Best time to visit Shirakawago, Japan

Our verdict

The best time to visit Shirakawago is November

Are you looking for the best time to visit Shirakawago? Well, you’re in the right place! Although Shirakawago is a great destination to visit almost all year round, November is the best time to go due to its perfect climate conditions. Around this time of year, flights and accommodation can also be cheaper as it is outside of key peak holiday seasons if you book well enough in advance.

The warmest month of the year in Shirakawago is July, where the average temperature gets to around 32℃ (89℉), but temperatures can reach as high as 35℃ (96℉) on the hottest days in summer. In the winter months, it can get down to as low as -7℃ (19℉) at night.

The sun stays up the longest in Shirakawago in July, so you’ll get the most out of your daytime activities if you visit around this time. The wet season in Shirakawago usually falls during the months surrounding April each year. It’s not uncommon to get some decent rainfall or light showers during this time, but on some days the weather tends to be fine for a majority of the day, with only a few drops of rain falling from a passing shower.

Learn everything you need to know to help you decide when to go to Shirakawago below, and don’t forget to use the awesome travel tools we know and love to help you find the best deals and make booking your vacation a breeze!

Warmest month

July

Least rainfall

November

Most daylight

July

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Shirakawago seasons

Before you continue, it’s important to know when the seasons are in Shirakawago as they might be different to yours depending on where in the world you’re travelling from. Shirakawago is in the Northern Hemisphere, so the seasons fall during these months:

Season Months
Summer June to August
Autumn/fall September to November
Winter December to February
Spring March to May

Average temperatures in Shirakawago

If the temperature is a big factor for you to help you decide when to visit, the chart below shows the average minimum and maximum temperatures in Shirakawago for each month side-by-side so you can easily see the difference in weather throughout the year. To see the temperatures in both Celsius (°C) and Fahrenheit (°F), hover or tap the shaded boxes on the graph.

Shirakawago climate by month

If you already have a rough idea about which months you might want to travel, the section below shows a detailed breakdown of the climate in Shirakawago for each month so you can see if it all suits your wants and needs. Scroll down, or use the quick menu below to jump to your preferred month.

Jump to:

JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
NOV
DEC

Shirakawago in January

  • Average temperature: -0℃ (31℉)
  • Average high temperature: 4℃ (39℉)
  • Average low temperature: -4℃ (24℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 19 days
  • Average rainfall: 50mm (2") over 7 days
  • Average snow days: 7 days
19 days
of pure sunshine
7 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in January, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Shirakawago in February

  • Average temperature: 2℃ (35℉)
  • Average high temperature: 6℃ (43℉)
  • Average low temperature: -2℃ (28℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 15 days
  • Average rainfall: 48mm (2") over 8 days
  • Average snow days: 6 days
15 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in February, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Shirakawago in March

  • Average temperature: 8℃ (46℉)
  • Average high temperature: 13℃ (55℉)
  • Average low temperature: 3℃ (38℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 14 days
  • Average rainfall: 69mm (3") over 14 days
  • Average snow days: 3 days
14 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in March, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Shirakawago in April

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (56℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average low temperature: 8℃ (47℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 98mm (4") over 15 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in April, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Shirakawago in May

  • Average temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average high temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average low temperature: 13℃ (56℉)
  • Average humidity: 78%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 97mm (4") over 17 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
17 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in May, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Shirakawago in June

  • Average temperature: 24℃ (75℉)
  • Average high temperature: 30℃ (86℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (65℉)
  • Average humidity: 75%
  • Average sunny days: 13 days
  • Average rainfall: 71mm (3") over 15 days
13 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in June, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Shirakawago in July

  • Average temperature: 25℃ (78℉)
  • Average high temperature: 32℃ (89℉)
  • Average low temperature: 20℃ (68℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 12 days
  • Average rainfall: 58mm (2") over 15 days
12 days
of pure sunshine
15 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in July, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Shirakawago in August

  • Average temperature: 24℃ (76℉)
  • Average high temperature: 31℃ (87℉)
  • Average low temperature: 19℃ (66℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 14 days
  • Average rainfall: 70mm (3") over 14 days
14 days
of pure sunshine
14 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in August, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.


Shirakawago in September

  • Average temperature: 20℃ (69℉)
  • Average high temperature: 27℃ (80℉)
  • Average low temperature: 15℃ (59℉)
  • Average humidity: 74%
  • Average sunny days: 15 days
  • Average rainfall: 49mm (2") over 13 days
15 days
of pure sunshine
13 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in September, make sure you pack t-shirts for the daytime and maybe a light jumper for the evenings as it cools down a bit.

Shirakawago in October

  • Average temperature: 14℃ (57℉)
  • Average high temperature: 19℃ (67℉)
  • Average low temperature: 9℃ (48℉)
  • Average humidity: 72%
  • Average sunny days: 18 days
  • Average rainfall: 66mm (3") over 11 days
18 days
of pure sunshine
11 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in October, make sure you pack a warm jacket or coat.


Shirakawago in November

  • Average temperature: 7℃ (45℉)
  • Average high temperature: 12℃ (54℉)
  • Average low temperature: 3℃ (37℉)
  • Average humidity: 73%
  • Average sunny days: 18 days
  • Average rainfall: 47mm (2") over 10 days
  • Average snow days: 1 days
18 days
of pure sunshine
10 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in November, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Shirakawago in December

  • Average temperature: 2℃ (36℉)
  • Average high temperature: 6℃ (43℉)
  • Average low temperature: -1℃ (30℉)
  • Average humidity: 76%
  • Average sunny days: 19 days
  • Average rainfall: 57mm (2") over 8 days
  • Average snow days: 4 days
19 days
of pure sunshine
8 days
of showers or rain

What to pack: If you’re heading to Shirakawago in December, make sure you pack a thick snow/winter jacket, thermals and some extra layers as it's always very cold.


Top FAQs

The hottest month of the year in Shirakawago is usually July, where temperatures tend to rise to around 32℃ (89℉) in the middle of the day or early afternoon.
The month with the least amount of rain in Shirakawago is generally around November. The dry season often coincides with cooler weather, so you should check the temperatures in November first to make sure it’s still a good time to go.
The rainiest time of year in Shirakawago is generally around April, although the wetter season can sometimes extend a few months either side of April too.
If you want to get the most out of your time visiting Shirakawago, or if you're just afraid of the dark, the days in July are usually the longest between sunrise and sunset.

Shirakawago map