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Weather in Japan

Many travellers who arrive in Japan aren’t quite prepared for the weather. The wind and the rain can take people by surprise, as can the sticky heat of a Tokyo summer and the frosty nights that hit the country’s north. One of the first steps towards a great adventure is deciding when to travel, so check out our easy guide below to get a sense of your ideal season in some key destinations. 

Weather by location

Tokyo

Located in the centre-east of the archipelago, Tokyo experiences fairly mild temperatures (outside the depths of winter), which makes it an attractive destination all year. Temperatures are crisp through spring, very hot in summer, and remain warm until October. The highest rainfall generally occurs during late September, with an average rainfall of about 191mm. 

MONTH

 AVERAGE HIGH 

 AVERAGE LOW 

 March to May 

18°C

11°C

 June to August 

28°C

22°C

 September to November 

21°C

15°C

 December to February 

10°C

4°C

Yamagata

Located in the north, Yamagata sees its heaviest month of rainfall in January when the temperature is unlikely to crack 3°C. July and September also experience moderate rain. While the summer can be warm during the day, the evenings cool down considerably. Temperatures in December drop hard and stay low throughout winter, with lots of snow – along with the rain expected in January.   

 MONTH 

 AVERAGE HIGH 

 AVERAGE LOW 

 March to May 

12°C

4°C

 June to August 

25°C

18°C

 September to November 

17°C

18°C

 December to February 

2°C

–4°C

Hiroshima

Hiroshima is southern and subtropical, with sweaty summers featuring heavy rainfall. It's not unusual for June and July to see 260 mm of rainfall as humidity goes above the 70 per cent mark. Winters in Hiroshima, on the other hand, can feature light snowfall through December, January and February.  

MONTH

 AVERAGE HIGH 

 AVERAGE LOW 

 March to May 

18°C

10°C

 June to August 

29°C

23°C

 September to November 

22°C

14°C

 December to February 

10°C

2°C

Osaka

Osaka experiences a long warm period, as the temperatures increase sharply in May and stay high until the end of September before cooling in October. Rainfall peaks in June, with an average of 210 mm of rain throughout the month. Winter is relatively mild, with many clear days and a little snow in February.  

 MONTH 

 AVERAGE HIGH 

 AVERAGE LOW 

 March to May 

19°C

10°C

 June to August 

31°C

23°C

 September to November 

17°C

9°C

 December to February 

10°C

3°C

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