Japan
The best time to visit
When to go to Japan
Go in spring, late March to May, for cherry blossom and mild days, or in November for crisp air and red maple leaves. Avoid August to October, which is hot, wet and typhoon-prone.
A 0 to 100 comfort rating from daytime heat, overnight chill, rainfall and storm risk, for Tokyo. Higher is better. Some links on this page are affiliate links, at no cost to you.
The steadiest weather, peaking around Nov.
Either side of peak, with thinner crowds and better rates.
Typhoon season.
In short
The year at a glance
Japan is a long, thin country whose islands run nearly three thousand kilometres from the snowy north of Hokkaido to the subtropical beaches of Okinawa, so a single date can mean snowshoes in one place and swimsuits in another. What ties it together is a strong four-season rhythm: a celebrated spring, a hot and humid summer, a clear and colourful autumn, and a crisp, dry winter.
Two summer quirks shape any trip. The tsuyu plum rains sweep north through June and into July, and typhoon season builds from August, peaks in September and fades through October, mostly along the Pacific coast and the southern islands. Plan around those two and the rest of the year is remarkably kind.
Month by month
Japan month by month
Highs, lows, rainfall and the rating, for Tokyo.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Rating | What it is like |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C / 50°F | 2°C / 36°F | 52 mm | Good 54 | Cool and dry. |
| February | 11°C / 52°F | 2°C / 36°F | 56 mm | Great 58 | Cool with a little rain. |
| March | 14°C / 57°F | 5°C / 41°F | 118 mm | Great 65 | Cool with a little rain. |
| April | 19°C / 66°F | 10°C / 50°F | 125 mm | Great 67 | Mild and wet. Tokyo hotels in April |
| May | 23°C / 73°F | 15°C / 59°F | 138 mm | Great 63 | Warm and wet. |
| June | 26°C / 79°F | 19°C / 66°F | 168 mm | Good 56 | Warm and wet. |
| July | 30°C / 86°F | 23°C / 73°F | 154 mm | Good 56 | Hot and wet. |
| August | 31°C / 88°F | 24°C / 75°F | 168 mm | Fair 31 | Hot and wet, storm season. |
| September | 27°C / 81°F | 20°C / 68°F | 210 mm | Avoid 28 | Warm and wet, storm season. |
| October | 22°C / 72°F | 15°C / 59°F | 198 mm | Fair 30 | Mild and wet, storm season. |
| November | 17°C / 63°F | 9°C / 48°F | 93 mm | Ideal 78 | Mild with a little rain. Tokyo hotels in November |
| December | 12°C / 54°F | 4°C / 39°F | 51 mm | Great 66 | Cool and dry. Tokyo hotels in December |
By city
Which city, which month
The strip above rates Tokyo. Pick a month to see how 10 cities compare.
Off the frame: Naha (Okinawa). It is in the grid below.
| City | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo Kanto | 54 | 58 | 65 | 67 | 63 | 56 | 56 | 53 | 50 | 52 | 78 | 66 |
| Sapporo Hokkaido | 12 | 13 | 17 | 62 | 87 | 94 | 82 | 68 | 62 | 70 | 36 | 11 |
| Sendai Tohoku | 28 | 32 | 52 | 75 | 74 | 61 | 54 | 34 | 31 | 69 | 73 | 44 |
| Kanazawa Sea of Japan coast | 28 | 35 | 49 | 59 | 63 | 56 | 45 | 51 | 47 | 55 | 40 | 26 |
| Takayama Japanese Alps | 12 | 12 | 33 | 57 | 57 | 49 | 42 | 49 | 46 | 59 | 60 | 23 |
| Kyoto Kansai | 48 | 53 | 62 | 68 | 58 | 51 | 43 | 54 | 31 | 48 | 85 | 60 |
| Osaka Kansai | 56 | 55 | 70 | 77 | 60 | 53 | 52 | 66 | 34 | 42 | 88 | 66 |
| Hiroshima Chugoku | 54 | 57 | 65 | 62 | 56 | 48 | 37 | 61 | 34 | 53 | 86 | 66 |
| Fukuoka Kyushu | 56 | 61 | 71 | 71 | 65 | 44 | 35 | 23 | 32 | 59 | 80 | 65 |
| Naha Okinawa | 77 | 72 | 61 | 57 | 45 | 38 | 28 | 20 | 16 | 32 | 71 | 74 |
Same 0 to 100 rating as the strip above, from each city's own long-run normals.
