Pale spring light falls through cherry blossoms, soft grey rain drifts in at the start of summer, and autumn paints the hillsides orange and red. Even in the busiest districts, neon glows against the evening sky while temple courtyards keep a quiet light of their own.
Four clear seasons shape the year, with colder winters up in Hokkaido and an almost tropical south. Trains, small counters and tidy streets make getting around easy, and politeness comes in small gestures you soon begin to return. When your plans run out, a Local Friend picks the next stop, maybe a tea house, maybe a lantern-lit alley.
