Our verdict
The best time to visit Japan is September-October
In summer, the average maximum temperature in Tokyo climbs to around 31℃ (87℉), but temperatures can sometimes reach as high as 33℃ (91℉) on the hottest days of the year. The coldest it usually gets in winter-time in Tokyo is around 1℃ (33℉). Temperatures can often differ in other locations in Japan, so be sure to continue reading if you plan on visiting elsewhere.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Japan, or you’re just afraid of the dark, the days in August are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset. You don’t want to get wet on your holiday, do you? Well if you’re trying to avoid the rain, then steer clear of Japan in October. Head there in December instead if you want to increase your chances of not being rained on.
Keep reading to read all the info you need (and none of the stuff you don’t) about the best times to go to Japan. By the time you get to the bottom, you’ll have found out all there is to know about when to go, and you’ll be ready to start booking your flights! Who knows, we might even have some surprises waiting for you when you get there!Quick links: Fast facts / Seasons / Average temperatures / FAQs / Map
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Japan seasons
Before you plan your trip, it’s important to know when the seasons are as they may be different to yours depending on where you’re travelling from. Japan is in the Northern hemisphere, so the seasons fall on:
Season | Months |
---|---|
Summer | June to August |
Autumn/fall | September to November |
Winter | December to February |
Spring | March to May |
Best time to visit the top destinations in Japan
We’ve put together a breakdown of the average minimum and maximum temperatures by month, as well as the best times to visit for each. To learn more about these destinations including detailed climate breakdowns and much more, click or tap the city/destination name below.
City | Best time to visit | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Akita | March | ↑↓ | 2℃-1℃ | 2℃-2℃ | 6℃1℃ | 11℃6℃ | 17℃11℃ | 21℃15℃ | 25℃20℃ | 27℃22℃ | 23℃18℃ | 17℃12℃ | 11℃7℃ | 5℃2℃ |
Ashikaga | October | ↑↓ | 6℃-1℃ | 7℃-1℃ | 11℃2℃ | 16℃7℃ | 22℃13℃ | 24℃16℃ | 28℃21℃ | 30℃22℃ | 25℃18℃ | 20℃13℃ | 14℃7℃ | 8℃2℃ |
Fukuoka | September | ↑↓ | 9℃4℃ | 10℃5℃ | 13℃7℃ | 17℃10℃ | 22℃15℃ | 25℃19℃ | 28℃23℃ | 30℃24℃ | 26℃21℃ | 22℃16℃ | 16℃11℃ | 11℃6℃ |
Furano | March-May | ↑↓ | -5℃-13℃ | -5℃-14℃ | -0℃-10℃ | 7℃-2℃ | 15℃5℃ | 20℃9℃ | 24℃14℃ | 24℃14℃ | 19℃10℃ | 12℃3℃ | 4℃-3℃ | -3℃-10℃ |
Hakodate | November | ↑↓ | 0℃-3℃ | 0℃-4℃ | 4℃-0℃ | 8℃4℃ | 14℃9℃ | 17℃13℃ | 21℃18℃ | 23℃20℃ | 21℃17℃ | 15℃11℃ | 9℃5℃ | 3℃-1℃ |
Hakone | April-May | ↑↓ | 8℃1℃ | 8℃2℃ | 11℃5℃ | 15℃9℃ | 21℃14℃ | 23℃17℃ | 27℃21℃ | 28℃22℃ | 25℃19℃ | 20℃14℃ | 15℃9℃ | 10℃4℃ |
Hiroshima | March-May | ↑↓ | 6℃0℃ | 8℃1℃ | 12℃3℃ | 16℃7℃ | 22℃12℃ | 25℃16℃ | 28℃21℃ | 30℃22℃ | 26℃18℃ | 20℃13℃ | 14℃7℃ | 8℃3℃ |
