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 in Tokyo

Located in the centre-east of the archipelago, Tokyo experiences fairly mild temperatures (outside the depths of winter) which make an attractive destination all year. Temperatures are crisp through spring, very hot in summer and remain warm until October. Rainfall increases as the temperatures do, peaking in June and September, which both average 20 days and 181 mm of rainfall.

MONTH	AVERAGE HIGH	AVERAGE LOW
March to May	17°C/63°F	10°C/50°F
June to August	27°C/81°F	21°C/70°F
September to November	20°C/68°F	15°C/59°F
December to February	9°C/48°F	3°C/37°F

Weather in 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	15°C/60°F	4°C/40°F
June to August	28°C/82°F	18°C/65°F
September to November	19°C/66°F	9°C/49°F
December to February	4°C/40°F	–2°C/28°F

Weather in Hiroshima

Hiroshima is southern and subtropical, with sweaty summers featuring heavy rainfall. It's not unusual for June and July to see 250 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	19°C/67°F	9°C/49°F
June to August	30°C/86°F	22°C/72°F
September to November	23°C/73°F	14°C/57°F
December to February	10°C/50°F	2°C/36°F

Weather in 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 230 mm of rain falling over 17 days. Winter is relatively mild, with many clear days and a little snow in February.

MONTH	AVERAGE HIGH	AVERAGE LOW
March to May	15°C/59°F	11°C/52°F
June to August	31°C/88°F	23°C/73°F
September to November	23°C/73°F	15°C/59°F
December to February	10°C/50°F	4°C/39°F