Guide · Seasons
The best time to visit Japan, month by month
Go from late March to May, avoiding Golden Week (29 April to 5 May), or from October to early December. The weather is mild and mostly dry, and the cherry blossoms (early April) and autumn leaves (late November in Tokyo, early December in Kyoto) fall in these windows. June brings the rainy season, July and August are hot and humid, and typhoons peak in August and September. Japan’s own holidays decide the crowds: Golden Week, Obon (mid-August) and New Year (about 29 December to 3 January).
Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency climate normals (1991–2020), rainy-season and typhoon statistics; the Cabinet Office holiday list; JR Central and JR West; JNTO, listed at the end · checked 24 October 2026
Month by month at a glance
| Month | Weather | Crowds and what’s on | Our suggestion |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Cold and dry, often sunny: Tokyo 10° / 1°, 60 mm. Snow season in Hokkaido. | New Year holidays until about 3 January; Nozomi all-reserved until 5 Jan 2027 and on 9–11 Jan 2027. Quieter after that. | Good after the first week |
| February | Still cold: Kyoto 10° / 2°. Sapporo has its deepest snow. | Off-season on weekdays (JNTO). Sapporo Snow Festival 4–11 Feb 2027 fills Sapporo. | Quiet; best for snow |
| March | Warming up: Tokyo 14° / 5°, 116 mm. | Cherry blossoms open in late March (Tokyo average 24 Mar). Nozomi all-reserved 20–22 Mar 2027. | Late March: blossoms, rising crowds |
| April | Mild: Tokyo 19° / 10°, Kyoto 20° / 9°. | Full bloom in early April (Tokyo 31 Mar, Kyoto 4 Apr on average). Golden Week starts 29 April. | Peak season |
| May | Warm and mostly dry: Tokyo 24° / 15°. Okinawa’s rainy season starts around 10 May. | Golden Week until 5 May (holidays 3–5 May in 2027). Calm again after that. | Excellent after Golden Week |
| June | Rainy season on the mainland from about 6 Jun: Kyoto 200 mm. Hokkaido has no rainy season. | No national holidays. A low season (JNTO). | Quiet; pack an umbrella |
| July | Hot and humid once the rain ends around 19 Jul: Kyoto 32° / 24°. | Marine Day weekend (19 Jul 2027). Furano lavender, mid to late July. | Hot; Hokkaido is the escape |
| August | Hottest month: Kyoto 34° / 25°, Tokyo 31° / 24°. Typhoon season peaks. | Obon, typically 13–16 August; in 2026 Nozomi were all-reserved Fri 7 Aug – Sun 16 Aug 2026. | Hard: heat, Obon, typhoons |
| September | Still hot (Tokyo 28° / 20°); peak typhoon month for Tokyo and Kyoto. | Holidays on 20 and 23 September 2027; Nozomi all-reserved 18–23 Sep in 2026. | Mixed; keep plans flexible |
| October | Pleasant: Tokyo 22° / 15°, though it is Tokyo’s wettest month on average (235 mm). | Sports Day weekend (11 Oct 2027). Autumn leaves start in Hokkaido (Sapporo average 28 Oct). | Very good |
| November | Cool and dry: Tokyo 17° / 9°, 96 mm. | Autumn leaves reach Tokyo in late November (average 28 Nov). Holidays 3 and 23 November. | Peak season |
| December | Cold, dry and sunny: Tokyo 12° / 4°. Early-season skiing at some resorts from mid to late December (JNTO). | Kyoto’s leaves often last into December. New Year rush from Fri 25 Dec (Nozomi all-reserved to 5 Jan 2027). | Good until about 24 December |
Temperatures are average daily high / low and rain is the monthly total, from JMA’s 1991–2020 normals. Holiday dates from the Cabinet Office; all-reserved Nozomi dates from JR Central and JR West. “Our suggestion” is our judgement, not an official rating.
