When is the best time to go to Japan?

Overall, there is no specific time to visit Japan, because of the fact that the climate varies from one island to the next. Those who want to spend time on the main Honshu island may prefer the spring season, in order to enjoy better weather as well as a warm and pleasant temperature during the daytime. Furthermore, it presents an opportunity to discover the temples and historical places of Japan, all while admiring the flourishing cherry blossoms. This season is highly prized by both the Japanese residents as well as the tourists, who arrive in large masses in order to take advantage of this wonderful sight. If one enjoys mingling with crowds of tourists from around the world, do not hesitate to book tickets well in advance!

The summer season is less popular by reason of the general heat and humidity covering the whole of the atmosphere. On the contrary, it is perfect to visit the island of Hokkaido during this summer period, as it remains favorable for sightseeing.

This country also has superb ski resorts, such as the Sapporo and the Nagano. Deciding to visit Japan throughout the winter season can prove to be a rather interesting experience. Moreover, you also have the opportunity to soak up the serenity of this beautiful country, full of charm.

So, when is the best time to go to Japan? Here's some more information to help you in your decision:

  • In Japan, the weather is good across more than 56% of the territory for: May and October
  • The best months to go to Tokyo are April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November
  • On average, the warmest months in Tokyo are July and August, and the coldest month of the year is January
  • The rainiest months in this city are June, September and October
  • Ogasawara Islands is the city with the best climate, with good weather 11 months a year
  • The best months for swimming in Tokyo are July, August, September and October



Where and when to go based on the weather?

Chūbu
Nagoya, Kanazawa, Nagano-shi...

May, June and October
59°F to 83°F°C
6 to 15 days
59°F to 76°F
April, July, August, September and November
43°F to 94°F°C
4 to 21 days
54°F to 83°F
January, February, March and December
23°F to 58°F°C
3 to 21 days
50°F to 65°F

Chūgoku
Hiroshima, Okayama, Izumo...

April, May, June, August, September, October and November
58°F to 90°F°C
2 to 15 days
58°F to 83°F
July
79°F to 86°F°C
7 to 15 days
76°F to 79°F
January, February, March and December
45°F to 58°F°C
2 to 14 days
54°F to 67°F

Hokkaidō
Sapporo (Hokkaido), Hakodate, Abashiri...

June, July, August and September
54°F to 77°F°C
4 to 12 days
50°F to 72°F
May and October
47°F to 65°F°C
4 to 10 days
41°F to 65°F
January, February, March, April, November and December
22°F to 50°F°C
2 to 13 days
31°F to 56°F

Kansai
Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe...

April, May, June, August, October and November
58°F to 92°F°C
4 to 14 days
59°F to 83°F
March, July and September
52°F to 88°F°C
5 to 16 days
56°F to 83°F
January, February and December
43°F to 58°F°C
3 to 12 days
56°F to 70°F

Kantō
Tokyo, Hakone, Nikko...

April, May, June, July, August, September, October and November
56°F to 90°F°C
3 to 20 days
58°F to 81°F
March and December
43°F to 59°F°C
2 to 9 days
52°F to 68°F
January and February
40°F to 54°F°C
2 to 6 days
52°F to 65°F

Kyushu
Fukuoka, Kagoshima (Kyushu), Nagasaki...

April, May, October and November
61°F to 81°F°C
3 to 10 days
61°F to 83°F
February, March, June, July, August, September and December
50°F to 92°F°C
3 to 20 days
58°F to 85°F
January
47°F to 65°F°C
3 to 8 days
61°F to 72°F

Ogasawara
Ogasawara Islands...

January, February, March, April, May, June, July, August, September, November and December
68°F to 85°F°C
3 to 9 days
October
83°F
11 days

Okinawa
Naha, Nago, Miyakojima...

March, April and November
70°F to 77°F°C
6 to 14 days
70°F to 81°F
January, February, May, June, July, August, September, October and December
67°F to 86°F°C
7 to 17 days
70°F to 86°F

Shikoku
Kochi, Tokushima, Takamatsu...

April, May, August, October and November
61°F to 88°F°C
4 to 12 days
63°F to 83°F
March, June, July and September
56°F to 85°F°C
5 to 14 days
59°F to 83°F
January, February and December
47°F to 58°F°C
3 to 6 days
59°F to 70°F

Tōhoku
Sendai (Honshu), Aomori, Akita...

May, June, July, August, September and October
59°F to 86°F°C
4 to 13 days
52°F to 79°F
January, February, March, April, November and December
31°F to 59°F°C
2 to 19 days
45°F to 63°F

To get all the information about the climate and weather in Japan for a specific month, click on the corresponding link below:

Japan in january Japan in february Japan in march Japan in april Japan in may Japan in june Japan in july Japan in august Japan in september Japan in october Japan in november Japan in december


Best time to travel to Japan by cities

Chargement en cours
Chūbu Chūbu Chūgoku Chūgoku Hokkaidō Hokkaidō Kansai Kansai Kantō Kantō Kyushu Kyushu Ogasawara Ogasawara Okinawa Okinawa Shikoku Shikoku Tōhoku Tōhoku

See full list of cities


Climate and Weather in Japan

In general, Japan who is neighbor to both China and Russia, has a temperate climate that is rather pleasant. However, this archipelago of many islands observes dramatic weather changes, whether one is located in the far north or the far south of Japan. This is particularly due to the country's many latitudes - the “country of the Rising Sun” knows a wide variety of climates. Overall however, the climate of Japan is rather quite damp and humid, due to its many rainfalls.

