12 reasons to visit Japan in 2012

1. January: Lashings of good luck

Hey little fella -- you get both eyes only if I have a great year, ok?

Bright red daruma dolls are a symbol of good luck in Japan, due to their unique shape that allows them to right themselves when knocked over. Apparently, that’s a good thing.

The tradition of the daruma can be traced back centuries to Takasaki’s Shorizan Daruma Temple in Gunma Prefecture, which allegedly asked farmers suffering from famine to make the papier-mâché dolls to sell at the temple for extra income.

Today, the city of Takasaki remains Japan’s largest producer of daruma dolls, accounting for roughly 80 percent of total production. It also hosts the yearly Daruma Ichi (market) on January 6 and 7, although the little red critters can be found right through the early months of the year.

Visitors flock to the town to select their daruma from mounds of the things -- from thimble-sized tiny ones up to dolls you’d need a truck to get home.

The roly-poly dolls are traditionally sold without pupils painted on them. The owner paints one pupil when making a wish or resolution, and if it is successful he then paints the other pupil.

2. February: Ultra-cool ice sculptures

The ice swordfish centerpiece at the Tanakas’ party was the talk of the neighborhood for weeks.

Japan’s northernmost island is also its snowiest, but at least the residents of Hokkaido have some fun, stylish ways of ways of dealing with the cold temperatures.

The annual Sapporo Snow Festival is one of the most famous winter festivals in the world, boasting hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures.

In 2012 the festival will be held from February 6-12, and those who plan their trip accordingly will also be able to take in the nearby Ataru Yuki Akari no Michi (“snow light path” from February 3-12) and Asahikawa Winter Festival (February 8-12).

For the former, lanterns made of snow are placed around the city’s canal and historic sites, making for a beautiful and peaceful evening walk.

The latter bears some similarity to the Sapporo festival, with ice sculptures accompanied by fireworks, laser shows, music and dance performances and, of course, lots of local food and some very cold beer.

3. March: Thousand-year-old religious ceremonies

Nara’s attention-seeking monks attempt to bring the house down.

Shunie is a Buddhist ceremony that has been held every year since 752, making it one of the oldest recurring religious events in Japan.

While it is practiced at various temples across the country, the most well known shunie is the one held at Todaiji Temple in Nara City from March 1-14.

The two-week event is actually made up of several smaller ceremonies, the most notable being otaimatsu and omizutori.

Otaimatsu involves giant torches six to eight meters long and weighing up to 80 kilos being carried up a flight of stairs and along the temple’s balcony, showering sparks on the crowd below.

On the last day of the festival, all torches are brought up to the temple at the same time, making for a truly spectacular sight.

Omizutori, or the water-drawing ceremony, takes place late at night between March 12 and 13. Buddhist monks descend repeatedly from the temple to a well below to draw the sacred water, which is believed to cure ailments.

4. April: Eat, drink and be (very) merry

Tokyo’s wildest seniors break out the sake under their favorite trees.

Residents of Washington, D.C. like to brag about the beauty of their cherry blossom trees, but few remember that they were actually a gift from Japan, where the sakura is the unofficial national flower and hanami, or flower viewing, a popular national pastime.

The cherry trees bloom at different times across the country, but for most cities the best viewing times are between late March and early April.

There are only a few days each year when the trees are in full bloom, and during this time people of all ages flock to parks and temples to picnic under the blossoms with family, friends and co-workers.

After the March 11 earthquake, Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara asked people not to practice hanami in 2011, so expect even more raucous festivities in 2012.

More on CNNGo: Sakura to soothe the soul: Still time for nature in Tokyo