Temperature and rain by city
Japan runs from snowy Hokkaido to subtropical Okinawa, so the same month feels very different. Average daily high / low in °C and monthly rain:
| Month | Tokyo | Kyoto | Sapporo | Naha |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 10° / 1° 60 mm | 9° / 2° 53 mm | 0° / −6° 108 mm | 20° / 15° 102 mm |
| Feb | 11° / 2° 57 mm | 10° / 2° 65 mm | 0° / −6° 92 mm | 20° / 15° 115 mm |
| Mar | 14° / 5° 116 mm | 14° / 4° 106 mm | 5° / −2° 78 mm | 22° / 17° 143 mm |
| Apr | 19° / 10° 134 mm | 20° / 9° 117 mm | 12° / 3° 55 mm | 24° / 19° 161 mm |
| May | 24° / 15° 140 mm | 25° / 15° 151 mm | 18° / 9° 56 mm | 27° / 22° 245 mm |
| Jun | 26° / 19° 168 mm | 28° / 19° 200 mm | 22° / 13° 60 mm | 30° / 25° 284 mm |
| Jul | 30° / 22° 156 mm | 32° / 24° 224 mm | 25° / 18° 91 mm | 32° / 27° 188 mm |
| Aug | 31° / 24° 155 mm | 34° / 25° 154 mm | 26° / 19° 127 mm | 32° / 27° 240 mm |
| Sep | 28° / 20° 225 mm | 29° / 21° 179 mm | 23° / 15° 142 mm | 31° / 26° 275 mm |
| Oct | 22° / 15° 235 mm | 23° / 14° 143 mm | 16° / 8° 110 mm | 28° / 24° 179 mm |
| Nov | 17° / 9° 96 mm | 17° / 8° 74 mm | 9° / 2° 114 mm | 25° / 20° 119 mm |
| Dec | 12° / 4° 58 mm | 12° / 4° 57 mm | 2° / −4° 115 mm | 22° / 17° 110 mm |
Japan Meteorological Agency normals (平年値, 1991–2020) for each city’s weather station, checked 24 October 2026. Osaka is close to Kyoto, slightly milder at night: 10° / 3° in January and 34° / 26° in August. Averages, not forecasts: a single day can be far off.
- Kyoto is hotter in summer and colder in winter than Tokyo: 34° / 25° against 31° / 24° in August. JNTO notes that Kyoto gets surprisingly cold in December.
- Winter on the Pacific side is dry and sunny. Tokyo averages 60 mm of rain in January, against 235 mm in October.
- Autumn is wet before it is dry. September and October bring Tokyo’s most rain on average; November has well under half as much.
Rainy season (tsuyu)
The rainy season moves north from Okinawa in May to northern Honshu in late June, and ends in the same order. What to bring for each season: what to pack for Japan. JMA dates each start and end afterwards as the middle of a changeover that takes about five days.
| Region | Usually starts | Usually ends | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa | 10 May | 21 Jun | 4 May – 29 Jun |
| Northern Kyushu (Fukuoka) | 4 Jun | 19 Jul | 2 Jun – 7 Jul |
| Kinki (Kyoto, Osaka) | 6 Jun | 19 Jul | 2 Jun – 9 Jul |
| Kanto-Koshin (Tokyo) | 7 Jun | 19 Jul | 2 Jun – 19 Jul |
| Hokuriku (Kanazawa) | 11 Jun | 23 Jul | 20 Jun – 3 Aug |
| Northern Tohoku (Aomori) | 15 Jun | 28 Jul | 21 Jun – 3 Aug |
| Hokkaido | No rainy season declared | ||
JMA’s confirmed dates and 1991–2020 normals (the “usually” columns). JMA says the rainy-season front tends to fade near Hokkaido, so it does not declare a rainy season there.
Is June worth it? JNTO calls June an off-season and points out it doesn’t rain every day, just more often. Plan indoor options (museums, food, onsen), carry an umbrella, and consider Hokkaido, which gets much less rain. Kyoto’s June rain averages 200 mm and its July rain 224 mm, so the end of the rainy season can be the wettest part.
Typhoon season
Average number of typhoons a month that pass within 300 km of a weather station in each region (JMA, 1991–2020):
| Region | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 |
| Kanto (Tokyo) | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 |
| Kinki (Kyoto, Osaka) | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 |
| Hokkaido | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 |
| All of Japan | 0.8 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 1.7 |
JMA typhoon normals. A month can bring none or several; these are 30-year averages. Outside June to October the averages are low or zero for these regions.
