Proposing in Japan

I make engagement and wedding rings by hand in Karuizawa, a mountain town in Nagano. A lot of them go to couples who came here to propose.

So I've ended up with opinions about where and when to propose in Japan, and this is what I'd tell a friend.

When to go

Autumn is my favorite. October into November offers gorgeous color moving south over about six weeks. It's dry, the light is soft, and you're not sweating through your shirt.

Cherry blossom season is the one everyone asks about. The peak is shorter than people expect, a week or sometimes ten days, and the dates shift every year, so you can't confidently book around it far out. Late March into early April is the time for most of the country. Stunning, but Tokyo and Kyoto can be very crowded.

Winter is underrated. December through February with snow in the mountains, almost no tourists, and the onsen towns at their best.

Summer I'd avoid, except in more mountainous prefectures. July and August are unpleasantly humid in most of the country. Nagano and Gunma sit high enough to stay cool, which is why Karuizawa fills up in August.

I also recommend skipping the domestic holidays. Golden Week at the end of April, Obon in mid-August, and the New Year period. Trains fill and hotel prices climb.

Where

Below are six places that I’ve visited and recommend as proposal destinations.

渡口の浜 (Toguchi no Hama), Miyakojima, Okinawa

A scenic beach view with turquoise ocean waves rolling onto a sandy shore under a blue sky with light clouds. Miyakojima, Okinawa.

A beach near the Iraph Sui hotel, which is a personal holiday favorite. Pale sand, water that doesn't quite look real in photographs, and almost nobody on it. It doesn't feel like the Japan most people picture, which makes it a good choice for couples who've been before and want something different.

Miyajima, near Hiroshima

A large orange torii gate stands in calm blue water under a clear blue sky, with green hills and distant mountains on the left side of the frame. In Miyajima, near Hiroshima.

The floating torii is the shot everyone wants. It's also full of people by mid-morning, so either get there at first light or stay on the island overnight when the day trippers leave and you more or less have it to yourself. The other proposal option is Mount Misen overlooking the island.

Wazuka, near Kyoto

A scenic landscape of terraced green tea plantations on rolling hills under a clear blue sky, with a small building nestled among the fields and dense trees in the background. In Wazuka, Kyoto Prefecture.

You can propose against the backdrop of tea fields on terraced hillsides, about an hour out of Kyoto. This might be my favorite view in Japan and hardly anyone goes. I recommend renting a car as public transport to the area is infrequent.

Karuizawa

A scenic landscape photograph featuring a lush green field of large-leafed plants in the foreground, with a line of dark trees and distant blue mountains under a pale sky. Mt. Asama, seen from Karuizawa.

My own town, and a well-known proposal and wedding destination for Japanese couples.

Shiraito Falls and Kumoba Pond are both short walks from the town center. Karuizawa Taliesin in autumn offers incredible foliage around the lake.

In summer, Karuizawa Kogen Church holds lantern evenings. Hundreds of lanterns light up the woods after dark.

It's also a summer resort town, something like the Hamptons, so August here is comfortable while the rest of the country isn't.

Lake Nojiri

A scenic landscape photograph of a calm lake with a forested shoreline, a distant mountain, and a blue sky with scattered clouds during late afternoon. Lake Nojiri in winter.

Also in Nagano and quieter than Karuizawa. Good for a summer weekend by the water, or in winter if you're skiing nearby anyway.

Lake Chuzenji or Kegon Waterfall, Nikko

A tall waterfall cascades down a rocky cliff surrounded by dense green forest and vegetation. Kegon Waterfall in Nikko.

An hour and a half north of Tokyo up a mountain road. Stay at the Ritz-Carlton on the shore or at a ryokan nearby. This area is famous for the autumn leaves and is close enough to Tokyo to fold into a short trip.

The ring

There are a few possible ways to handle this.

Bring one from home. Simplest, and you get to shop with ample time before you leave.

Buy one in Japan. Tokyo has an enormous range: established houses in Ginza and Omotesando, domestic brands scattered across the city. The catch is that you're choosing a ring you'll wear for decades in one afternoon, in a shop where you may not share a language, in the middle of a holiday. That might put a lot of pressure on the trip.

Commission one before you travel, and collect it here. This is what I do. We work by video call and email over a few months and you pick it up in person instead of carrying it through an airport. If you're proposing in Tokyo, Karuizawa, or nearby, you can come to the studio or I can meet you to hand deliver the ring.

The third option is best if you have four or five months. The first is best if you don't.

If it's a surprise

Sizing. There are several ways to get a ring size without asking, but the simplest is borrowing a ring they already wear on that finger.

Hiding it while traveling together is the harder problem. Hotel safes, a friend's bag, or if you're collecting the ring here, not having it with you at all until the day.

How long it takes

About five months is comfortable to commission a custom ring. A few weeks of design, then eight to twelve weeks of making, or twelve to sixteen when a stone has to be sourced.

Shorter is sometimes possible. If you’d like to work together, tell me your date at the start and I'll say whether it works before anything is committed.

I make rings by hand in Karuizawa, and commissions are open. You can email me at studio@annehara.com.