When is the rainy season in Japan?
Japan's rainy season (tsuyu, 梅雨) moves north from May to July. It starts in Okinawa around May 10 and ends there around June 21. In Tokyo (Kanto-Koshin) it typically starts around June 7 and ends around July 19 — about 42 days.Hokkaido has no official rainy season.
Typical start and end by region
| Region | Starts around | Ends around | Cities |
|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa | May 10 | Jun 21 | Naha, Miyako Island |
| Amami | May 12 | Jun 29 | |
| Southern Kyushu | May 30 | Jul 15 | Kagoshima, Miyazaki |
| Northern Kyushu | Jun 4 | Jul 19 | Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Kumamoto, Oita |
| Shikoku | Jun 5 | Jul 17 | Matsuyama, Takamatsu, Kochi, Tokushima |
| Chugoku | Jun 6 | Jul 19 | Hiroshima, Okayama, Matsue, Tottori |
| Kinki (Kansai) | Jun 6 | Jul 19 | Osaka, Kyoto, Kobe, Nara |
| Tokai | Jun 6 | Jul 19 | Nagoya, Shizuoka, Gifu, Tsu |
| Kanto-Koshin | Jun 7 | Jul 19 | Tokyo, Yokohama, Kumagaya, Mito |
| Hokuriku | Jun 11 | Jul 23 | Niigata, Toyama, Kanazawa, Fukui |
| Southern Tohoku | Jun 12 | Jul 24 | Sendai, Yamagata, Fukushima |
| Northern Tohoku | Jun 15 | Jul 28 | Aomori, Akita, Morioka |
Averages for 1991–2020, excluding years when the start or end could not be determined. Actual dates vary by a couple of weeks from year to year. Source: Japan Meteorological Agency (processed by Japan Bloom Calendar).
How rainy is it? June and July by city
| City | June | July |
|---|---|---|
| Tokyo | 168 mm (12 days) | 156 mm (11 days) |
| Kyoto | 200 mm (12 days) | 224 mm (12 days) |
| Osaka | 185 mm (11 days) | 174 mm (10 days) |
| Nara | 184 mm (12 days) | 174 mm (11 days) |
| Hiroshima | 227 mm (11 days) | 280 mm (11 days) |
| Fukuoka | 250 mm (12 days) | 299 mm (11 days) |
| Nagoya | 187 mm (12 days) | 211 mm (12 days) |
| Sendai | 144 mm (10 days) | 178 mm (13 days) |
| Sapporo | 60 mm (8 days) | 91 mm (8 days) |
| Naha | 284 mm (11 days) | 188 mm (9 days) |
Monthly rain and days with 1 mm or more, 1991–2020 normals.
Hokkaido: no official rainy season
The Japan Meteorological Agency does not declare a rainy season for Hokkaido, because the weather there varies too much from year to year to treat it as a regular seasonal event (JMA). June and July in Sapporo are usually drier and cooler than in Tokyo, which makes Hokkaido a popular choice during the rainy season.
Traveling in the rainy season
- It does not rain all day, every day. Many days are cloudy with showers.
- Hydrangeas bloom in June, and gardens and temples are at their greenest.
- After the season ends, summer heat and humidity arrive quickly. See Japan weather in July.
- Typhoons are a separate season, mostly August to September. See typhoon season in Japan.
Year-by-year start and end dates since 1951 are published by the Japan Meteorological Agency.