- What happens: Okinawa’s official tourism bureau warns that flights can be cancelled, ferries are often suspended for longer than flights, and buses and the monorail may stop while a typhoon passes.
- Our suggestion: from August to October, leave a spare day before your flight home and keep long rail days and island trips flexible.
Golden Week, Obon and New Year
Japan’s three big holiday periods fill trains, flights and hotels, and push prices up (JNTO). In 2026–2027:
| Period | When | Every Nozomi seat reserved |
|---|---|---|
| Golden Week 2026 | Holidays 29 April and 3–6 May | Fri 24 Apr – Wed 6 May 2026 |
| Obon 2026 | Typically 13–16 August (not a national holiday); Mountain Day 11 August | Fri 7 Aug – Sun 16 Aug 2026 |
| New Year 2026–27 | Typically 29 December – 3 January | Fri 25 Dec 2026 – Tue 5 Jan 2027 |
| Golden Week 2027 | Holidays Thu 29 April and Mon 3 – Wed 5 May | Not announced yet |
| Obon 2027 | Typically 13–16 August; Mountain Day Wed 11 August | Not announced yet |
National holidays from the Cabinet Office’s 2026 and 2027 lists (6 May 2026 is a substitute holiday). Obon and New Year spans from JNTO. All-reserved Nozomi dates from JR Central and JR West’s release of 21 May 2026, which covers fiscal 2026 (to March 2027).
JR also makes every Nozomi seat reserved on these long weekends to March 2027: Silver Week (18 Sep–23 Sep 2026), Sports Day (10 Oct–12 Oct 2026), Labour Thanksgiving (21 Nov–23 Nov 2026), Coming of Age Day (9 Jan–11 Jan 2027), Vernal Equinox (20 Mar–22 Mar 2027). A non-reserved ticket still lets you stand on a Nozomi, or sit in the non-reserved cars of a Hikari or Kodama.
- If your dates overlap: book Shinkansen seats as soon as they open (10:00 one month before, or earlier on smartEX for some seats), and book hotels early. Our Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka Shinkansen guide shows how.
- Over New Year, many shops and some sights close for a few days (JNTO), and many shrines hold New Year’s Eve events on 31 December.
- During Obon, JNTO suggests staying in the big cities, which are emptier than usual, while everyone else travels out.
Cherry blossoms and autumn leaves
The two most popular seasons, by the Japan Meteorological Agency’s sample trees (1991–2020 averages):
| City | Blossoms open | Full bloom | Maples turn red |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 24 Mar | 31 Mar | 28 Nov |
| Kyoto | 26 Mar | 4 Apr | 5 Dec |
| Osaka | 27 Mar | 4 Apr | 1 Dec |
| Sapporo | 1 May | 6 May | 28 Oct |
JMA phenological normals. Recent years have run off the averages: Kyoto’s maple turned between 10 Dec and 20 Dec in the years observed since 2022, later every time. Year-by-year dates for 15 cities, and how to plan around them, are in when the cherry blossoms and autumn leaves arrive.
Hokkaido: snow and summer
| Sapporo | Dec | Jan | Feb | Mar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| High / low | 2° / −4° | 0° / −6° | 0° / −6° | 5° / −2° |
| Deepest snow cover | 47 cm | 76 cm | 95 cm | 82 cm |
JMA normals for Sapporo (average of each month’s deepest snow cover). The deepest snow comes in February; on average some still lies in April (22 cm) and some already in November (15 cm).
- Winter: the Sapporo Snow Festival runs from Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027. Book rooms early, and bring shoes with grip.
- Summer: Sapporo averages 26° / 19° in August and has no rainy season, so it is the escape from the heat further south. Furano’s lavender is best from mid to late July (Furano Tourism Association).
Trains, passes, the Snow Festival and winter driving are in our Sapporo and Hokkaido guide. Skiing, the snow monkeys and New Year closures across Japan: Japan in winter.
Okinawa: a different calendar
Naha stays warm all year (20° / 15° in January, 32° / 27° in August). Its rainy season comes a month earlier than Tokyo’s, about 10 May to 21 Jun, with 284 mm in June, and typhoons are more frequent than on the mainland, peaking in August (2.2 a month on average). Okinawa’s official tourism bureau notes that many beaches open for swimming in March and that cherry blossoms come in January and February.
