When is the best time to visit Japan?
For most travelers, the best times are late March to early April (cherry blossoms, mild days around 19°C / 67°F in Tokyo in April) and late November to early December (autumn colors in Tokyo and Kyoto, around 17°C / 62°F in November). Both are also the busiest seasons. June brings the rainy season, July and August are hot and humid with typhoons possible, and winter is cold but clear in Tokyo and snowy in the north.
Month by month
| Month | Tokyo high / low | In bloom (cities) | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10° / 1°C 50° / 34°F · 5 rainy days | Plum: 17 · Cherry: 5 | New Year holidays (around Dec 29 – Jan 3): many shops and offices close, trains are busy |
| February | 11° / 2°C 52° / 36°F · 5 rainy days | Plum: 21 · Cherry: 5 | — |
| March | 14° / 5°C 58° / 41°F · 9 rainy days | Plum: 5 · Cherry: 31 | — |
| April | 19° / 10°C 67° / 50°F · 10 rainy days | Plum: 6 · Cherry: 47 | Golden Week (Apr 29 – May 5): Japan's busiest holiday week, book early |
| May | 24° / 15°C 74° / 58°F · 10 rainy days | Plum: 1 · Cherry: 1 | Golden Week (Apr 29 – May 5): Japan's busiest holiday week, book early; Rainy season starts in Okinawa (around May 10) |
| June | 26° / 19°C 79° / 65°F · 12 rainy days | — | Rainy season in most of Japan (Tokyo: around June 7 – July 19); not in Hokkaido |
| July | 30° / 22°C 86° / 72°F · 11 rainy days | — | Rainy season ends in mid to late July (Tokyo: around July 19), then hot and humid; Typhoons: about 2.1 come near Japan in an average July |
| August | 31° / 24°C 88° / 74°F · 8 rainy days | — | Obon (mid-August): many Japanese travel home, trains and flights are busy; Typhoons: about 3.3 come near Japan in an average August |
| September | 28° / 20°C 82° / 69°F · 11 rainy days | — | Typhoons: about 3.3 come near Japan in an average September |
| October | 22° / 15°C 72° / 59°F · 11 rainy days | Autumn colors: 3 | Typhoons: about 1.7 come near Japan in an average October |
| November | 17° / 9°C 62° / 48°F · 7 rainy days | Autumn colors: 17 | — |
| December | 12° / 4°C 54° / 39°F · 5 rainy days | Autumn colors: 33 | Year-end holidays from around Dec 29 |
"In bloom" = number of cities (out of 58) where cherry blossoms or autumn colors were out for at least 4 days of a week that month in 60% or more of the last 30 years; for plum, cities whose typical bloom date falls in that month. Weather: 1991–2020 normals. Rainy season and typhoons: Japan Meteorological Agency 1991–2020 normals. Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (processed by Japan Bloom Calendar).
Spring (March to May)
Cherry blossoms move north from Kyushu and Tokyo in late March to Hokkaido in early May. See when cherry blossom season is, week by week, and plum blossoms in February and March. Avoid Golden Week (Apr 29 – May 5) if you can.
Summer (June to August)
June is the rainy season almost everywhere except Hokkaido. July and August are hot and humid; Tokyo has about 23 days of 30°C (86°F) or more in August. Typhoons are most likely in August and September. Hokkaido is the cool escape: Sapporo averages 26°C / 80°F in August.
Autumn (September to November)
September is still warm and typhoons are possible. October and November are dry and comfortable. Autumn colors start in Hokkaido in October and reach Tokyo and Kyoto in late November to early December. See autumn leaves by city.
Winter (December to February)
Tokyo is cold but mostly sunny and dry (about 5 rainy days in January). Hokkaido and the Sea of Japan side get heavy snow: Sapporo has snowfall on about 29 days in January. Plum blossoms start in January in Shikoku and Okinawa.
Check your own dates
Use the trip planner to see which cities had blossoms or autumn colors on your exact dates in each of the last 30 years, or browse weather by month and city.