Ishigaki | March | ↑↓ | 21℃19℃ | 21℃19℃ | 22℃20℃ | 24℃22℃ | 26℃25℃ | 28℃28℃ | 29℃29℃ | 29℃29℃ | 29℃28℃ | 27℃26℃ | 25℃23℃ | 22℃20℃ |
Kagoshima | March | ↑↓ | 11℃5℃ | 13℃6℃ | 15℃8℃ | 19℃12℃ | 23℃16℃ | 25℃20℃ | 29℃23℃ | 31℃24℃ | 28℃22℃ | 24℃17℃ | 18℃12℃ | 13℃7℃ |
Kanazawa | October | ↑↓ | 4℃0℃ | 5℃0℃ | 9℃3℃ | 13℃7℃ | 18℃13℃ | 21℃16℃ | 25℃21℃ | 27℃22℃ | 24℃19℃ | 18℃14℃ | 13℃8℃ | 8℃3℃ |
Karuizawa | September | ↑↓ | -0℃-8℃ | 1℃-8℃ | 6℃-4℃ | 12℃2℃ | 18℃7℃ | 21℃11℃ | 25℃16℃ | 26℃17℃ | 21℃12℃ | 16℃7℃ | 10℃1℃ | 3℃-4℃ |
Kobe | October-November | ↑↓ | 8℃3℃ | 9℃4℃ | 12℃6℃ | 17℃10℃ | 22℃15℃ | 25℃19℃ | 29℃23℃ | 30℃24℃ | 27℃21℃ | 22℃16℃ | 16℃11℃ | 10℃6℃ |
Kochi | March | ↑↓ | 7℃1℃ | 9℃1℃ | 12℃4℃ | 16℃8℃ | 21℃12℃ | 24℃17℃ | 28℃21℃ | 29℃22℃ | 25℃19℃ | 20℃13℃ | 15℃8℃ | 9℃3℃ |
Kyoto | March-May | ↑↓ | 6℃-0℃ | 7℃0℃ | 11℃2℃ | 16℃7℃ | 23℃12℃ | 25℃16℃ | 29℃21℃ | 31℃22℃ | 26℃18℃ | 20℃13℃ | 14℃7℃ | 8℃2℃ |
Miyajima | March-May | ↑↓ | 6℃0℃ | 8℃1℃ | 11℃3℃ | 16℃7℃ | 21℃12℃ | 24℃16℃ | 28℃21℃ | 29℃22℃ | 25℃18℃ | 20℃13℃ | 14℃8℃ | 8℃3℃ |
Nagano | September-November | ↑↓ | 1℃-6℃ | 2℃-6℃ | 6℃-3℃ | 12℃2℃ | 20℃8℃ | 22℃12℃ | 26℃17℃ | 27℃18℃ | 23℃13℃ | 17℃8℃ | 11℃2℃ | 4℃-3℃ |
Nagasaki | November | ↑↓ | 10℃7℃ | 11℃7℃ | 14℃10℃ | 18℃13℃ | 22℃17℃ | 24℃21℃ | 28℃24℃ | 29℃26℃ | 27℃23℃ | 23℃19℃ | 18℃14℃ | 12℃9℃ |
Nagoya | April-May | ↑↓ | 9℃5℃ | 10℃6℃ | 13℃8℃ | 17℃11℃ | 21℃16℃ | 24℃19℃ | 28℃23℃ | 29℃25℃ | 26℃22℃ | 22℃17℃ | 16℃12℃ | 11℃7℃ |
Naha | March-May | ↑↓ | 19℃17℃ | 20℃18℃ | 21℃18℃ | 22℃20℃ | 25℃23℃ | 27℃26℃ | 29℃28℃ | 29℃28℃ | 29℃28℃ | 26℃25℃ | 24℃22℃ | 21℃19℃ |
Nara | March-April | ↑↓ | 6℃0℃ | 8℃0℃ | 12℃3℃ | 17℃7℃ | 23℃12℃ | 25℃16℃ | 29℃21℃ | 31℃22℃ | 26℃18℃ | 21℃13℃ | 15℃8℃ | 9℃3℃ |
Nikko | April | ↑↓ | 3℃-4℃ | 4℃-4℃ | 8℃-1℃ | 14℃4℃ | 20℃10℃ | 22℃14℃ | 26℃19℃ | 27℃19℃ | 23℃15℃ | 17℃10℃ | 12℃4℃ | 6℃-1℃ |
Niseko | April-May | ↑↓ | -4℃-8℃ | -3℃-9℃ | 1℃-6℃ | 7℃1℃ | 15℃6℃ | 18℃10℃ | 22℃15℃ | 23℃16℃ | 20℃12℃ | 13℃6℃ | 5℃-0℃ | -2℃-6℃ |
Osaka | September | ↑↓ | 0℃-9℃ | 2℃-9℃ | 7℃-4℃ | 13℃1℃ | 19℃6℃ | 22℃10℃ | 26℃15℃ | 27℃16℃ | 22℃11℃ | 17℃6℃ | 10℃1℃ | 4℃-5℃ |
Sapporo | April-May | ↑↓ | -4℃-10℃ | -3℃-10℃ | 1℃-6℃ | 8℃1℃ | 16℃7℃ | 19℃11℃ | 24℃15℃ | 24℃16℃ | 20℃12℃ | 13℃6℃ | 6℃-0℃ | -1℃-7℃ |
Shirakawago | November | ↑↓ | 4℃-4℃ | 6℃-2℃ | 13℃3℃ | 19℃8℃ | 24℃13℃ | 30℃19℃ | 32℃20℃ | 31℃19℃ | 27℃15℃ | 19℃9℃ | 12℃3℃ | 6℃-1℃ |
Takayama | September-October | ↑↓ | -2℃-10℃ | -0℃-9℃ | 4℃-5℃ | 11℃0℃ | 17℃6℃ | 20℃10℃ | 24℃15℃ | 25℃16℃ | 21℃12℃ | 15℃6℃ | 8℃0℃ | 1℃-6℃ |
Tokyo | September-October | ↑↓ | 9℃3℃ | 10℃4℃ | 13℃6℃ | 18℃11℃ | 23℃16℃ | 25℃19℃ | 29℃23℃ | 31℃25℃ | 27℃21℃ | 22℃16℃ | 17℃11℃ | 11℃6℃ |
Toyama | September-October | ↑↓ | 3℃-3℃ | 3℃-3℃ | 7℃1℃ | 13℃6℃ | 19℃11℃ | 22℃14℃ | 26℃20℃ | 27℃21℃ | 23℃17℃ | 18℃12℃ | 12℃7℃ | 6℃1℃ |
Wakayama | March-April | ↑↓ | 9℃5℃ | 9℃5℃ | 12℃7℃ | 17℃11℃ | 21℃16℃ | 24℃20℃ | 28℃24℃ | 29℃25℃ | 26℃22℃ | 22℃17℃ | 16℃12℃ | 11℃7℃ |