Cherry blossom season is here again, and I’m gearing up for my annual pilgrimage to Yuza, a small town on the Sea of Japan at the base of Mount Chokai. The pink flowers, the gentle curve of the river, the hanging koi fish decorations blowing in the wind, the blue sky – all of it makes for an idyllic scene.

To get ready for your trip, you’ll need to know what to eat, and you don’t even need to leave the capital city of Sapporo.

Known for its annual snow festival, Sapporo is one of Japan’s most vibrant cities and is extremely visitor-friendly. It has fantastic food and plenty to do. Here’s a sampling.

The Okama crater of the Zao volcano is accessible by bus, by car, and on foot. Okama wows from any angle, but approaching it on foot is a rare opportunity to experience the radical transformations caused by a volcanic eruption.

To enjoy winter properly, one must get into the snow. Literally. Here in Japan’s northeast, it’s been snowing since December, which means there is now enough accumulation (reaching over 5 meters) to start building things with snow.

Winter is upon us, and the distinct phenomenon of the juhyou or “snow monsters” of Mount Zao in Yamagata prefecture are not to be missed as one of Japan’s top winter wonders.

If you’re coming to Yamagata for the International Documentary Film Festival, to go skiing in winter, or cherry picking in early summer, most highlights of the city itself are within a 15-30 minute walking distance of Yamagata Station.

Tohoku’s mountains are ablaze with autumn color earlier than the Kansai or Kanto regions, giving hikers and “leaf peepers” a perfect jump on the season.

The pulsing drums, the grandiose floats, the colorful costumes: it’s all on parade in Japan’s northeast during the first week of August. Festivals in six different cities draw over one million visitors.

Depending on where you begin, a cedar-lined 1.7 km path (2,446 steps to be precise) leads either to the main shrine (三神合祭殿) at the summit, or to Gojunoto, a five-story pagoda that is registered as a national treasure.

The inner sanctuaries of Japan’s original capital are high on anyone’s list when visiting Kyoto. Yet walk out beyond the inner walls and into the surrounding public park and you will be rewarded with just as many discoveries.

Officially called Risshakuji (temple of standing stones), the training ground for monks of the Tendai sect was founded here over eleven centuries ago.