STYLETHREAD -- LET'S TALK SHOP!

Tara · Dooney & Bourke

When is a good time to see Japan?

cc · Marc Jacobs

Tara, I just went to Japan in November and it was amazing!!! October and November are high season (so it's a bit pricey) because everyone is really into the fall foliage. I was there from November 4-14th and it was actually freakishly warm for most of the time we were there and only got a bit chilly and gray on our last few days. I can't stop raving about it, it was one of the best experiences of my life and I am so glad that we went in the fall because all of the gardens were gorgeous!

Let me know if you have any questions! Bumblebee was also incredibly helpful when I was planning my trip.

Karina · Chanel

ooh i want to go in 2 yrs .. ill be stalking you then, tara, CC and bumblebee for some more info :)

Tara · Dooney & Bourke

Thank you CC! I can't wait to start planning our trip even though it is 10-11 months away. I appreciate your response - fall sounds great.

I will definitely have to pick your brain for some more suggestions on must see places once we begin our definitive planning!

dot · Marc Jacobs

I can't say about fall.. but I'm sure it's amazing... I've been to Japan in spring, summer, and winter. I love spring for the same reason cc likes fall. The gardens are really amazing. Cherry blossom watching is very big in Japan. I think that's more like late spring/early summer. Anyway, go for gardens. Summer and winter are also okay in Japan. The last winter I was in Japan there were alot of cool ice festivals in Toyko. The weather is really mild all year. I think I was walking around with my jacket open most of the time.

tri_sarah_tops · Marc Jacobs

I lived in Japan for two years. I'm with everyone else; go in either the spring or the fall. My favorite time of year there was spring. Cherry blossoms bloom around March and they're the most beautiful things ever. It can be really rainy that time of year though so you'd probably be best off going in the fall.

Mia · Kate Spade

I haven't been to Japan but my Japanese friends all rave endlessly about the cherry blossom season as well...apparently it is quite an event - even a national holiday (?) - in Tokyo, and everyone picnics underneath the trees while the blossoms/petals float through the air. Pictures of it look beautiful and really fun.

Tara · Dooney & Bourke

Thank you guys for all your help! I think we will aim for Oct/Nov for our trip. That is so far away! But I am a super OCD planner, so I may start planning soon....I will be posting for more advice, I am sure!

cc · Marc Jacobs

Yeah, I think spring sounds like an amazing time as well, but I think it might be more expensive. I was even surprised at how many hotels were booked up when we were going, especially in Kyoto where lots of people travel to see the foliage, so it's definitely not too early to start planning!

Escrime · Kate Spade

I'll be meeting DH in Japan in March/April, hopefully, and we will be hopping to Singapore. I'm very excited! So if you have any ideas or plans, post them here!

bumblebee · Dooney & Bourke

it sounds like you have already decided to go in fall, and i can't comment on that because i have only been in the spring. i agree with the people who are talking about the cherry blossom season being beautiful--that was when i went and i was really glad that i did. i don't think it is any more expensive than the fall, in terms of hotels and stuff. it rained a little, but it was mostly clear and slightly cool. the only time i have heard that it is not fun to go is in high summer, when temps in tokyo get well over 100 degrees and it is sticky, hot and muggy.

escrime--are you going to kyoto? if you are, you should plan your dates so that they coincide with cherry blossom festival week and you can go to see the geisha dance show. it's really cool, and it's the only week all year that foreigners can see the geisha--they perform a show with traditional dances and music at a theater. you can buy tickets at most of the little shops in the gion area--they aren't expensive.

kealoha · Kate Spade

I have to agree w/Spring for the Cherry Blossoms. I've only gone during the summer, but am dying to do a Spring trip & one in the winter to Hokkaido for the Snow Festival.