With sunlight dappling fresh green leaves, flowers in bloom and birds singing, spring and early summer is when Europeans leave their homes to enjoy the arts at great annual events such as Germany's Theatertreffen and France's Avignon Festival.

In contrast, though spring in Japan is crowned by Golden Week, the year's longest holiday, people generally spend those few days of leisure paying sky-high prices to join the tourist hordes at overcrowded resorts overseas.

If you're not inclined to join those throngs, there's a wealth of enjoyable culture waiting on your doorstep courtesy of the World Theatre Festival Shizuoka under Mt. Fuji, which runs from April 24 to May 6 at venues including the Shizuoka Performing Arts Center (SPAC) in Shizuoka, the center's open-air Udo Theater set amid tea fields in the hills, and its performance space in Nihondaira National Nature Park, which is known for its beautiful views of Mount Fuji.