[GIVEAWAY CLOSED] Winner: @french_knight_errant 🎁🎁 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑 🎉🎉 Happy New Year! The last few years with the pandemic has been tough for everyone, but we look forward to welcoming everyone back to Japan this year. We have missed this community and can’t wait to see you all soon! To celebrate the start of this year, we are giving away a pair of sold-out 𝐒𝐮𝐦𝐨 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬 that will take place this coming Tuesday, January 10th, in Tokyo (available to anyone who is in Japan at this time). ✨ 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗧𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿: 1. Follow us @japanawaits on Instagram 2. Tag 3 friends in a comment below before January 8th, 2023 at 11:59 PM Japan Standard Time 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟵𝘁𝗵, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗮𝘁 𝟭𝟮:𝟬𝟬 𝗣𝗠 (𝗝𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲) The giveaway is not sponsored or endorsed by Instagram or its affiliates. ❤️ With love, Japan Awaits

Who is ready to go to Japan next month? 🙋‍♀️🙋🙋‍♂️ This is the moment we have been waiting for! Japan plans to reopen to international travelers in June, just in time for the summer tourism season! Japanese Prime Minister, Fumio Kishida, made an announcement this Thursday while visiting London: “As soon as June, based on the opinions of experts, we will review coronavirus regulations, including border policies, in stages.” Although the details of this announcement are still up in the air, the likelihood of Japan welcoming travelers by this summer is highly probable, considering how many other Asian countries, including South Korea and Malaysia, have recently relaxed border regulations for inbound tourists. 📷: @japanairlines_jal

Takayama Festival is finally back after 3 years! 😭 The Takayama Festival (高山祭, Takayama Matsuri) is one of Japan's three most beautiful festivals alongside Kyoto's Gion Matsuri and the Chichibu Yomatsuri. It is annually held in Spring and Autumn. The Spring Festival, also known as Sanno-sama Festival, is organized on April 14th -15th in Hie Shrine. This festival is famous for its stunning decorated floats (yatai) which are scattered across Takayama’s old town and exhibited year round at Matsuri no Mori festival Museum, and the sound of Taiko drums. In the evening, the floats are illuminated with Japanese lanterns. Thousands of spectators are attracted every year to not only have fun but also enjoy food and drink during the festival. 📷: @akira5733

The iconic Mt. Fuji 📍📍📍 Mt. Fuji (富士山) is a physical, cultural, and spiritual symbol of Japan. This active volcano, which most recently erupted in 1707, is also the highest mountain of our country. The unique shape of Mount Fuji differentiates it from other mountains giving it a truly one of a kind experience. Fuji has been registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 2013. It can be seen from quite a distance, even in Tokyo, under the right conditions. There are many famous tourist spots in Japan where you can enjoy the view of Mt. Fuji, but you'll will always find the best view hidden away. 📷: @sei_sj

Picture perfect 📍📍📍 With over 4000 cherry trees planted around, Osaka Castle (大坂城, Ōsaka-jō) is one of the best places for cherry blossom viewing. The castle is five-stories high and is one of the most famous castles in Japan. Its history dates back almost 450 years and it provides a beautiful back drop for the perfect picture. Cherry blossoms blooms from the end of March until the early of April in Osaka. 📷: @akemi.jp0_0v

Another amazing capture of Mount Yoshino. 😍 📍📍 Mount Yoshino (吉野山, Yoshinoyama), in Nara Prefecture, has been Japan's most famous cherry blossom viewing spot for many centuries. It is said that the first trees were planted along its slopes more than 1300 years ago, and today the mountain is covered by approximately 30,000 cherry trees of many different varieties, especially of the Yamazakura variety. 😍😍😍 Yoshinoyama's cherry blossoms typically start opening in late March or early April and reach full bloom around early to mid-April. Photo taken this week by @pk_maruu

How magical 😍 📍📍📍 Mount Yoshino (吉野山, Yoshinoyama), in Nara Prefecture, has been Japan's most famous cherry blossom viewing spot for many centuries. It is said that the first trees were planted along its slopes more than 1300 years ago, and today the mountain is covered by approximately 30,000 cherry trees of many different varieties, especially of the Yamazakura variety. 😍😍😍 Yoshinoyama's cherry blossoms typically start opening in late March or early April and reach full bloom around early to mid-April. 📷: @eno_noe_22

What a dream! 📍📍📍 Motoara River(桜並木), located in Saitama Prefecture, is famed for its spectacular hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spot. There are about 350 cherry blossom trees lining 2 km along the riverbank. The river is filled with pink petals and reflective surface making it a stunning scenery. Every year, there's a Cherry Blossom festival during the peak blooming period with food and drink stalls, as well as live stage performances. Visitors can cruise down on the river with Yakatabune—a Japanese style wooden tour boat. 📷: @____yu.144

This festival was marvelous this year 😍 ❄️❄️❄️ Inuyama Matsuri (犬山祭) is a float festival of Haritsuna Shrine in Aichi Prefecture. This festival (that just took place this past weekend), has been organized since 1635 and is usually held on the first weekend of April. The event features 13 three-layered antique floats with a Karakuri mechanical puppet on top of each float, and the floats are also illuminated by 365 lamps in the evening. 📷: @aichi_festival_lovers

𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎!🌸💮 Showa Memorial Park (昭和記念公園), Tachikawa, Japan.🇯🇵 📍📍📍 Showa Memorial Park (Shōwa Kinen Kōen) is a massive national park in Tachikawa. Opened in 1983 to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Emperor Showa's reign, this park offers various natural sceneries, seasonal flowers, ample recreation and sports facilities Being so close to Tokyo, the park is a convenient escape from the city and is a popular place for cherry blossom viewing. The park's sakura blooming period takes place a few days after the peak in central Tokyo, making it an ideal place to view cherry blossoms if you missed it in the city. The best place to view cherry blossoms is the park's Cherry Blossom Garden in the north section of the Open Field. 📷: @tsumizo

It's that time of year again! 🌷 <-- cherry blossom Hirosaki Park, Japan🇯🇵 📍📍📍 Hirosaki Park (六義園) is one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom destinations. Featuring over 2,500 trees, the park is brought to life with its beautiful colors and sights. The surrounding Hirosaki Park around the castle grounds is one of Japan's most famous cherry blossom spots. Over a million people visit the park during the sakura matsuri (cherry blossom festival) when the cherry blossoms are in bloom, usually during the Japanese Golden Week holidays in the end of April to beginning of May. 📷: @criss1016

𝐓𝐎𝐏 𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐁𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐒𝐎𝐌 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐎𝐊𝐘𝐎! 🌸 Shinjuku Gyoen, Japan🇯🇵 📍📍📍 Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) nestled in the busy Shinjuku area of Tokyo, you can find more than 1,000 cherry blossom trees in the park. If you find yourself in the spacious lawns, you can enjoy a day out enjoying this beautiful time of year. Best time to visit is the last week of March. 📷: @pu_no_pe