sunrise of each year. Worshipping the first sunrise is equivalent to praying for the harvest and happiness for the entire year. Therefore, many people will try to see the sunrise in the most beautiful and scenic locations around Japan.

Here at Japan Awaits, we’ll introduce our top 5 picks of the most beautiful sunrise views in Japan.

The oceanfront and lighthouse in Inubozaki welcomes you to the earliest sunrise in Japan.

Inubosaki, located in Choshi City, Chiba, is in the most eastern part of the Kanto region (same region that Tokyo is located). Although, technically, the easternmost tip of Japan is located in Cape Shirasaki of Nemuro City, Hokkaido, due to the slope of the earth’s axis, Inubosaki will display the earliest sunrise of any location in Japan.

Every year, on the first of January, the first sunrise will be displayed approximately at 6:45 AM. The lighthouse, one of the landmarks in Inubosaki, gradually rises up from the ocean in accordance with the sunrise making it a magical view. The very first and earliest sunrise in Japan can be seen here at Inubosaki, making it the luckiest and one of the most popular places to view the first sunrise of the year.

The first sunrise of the Mt. Tate Mountain Range.

At Noto Peninsula National Monumental Park, located in Ameya Coast, you can view the Mt. Tate mountain range over the Toyama Bay. This is where the first sunrise of Toyama Prefecture is located. Situated 3000 meters from the ridgelines over the water, Mt. Tate can be seen along with the two other sacred mountains of Japan—Mt. Haku and Mt. Fuji. The history of the sunrise from the beautiful coast is so old that it has been composed as a poem in the ancient ‘Manyoshu’, the 8th century anthology of Japanese poetry. Thanks to this, there is a romantic feel that eternalizes from the Ameya Coast sunrise.

The first sunrise will appear around 7:20 AM. As the sun rises, the shape of the mountains also emerges, along with the gradual change of orange in the sky, you will be surrounded by a divine atmosphere. If you’re lucky, you can experience the famous fog that rises as the sea surface cools, creating a beautifully majestic view of nature.

The Shinto shrine archway combined with the sunrise is truly amazing!

Ibaraki Prefecture is packed with many beautiful spots for sunrises along its 190 km-long coastline. As long as you’re facing east, you can view the sunrise from anywhere on it. Among the many great views is the Oarai Coast. There is a white-stoned Shinto shrine (Isozaki Shrine) archway that stands on a boulder on the sea, which many has believed is a worthy place to worship the first sunrise of the year.

The sunrise takes place at 6:60 AM. About 15 minutes before this time, the chief priest of the shrine will hold a ceremony, allowing for a solemn atmosphere for the sunrise. The rising of the sun as it emerges from the Shinto shrine archway is so divine that it leaves many speechless.

If luck is on your side, you may get to experience the rare ‘Double Diamond Mt. Fuji’.

Mt. Fuji, a World Heritage Site, is one of the most popular sunrise spots. There are many areas around Mt. Fuji that will allow for the viewing of the sunrise, such as the lake that surrounds Mt. Fuji and the top of Ryugatake, but the most recommended is the Fuji Motosu Lake Resort. You will be able to see the sunrise of ‘Diamond Fuji’ from the resort at Ryujin Pond. ‘Diamond Fuji’ is the overlapping of the sun and the mountain at the top of Mt. Fuji, giving the sun a diamond shine.

The morning sunrise appears at the top of Mt. Fuji around 8 AM. The intertwining of Mt. Fuji and the sun will only appear for a few minutes. Although the time may be limited, the precious and wonderful view is well worth it.

A spectacular view of the sunrise from beyond the spiritual ropes of the Shinto religion.

Located at the tip of Manazuru Peninsula and surrounded by cliffs, Cape Manazuru is the central scenic spot of the Manazuru Peninsula Nature Park. Here you can enjoy the beauty of nature such as the rocky areas and shorelines that were naturally created by water erosion. Mitsuishi (literally translated to ‘three rocks’), stands at the edge of Cape Manazuru, and is known as one of the premier sunrise spots where it can be viewed from beyond the cascades. The spiritual rope hung between the rocks is used for purification in the Shinto religion. These ropes signify a sacred and pure space.

At 6:50 AM, the sun rises from the other side of Mitsuishi, dying the sky red, allowing for the illusion of the sun arising from the pocket of the spiritual rope between the rocks. As the sun arises, a stream

The start of the new year is also a great time for a new beginning. Visit one of these beautiful sunrise spots and make the beginning of the year special and memorable to kick off 2019!

Japan was named the "Destination of the Year" (2018) by Travel + Leisure, and was sited as the "Best Place to Travel" in a video by Insider. The staggering growth of visitors has grown over 500 percent since 2003 with over 28 million visitors in this year alone.

While many people are traveling to Japan for leisure, there are a number of people who may want to actually live here. Although the cost of living in Japan—especially in major cities such as Tokyo and Osaka—is not cheap, it is possible to find housing here at a discounted rate or even for free.

The Japanese government has been working on reducing the number of abandoned homes known as akiya (空き家), as well as local government-driven town buildings at significantly reduced rates to next to nothing—basically free. It is reported by Japan Times that there are about 8 million properties that are abandoned or unoccupied all over Japan.

There are many reasons for the abundance of abandoned homes including natural disasters, young people putting off starting families until much later, or an aging population that is living longer. As many elderly homeowners die, there are not enough young families who can take their place and fill these homes. Japan homeowners are also known to be superstitious of properties that have had murders, suicides or other untimely deaths occur in it, worried that they may be "haunted" by the spirits if they lived in these properties.

Many towns and homeowners are now forced to give the homes away for free or next to nothing in order to prevent the properties from being abandoned entirely and to become victims of overgrown weeds and graffiti. The local governments are not only offering homes for free, but they are offering subsidies to entice potential homeowners to take the offer and give these properties a new life and to bring people back to these neighborhoods.

While many of the forgotten homes are in rural Japan, there are a number that have started popping up in suburbs and near major cities, which could be a viable option for those who want some peace and quiet from the hustle and bustle of the city. An example would be a new home in Okutama, a town just west of the greater Tokyo Metropolis and takes an hour and 45 minutes by train from the Tokyo city center. Without taking out a loan or mortgage, the monthly rent is just 50,000 JPY (about $440 USD) and the home is yours after paying the rent for just 22 years. No lengthy 30 year loan or down payment necessary!

If you are considering owning one of these forgotten homes, you can find the homes on an akiya bank, which lists abandoned properties on sale. Although there isn't a central bank for each town or Prefecture, you can find records of the banks here.

The sites are all in Japanese but you'll be able to see the prices fairly easily. If it says 0円, you'll know that it means free.