Photo: Kazuhiro Nogi/Getty Images From January to March, exciting winter festivals await you in Japan, where the energy is palpable and the spirit is truly unique. Imagine strolling along the frozen ...

This year's festival came dangerously close to being cancelled, before it was saved by a last-minute snowfall Japan's Sapporo ...

Hundreds of people gathered Sunday at a Buddhist temple in downtown Tokyo, eagerly stretching their hands to catch the dried ...

Sapporo is the capital city of Hokkaido and the fifth-largest city in the country. As Japan’s most northern island, Hokkaido ...

Japan comes alive with matsuri, festivals that celebrate local culture and traditions throughout the country. From the icy ...

SAPPORO—The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Hokkaido’s most popular winter events, opened here on Feb. 4, overcoming what had ...

If you’re chasing the earliest cherry blossoms in Japan, Kawazu should be at the top of your list. This charming town in the Izu Peninsula is the birthplace of the Kawazu Sakura, one of the first ...

Japan's annual ritual of "mame-maki," or bean-throwing, at Buddhist temples, Shinto shrines and homes sees people marking "setsubun," the last day of the winter in the Japanese lunar calendar.