By region
Where you go changes when you go
Hokkaido, the north
Months behind the rest of the country. It largely escapes the June rains, blooms in early May rather than April, and becomes a powder-snow paradise from December to March.
Tokyo and Kansai, the heart
The classic route through Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka follows the ratings on this page closely. Spring and November are glorious and crowded, winter is clear and quiet.
Okinawa, the south
Subtropical and warm year round, with beach season from April to October. It sits in the typhoon path from August, so aim for late spring or early summer.
Backpacker route
The Golden Route, Tokyo to Hiroshima
Tokyo, a night in Hakone under Fuji, then the shinkansen west to Kyoto, Nara, Osaka and Hiroshima with Miyajima. Three days each in Tokyo and Kyoto beat adding more cities. A 14-day rail pass or point-to-point tickets both work.
Lines show the order of stops, not the roads or ferry tracks.
Tokyo
Shibuya, Shinjuku, Asakusa and Akihabara. Day trip to Kamakura or Nikko if you have a spare day.
Hakone
Hot springs, the ropeway and Mount Fuji across Lake Ashi on a clear day.
Takayama
Old merchant streets, morning markets and the thatched villages of Shirakawa-go.
Kanazawa
Kenroku-en garden, the geisha district and the best seafood market outside Tokyo.
Kyoto
Fushimi Inari at dawn, Arashiyama, Gion and more temples than you can fit in.
Nara
The great Buddha at Todai-ji and the deer park. Many do it as a day trip from Kyoto.
Osaka
Dotonbori street food, the castle and the nightlife. Day trip to Himeji castle.
Hiroshima
The Peace Memorial and Miyajima island with its floating torii. Fly out of Osaka or shinkansen back to Tokyo in under 4.5 hours.
Fukuoka
Yatai food stalls, tonkotsu ramen and a day trip to Dazaifu.
Naha, Okinawa off the map
Beaches, Ryukyu castles and the ferry out to the Kerama islands. Fly home from Naha.
Route drawn from Japan National Tourism Organization, Golden Route, Bucketlistly, 2 weeks backpacking Japan, Never Ending Footsteps, two weeks in Japan, Where Are Those Morgans, 14-day Japan itinerary. Check timetables for the month you travel.
Go for
Best time to visit Japan for
Cherry blossom
Late March to mid April in Tokyo and Kyoto, reaching Hokkaido in early May. It lasts only a week or two in any one place, so book months ahead.
Autumn leaves
November across most of Honshu. Kyoto temples and the mountains around Nikko are spectacular, and a touch quieter than spring.
Skiing and snow
January and February for the lightest powder in Hokkaido and the Japan Alps. The deep cold keeps the snow famously dry.
Smaller crowds
January, early February and the rainy stretch of June bring the lowest prices and thinnest crowds, in exchange for cold or damp weather.
On the calendar
What is on, and when
Cherry blossom, late Mar to May
The country pauses for hanami, blossom-viewing picnics under the trees in parks and along riversides.
Autumn colour, November
Koyo lights up temple gardens and mountain valleys in red and gold.
Typhoon season
Aug to Oct.
Rainy season
May to Oct.
Where to stay
Where to stay in Japan
Compare hotels and rentals around Tokyo, then book the month you want.
Ready to book?
Rates climb in peak season, so the best-weather months pay to book early. Shoulder and low months are the value windows.
Prefer to sort flights first? Compare flights
Questions