Japan Golden Week

The Golden Week is a collection of four national holidays within seven days. In combination with well placed weekends, the Golden Week becomes one of Japan’s three busiest holiday seasons, besides New Year and the Obon week.

Trains, airports and tourist spot get very crowded during Golden Week, and accomodation in tourist areas can get booked out well in advance.

The national holidays making up the Golden Week are:

• April 29 – Showa Day (Showa no hi):
  April 29 is the birthday of former Emperor Showa, who died in the year 1989. Until 2006, Greenery Day (see May 4) used to be celebrated on this day.
• May 3 – Constitution Day (Kenpo kinenbi):
  On this day in 1947, the new post war constitution was put into effect.
• May 4 – Greenery Day (Midori no hi):
  Until 2006, Greenery Day used to be celebrated on April 29, the birthday of former Emperor Showa. The day is dedicated to the enviroment and nature, because the emperor loved plants and nature. Before being declared Greenery Day, May 4 used to be a national holiday due to a law, which declares a day, that falls between two national holidays, a national holiday.
• May 5 – Children’s Day (Kodomo no hi):
  The Boy’s Festival (Tango no Sekku) is celebrated on this day. Families pray for the health and future success of their sons by hanging up carp streamers and displaying samurai dolls, both symbolizing strength, power and success in life. The Girl’s Festival, by the way, is celebrated on March 3.

Tags: Children's Day, Constitution Day, Golden Week, Greenery Day, Showa Day

Cherry Blossom Festival in Japan

If you’re seeking somewhere to travel and spend your holidays for this month (March), Japan can be a decent choice as the cherry blossom viewing season, draws near. A huge event throughout Japan, the festival celebrates the blooming of cherry trees at around the end of March and generally lasts until early April. Even though, for this year, because temperatures in February were above average in most parts of Japan and similarly mild temperatures are forecast for March, the cherry blossoms are expected to open a few days ahead of their average schedule.

Cherry blossoms, also known as Sakura, bloom simultaneously in the spring for one week. Recognized as Japan’s unofficial national flower, Sakura have frequently been used to establish diplomatic ties between Japan and other countries. The flowers reach full bloom and flutter to the ground gracefully during their final stage. The Japanese believe that these blossoms symbolize human life, transience and nobility. The blossoms begin in the southernmost island of Japan, Okinawa, in January and reach Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka in late March with Peak Bloom Period is predicted for April 3 – April 9, 2009.

Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are the most popular cities to witness this spectacular natural event and to ensure everyone gets a chance to view the delicate pink and white blossoms. Tokyo’s busy Ueno Park, with 1,500 cherry trees, can be one of the best places to view Sakura. Cherry blossoms in Kyoto and Osaka tend to bloom several days later. The Arashiyama Mountain, with the Togetsukyo Wood Bridge, and Kyoto’s Imperial Palace provide beautifully picturesque scenes. Four thousand Sakura trees around Osaka Castle are illuminated at night for one week at the end of March and beginning of April, while Osaka Expo Park with over 5,500 cherry trees is a great place to have a picnic while viewing the cherry blossoms.

Find special deals on hotels throughout Japan for this Cherry Blossom Festival, check out – http://rewards.agoda.com/info/special_offers.html#specialoffers

Tags: Cherry Blossom, Japan, Sakura

Ginza – a land of deals if you know where to look

At least once, likely more times each week, Ginza serves as the backdrop to evening news stories, people being questioned in the street or just to depict ‘typical’ Tokyo life carrying on as normal behind a newscaster trying to make a point.

Ironically Ginza in many ways is not typical Tokyo, but the idealised version of all things Tokyo, all things Japan.

Several years ago, during the late 1980s in a period now referred to as The Bubble, the main streets through Ginza were the site of the most expensive real estate on the planet. The equivalent of millions of dollars would pass from one part to another – per square meter – just to be able to purchase a small slice of the action in this part of the city.

Today, prices are still sky high, and with the global economy far more shaky and less active than it once was, it may come as a shock to most that life in Ginza continues as it always has – seemingly untouched. But that – is merely on the surface.

Company layoffs and increased numbers of sales in the excusive outlets all over Ginza are perhaps the benchmark of a Japanese icon experiencing its toughest time in decades.

The shoppers still throng the sidewalks and the department stores oggling the goodies on sale, but fewer and fewer are returning home having secured a purchase meaning that the ‘surface’ is as it always has been, but a little deeper down things are not quite as smooth. In the early 21st century, the window shoppers really are that – window shoppers.

Still, that makes it better for those looking for bargains – keep your eyes (and if you understand Japanese) ears peeled and you will find that a walk around Ginza now is far more cost effective, far better for those out for a cheap deal – but still worth saving the pennies for.

Tags: Ginza, Matsuya, mitsukoshi, Nikon, Shopping