
The penultimate month of the year is filled with many good things to do in Japan in November. During this time, the country is taken over by autumn foliage, ensuring picturesque cycling tours in Gifu and incredible canoeing and kayaking in Amami Oshima and other islands. The skies remain clear, filled by brisk air, and making for amazing paragliding adventures in Saitama.
The weather grows chilly with the prospective of winter, but that only builds up the setting for many other great things to do in Japan in November, such as spending the day at Hijiori onsen. Pottery and Shibuya food tours are sure to keep you warm as well!
From night snorkeling to sake tasting adventures, we explore all the best things to do in Japan in November!
1. A bus tour of Okinawa’s most famous highlights

Watch gigantic whale sharks at Okinawa Churaumi aquarium, then spend time in the beauties of Kouri Island and Cape Manzamo, before winding up a blissful day with a ride across Nago pineapple park!

2. Take a Gifu ride into Hida traditions

Cycle into the rhythm of life at Hida as you cruise back into a time of quiet farming villages and vast rice fields adorned by a joyful greenness and unlimited fresh air!

3. Explore Tokyo’s best food market

Ameya Yokocho is one of Tokyo’s most vibrant open-air markets. It is the place to be for the freshest and tastiest fruits and delicious foods such as tempura, takoyaki, sushi, and much more!

4. Gifted hands: Harness the power of creative pottery in Kyoto

If you desire to learn something new and fun before the year’s end, be sure to sign up for a Kyoto pottery course. Fill your kitchen cabinets with impressive vessel designs!

5. Hidden hot-spring retreat at Hijiori-onsen, Yamagata

November can be a little cold in Japan, but that’s perfect for spending the day in the therapeutic waters of a traditional hot spring bath. Yamagata’s Hijiori-onsen promises delightful baths and scenery!

6. Amazing kabuki and backstage tours at Korakukan

Have a great time viewing kabuki at Japan’s oldest theater, Korakukan. You’ll also get a tour of the backstage and the Kosaka Mine office whose workers the theater was built to entertain!

7. Realize your Ninja and Samurai dreams in Tokyo

If you’re fascinated by Japanese martial arts, this Tokyo crash course allows you to learn the ways of the Ninja, including throwing stars, and blowguns. It also teaches Samurai customs, entailing wearing armor, swordsmanship, and more!

8. Yamanashi’s beauty summed up by a Lake Motosu SUP

So beautiful that it features on the 1000-yen bill, Lake Motosu is the pride of Yamanashi and the five Fuji lakes. It offers fairytale SUP tours in the foreground of stunning ranges!

9. A romantic mangrove canoe on Amami

Paddle between a gorgeous natural tunnel of mangrove on an Amami Oshima island outing that also encompasses delicious seafood. Find peace in the clutches of untamed Mother Nature!

10. SUP adventure in perfect Amami Oshima green

On Amami Oshima island, high-rises are replaced by beautiful mangroves that lean out over the water like umbrellas shielding explorers from the sun as they savor SUP tours. Rides couldn’t be more magical!
11. Kayaking through the charming Yakushima island

Yakushima island is renowned for its impressive collection of cedar forests and the scenic stretch of seascape that hugs its periphery, making for some of the best kayaking in the country!
12. An Okinawa night out of snorkeling and stargazing

For an exciting after-hours adventure, take up an Okinawa night snorkeling tour served with the dessert of a beautiful starry night sky. The blue cave stands out spectacularly in the night light!

13. Learn the recipe for home-made sake

Japanese rice wine is unique and tasty, and with this DIY sake-making workshop, you can learn how to make the famous Doburoku so you can always carry a piece of Japan with you wherever you go!

14. Savor traditional Japanese cuisine in Iwate

Spend the night at a traditional hot spring inn as you master the ways of Iwate’s delicious hearth fire cooking. The tour also includes a Taiyaki store visit for delicious pancakes cut out in the shape of a fish!

15. Soar like a bird in Saitama

With incredible patterns of earth below amid beautiful gatherings of civilization, this Saitama paragliding course takes you through the wondrous scenery of Tokigawa Town!

16. A double treat of water sports and bbq in Nago, Okinawa

November still has excellent weather for some fun out on the beach. Enjoy all sorts of water sports in the endless blue playground, and when hunger bites, have your fill with beach barbecues of shrimp, beef, and more!

17. Explore the food paradise in Shibuya

Be sure to bring your appetite along when you go sightseeing in Shibuya because you’ll be treated to many delicacies, including takoyaki, yakiniku, yakitori, and sushi. On tour, you’ll also get to see Shibuya’s Hachiko statue, honoring a dog remembered for his loyalty!

18. Miyagi SUP: Matsushima is your oyster

Bearing incredible views of Matsushima, this Miyagi SUP adventure is all about fun on a sea as transparent as the air above it. Paddlers get to see the beautiful sea bed and horizons of greenery and mountains!

19. Uncover the spirit of Japanese Sake in Shiogama
Drinking Japanese sake is an art. This guided tasting tour in Shiogama will show you how to appreciate local sake and enjoy it with sushi for the most delightful experience!

20. A Sendai Izakaya dinner to brighten your night

A Japanese Izakaya is the perfect place to hang out after a long day. The menu entails the tastiest drinks and food, with this tour also including sushi workshops and tuna shows to teach you the cooking ropes!