Our suggestion for a beach trip: April to early May, or October, which miss both the rainy season and the peak typhoon months. When a typhoon does come, ferries are often suspended for longer than flights, so keep a spare day. More in Okinawa for a first trip.
Quick answers
What is the best month to visit Japan?
For mild weather and the fewest problems: April to May (outside Golden Week) and October to November. Our suggestion is mid-May or late October to November. Late March to early April brings the cherry blossoms but also the biggest crowds; JNTO names late March to early April and September to November as the most popular times to visit.
When is the rainy season in Japan?
On the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 1991–2020 averages, about 7 Jun to 19 Jul in Tokyo’s region and 6 Jun to 19 Jul in Kyoto and Osaka; earlier in Okinawa (10 May to 21 Jun). JMA declares no rainy season for Hokkaido. It rains more often, not every day.
When is typhoon season in Japan?
Mainly July to October. On JMA’s 1991–2020 averages, 3.3 typhoons a month come within 300 km of Japan in August and 3.3 in September. Okinawa is hit most in August; Tokyo and Kyoto most in September.
When is Golden Week 2027?
The national holidays are Thursday 29 April and Monday 3 to Wednesday 5 May 2027 (Cabinet Office). JR Central and JR West have not yet announced their 2027 all-reserved Nozomi dates; in 2026 they ran from 24 April to 6 May.
Is August a good time to visit Japan?
Only if you have to. It is the hottest month (Kyoto averages 34° / 25°), Obon around 13–16 August is one of the busiest and most expensive travel times (JNTO), and typhoons are most frequent. Hokkaido is the cool option: Sapporo averages 26° / 19°.
When is the New Year holiday in Japan?
Typically 29 December to 3 January, depending on how the days fall (JNTO), and some businesses close for a few days. For 2026–2027, every Nozomi seat on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen is reserved from Fri 25 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027.
Picked your dates? See what to book, and when (some tickets open months ahead), choose a route in our 7, 10 or 14-day itineraries, and let the trip planner turn your dates into a to-do list.
Sources
Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.
- Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Tokyo: monthly temperature, precipitation, sunshine (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Kyoto (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Osaka (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Sapporo, including snowfall and snow depth (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Naha (Okinawa) (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Rainy season start and end by region since 1951, with 1991–2020 normals (confirmed values, Japanese)
National weather agency; one page per region (Okinawa, Kinki, Kanto-Koshin and others). - Japan Meteorological Agency: FAQ on the rainy season, including why Hokkaido has none (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Typhoon normals: formations, approaches by region and landfalls per month, 1991–2020 (Japanese)
National weather agency. - Cabinet Office, Government of Japan: National holidays in 2026 and 2027 (Japanese)
- JR Central and JR West: Fiscal 2026 periods when every Nozomi seat is reserved, with the added long weekends (press release PDF, 21 May 2026, Japanese)
Railway operators. - JNTO: Business hours and holidays: New Year, Golden Week and Obon
National tourism organisation. - JNTO: Tips: Japan’s four seasons, and the high and low travel seasons
National tourism organisation. - JNTO: Japan in June: the rainy season
National tourism organisation. - JNTO: Japan in August: the Bon holiday period
National tourism organisation. - JNTO: Japan in December: the New Year period and early-season skiing
National tourism organisation. - JNTO: Making reservations: the most popular times to visit
National tourism organisation. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Sakura full-bloom dates by city, recent years and 1991–2020 normals
National weather agency. - Japan Meteorological Agency: Maple leaf-colouring dates by city, all years and normals (PDF)
National weather agency. - Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee: 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival (77th): dates and venues (Japanese)
- Furano Tourism Association: Lavender efflorescence status
- Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): When to visit: climate, seasons, rainy season, sea temperature
Official prefectural tourism body. - Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau (Visit Okinawa): Typhoon precautions in Okinawa
Official prefectural tourism body.
General information. Climate normals are 30-year averages, not forecasts; for your dates, check JMA’s forecasts and the operators’ own pages. Holiday dates are official; rail peak dates are the operators’ own. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any railway or tourism body.