February is the month of Setsubun, Valentines’s Day, and plum blossoms in Japan. With warmer weather than usual this year, February was filled with hints of spring earlier than ever before.
All seemed well until COVID 19 (coronavirus) hit and panicked shoppers swiped all the masks and toilet paper off shelves across the country. Near the tail end of February, many popular tourist spots decided to close until mid-March just as a precaution. Despite that, it was nice to see so many readers still traveling and capturing the tail end of winter.
Every month, we select our favorite travel images from readers. Tag your photo on Instagram with #GaijinPotTravel for a chance to be featured on our site!
10. Bamboo always makes such a fine backdrop. The Echizen Bamboo Doll Village in Fukui looks fabulous!
9. A deer friend in the early hours of the day in Yamanashi.
8. A mesmerizing volcano in Noboribetsu, Hokkaido. The snow and steam give it such as dreamy haze.
7. A beautiful shot of Mt. Fuji and a traditional village brushed with snow.
6. An elegant crane dance in Hokkaido.
5. The snowy streets of Aomori.
4. The Iya Valley vine bridge in Tokushima. Tarzan anyone?
3. A chilly shot of Shirakawa-go.
2. Wow! What an extraordinary combination of snow and sunset in Hokkaido.
1. An adorable hello from our monkey friend in Nagano.
Tag us 
Spring is officially here and you know what that means—it’s time for our annual Cherry Blossom Contest!
Tag your photo on Instagram with #GaijinPotTravel for your chance to be featured on our site or re-shared on Instagram and use #GaijinPotSakura2020 to enter the contest! See you next month.
