this month in japan
March 弥生
March at a glance
- The month the whole country starts watching a single tree.
Weather
- Tokyo: 14°C / 5°C. Rain doubles compared with February.
- Kyoto: averages 8.8°C.
- Sapporo: 4.5°C / −2.4°C. The thaw starts, and slush with it.
- Okinawa (Naha): 22°C / 17°C.
- Pack: a mid-weight coat, a scarf, and an umbrella. Days can feel like spring while evenings still feel like winter.
What's happening
- Vernal Equinox Day, 21 March in 2027. The government fixes the date each February.
- 1–14 March: Shuni-e (Omizutori) at Todai-ji's Nigatsu-do, Nara. Giant torches shower sparks from the hall's balcony.
- Grand Sumo, March tournament — Edion Arena, Osaka.
- Late March: cherry blossoms open in Kyushu and Tokyo. Tokyo's average first bloom is around 24 March.
- 3 March: Hina Matsuri (Girls' Day). Families set out tiered displays of dolls in the weeks before.
What's in season
- Nanohana, the bitter-sweet rapeseed greens.
- Strawberries.
- Asari clams, in miso soup or steamed with sake.
- Sakura mochi, pink rice cake wrapped in a salted cherry leaf.
The 72 seasons
| 候 | Romaji | Meaning | From c. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蟄虫啓戸 | sugomori mushi to o hiraku | Hibernating insects emerge | 6 Mar |
| 桃始笑 | momo hajimete saku | First peach blossoms | 11 Mar |
| 菜虫化蝶 | namushi chō to naru | Caterpillars become butterflies | 16 Mar |
| 雀始巣 | suzume hajimete sukuu | Sparrows start to nest | 21 Mar |
| 桜始開 | sakura hajimete hiraku | First cherry blossoms | 26 Mar |
| 雷乃発声 | kaminari sunawachi koe o hassu | Distant thunder | 31 Mar |
Crowds
The last week of March is when blossom season starts, and the famous parks fill. Book Tokyo and Kyoto rooms well ahead. Pollen season arrives with the flowers, so allergy sufferers should come prepared.
psst,
Nara in early March, for Omizutori, is the old capital at its most theatrical, two or three weeks before the blossom crowds.