Japan: La ville de Kyoto regorge de temples magnifiques

The Northern Climate of Japan

Northern Japan, near Russia and the Asian continent, certainly experience hot summers but above all, their winters are particularly long and cold. This part of the country, particularly towards Sapporo on the Hokkaido Island is subject to very heavy snowfall during the winter. Throughout this period of time, northern Japan experiences weather with high a pressure zone, due to its proximity with Siberia. This in turn causes a flow of cold air and freezing temperatures, especially throughout the mountainous ranges of the country.

The Climate of Central Japan

Central Japan, which lies at the heart of the Honshu island is known for its hot and humid climate, namely due to the influences of the Asian continent as well as the presence of major ocean currents. In Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka, summers and winters are rather short but temperatures remain relatively pleasant following the example of their chinese neighbor, Hong Kong. The spring is also rather nice and is often defined as the opportunity to admire the numberful flourishing cherry blossoms, a rare and unique moment in Japan.

The Climate of Southwestern Japan

When looking towards Hiroshima Fukuoka in southwestern Japan, the climate is hot and humid, just as the center of the archipelago however this part of the country is accustomed to much milder summers and winters. Southern Japan during the summer is generally rainy due to the presence of tropical air, coming straight in from the Pacific Ocean or from the countries of Southeast Asia. Thus, this causes many summer rainfalls and the wet season lasts about a month, starting in early June. About 80% of annual precipitation falls during the summer here! This period is also the greater typhoon season. In fact, Japan is devastated by at least five or six typhoons every year between the months August and September, causing very serious damage.


Temperatures and rainfall in Japan

On these 3 graphs, we present the evolution of temperatures of Japan and month-by-month rainfall for the cities of Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kochi and Kyoto, as well as the month-by-month sea temperature for coastal cities.


Peak visitor numbers and tourist seasons in Japan

Find out when Japan has its high tourist season (the period when the influx of tourists is highest) and off-peak tourist season using our data and figures.

Tourist seasons in Japan

The months with low numbers of tourists are: January, February, March and June. The number of visitors to Japan is high in: April, May, July, August, September, October, November and December.

  • Very low season in Japan: January and February.
  • Low season in Japan: March and June.
  • High season in Japan: April, May, July, September, November and December.
  • Peak season in Japan: August and October.

Figure: Visitor index for Japan month by month


Average price for flights to Japan

A return flight between Los Angeles and Tokyo is generally cheaper if you go in february ($ 740 on average): this is the best time for travellers on a tight budget. In contrast, you may end up paying $ 357 more for your airline ticket to Tokyo if you go in july.

Find the best price for your flight Flight prices to Japan




Where to go in Japan?

This table allows you to see the maximum temperature for each city and our opinion on the weather month by month (see colour legend below the table).

Cities jan.feb.mar.apr.mayjun.jul.aug.sep.oct.nov.dec.
Tokyo52°F52°F59°F67°F76°F79°F86°F90°F83°F74°F65°F56°F
Fukuoka50°F52°F58°F67°F74°F79°F86°F88°F83°F74°F65°F54°F
Hiroshima47°F50°F58°F65°F76°F79°F86°F88°F83°F74°F63°F50°F
Kochi52°F54°F59°F67°F74°F79°F85°F88°F83°F76°F65°F56°F
Kyoto45°F49°F56°F65°F76°F81°F86°F90°F83°F72°F61°F50°F
Nagoya47°F50°F58°F67°F77°F83°F88°F94°F85°F76°F63°F52°F
Osaka49°F50°F58°F67°F77°F83°F88°F92°F85°F76°F65°F54°F
Sapporo (Hokkaido)27°F27°F34°F49°F63°F70°F77°F77°F70°F58°F43°F31°F
Abashiri27°F27°F36°F47°F59°F67°F74°F76°F70°F58°F45°F32°F
Akita38°F38°F45°F54°F65°F72°F79°F83°F76°F65°F54°F43°F
Aomori34°F34°F41°F52°F63°F72°F77°F81°F74°F63°F52°F40°F
Hakodate34°F34°F40°F49°F58°F65°F72°F76°F72°F61°F50°F40°F
Hakone50°F52°F58°F65°F74°F77°F85°F88°F81°F72°F65°F54°F
Izumo45°F49°F54°F61°F70°F77°F83°F86°F79°F70°F61°F50°F
Kagoshima (Kyushu)54°F58°F61°F68°F76°F79°F86°F88°F85°F77°F67°F58°F
Kanazawa43°F45°F50°F59°F70°F76°F83°F86°F79°F70°F59°F49°F
Kobe49°F50°F58°F65°F74°F79°F86°F90°F83°F74°F63°F52°F
Miyakojima70°F70°F72°F76°F79°F85°F86°F86°F85°F81°F77°F72°F
Nagano38°F40°F49°F59°F72°F77°F85°F86°F77°F67°F56°F43°F
Nagasaki52°F54°F59°F67°F72°F77°F83°F86°F83°F76°F65°F56°F

Legend:

good weather

tolerable weather

bad weather

very bad weather


About Japan

What can I do in Japan?

Beaches / swimming

Nature and countryside

Culture and heritage

Sports

Family travel

Crafts / shopping

Gastronomy

Nightlife




Is this weather information for Japan reliable?

Climate data for Japan has been gathered every day since January 2009. The analysis of these meteorological data for Japan allows us to determine the average for each month in Tokyo, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Kochi, Kyoto, Nagoya, Osaka, Sapporo (Hokkaido), and 124 other cities.

So yes: this data is reliable except in cases of temporary climate disruption in the region.

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