The Award-Winning Tour Specialist
Our weather and events guide to Japan
Generally dry and sunny with cool temperatures, in Japan’s northern reaches, and in the mountainous areas throughout you’ll find a good amount of snow perfect for skiing. This month, all the most popular tourist attractions will be quiet.
Similar to January – dry, sunny and cool. The snow continues to be plentiful and excellent for skiing, in fact, this is the peak month for swishing down the slopes of Japan’s plentiful ski resorts. The sights continue to be quieter in terms of visitors.
In March the weather begins to warm up and the plum blossoms spring into action, signalling that spring has arrived. The cherry blossoms begin to bloom in the warmer south of Japan and gradually sweep up the country, reaching places like Kyoto and Tokyo in the last days of the month. This is a very popular time to visit Japan, but worth it for the beautiful blossoms and the festivities that come along with it.
A sumo tournament is held in Osaka in March, lasting for 15 days, giving you the perfect opportunity to see this ritual-filled and fascinating sport in action.
The Cherry Blossoms, known in Japanese as ‘Sakura’ have dazzled the world for centuries and continue to overwhelm visitors and locals. With their radiant, delicate beauty, the sea of soft pink flowers have romanced the Japanese for centuries, so much so, they created a word to symbolise heading outdoors to appreciate them – ‘Hanami’ which translates to ‘looking at flowers’.
Beginning in Okinawa in the south, the cherry blossom in Japan starts to spread north through the main islands in March and April before reaching Hokkaido in early May. The arrival of the blossom varies depending on the weather, but this time does see the country absorbed in the excitement of the upcoming blossom.
As peak cherry blossom season hits, the weather gets much milder, averaging 19C in Tokyo and Kyoto. At this time, parks and gardens across the country are full of people picnicking under the blossoms, called ‘hanami’ savouring the beauty of the spring. Sights and attractions continue to be very busy.
This spring festival celebrated in the mountain town of Takayama features elaborate antique floats, colourful illuminations and traditional music. It is considered one of the three most beautiful festivals in Japan.
The Cherry Blossoms, known in Japanese as ‘Sakura’ have dazzled the world for centuries and continue to overwhelm visitors and locals. With their radiant, delicate beauty, the sea of soft pink flowers have romanced the Japanese for centuries, so much so, they created a word to symbolise heading outdoors to appreciate them – ‘Hanami’ which translates to ‘looking at flowers’.
Beginning in Okinawa in the south, the cherry blossom in Japan starts to spread north through the main islands in March and April before reaching Hokkaido in early May. The arrival of the blossom varies depending on the weather, but this time does see the country absorbed in the excitement of the upcoming blossom.
May’s weather is beautiful – warm (with temperatures around the early 20s) and mostly dry, whilst the landscapes across the country are lush and green. In the very north of Japan, on the island of Hokkaido, the cherry blossoms are just blooming, whilst in the tropical south, the beach resort of Okinawa is entering its rainy season. The Golden Week national holiday can make things pretty busy.
With festivities centred in the vibrant Asakusa district, Sanja Matsuri is a religious festival that celebrates the three men that founded Senso-ji, Tokyo’s oldest Shinto temple. Considered quite a wild party, a parade wends its way between Senso-ji and Asakusa Shrine, with elaborate floats, music and dancing in Edo-period style.
At the foot of Mt Fuji, in the Fuji Five Lakes area, the Fuji Shibazakura Festival is the most scenic place to admire the pink moss phlox in full bloom.
A sumo tournament is held in Tokyo in May, lasting for 15 days, giving you the perfect opportunity to see this ritual-filled and fascinating sport in action.
The start of the summer brings with it hot and humid conditions and, across much of the archipelago the rainy season begins. Whilst it doesn’t rain every day, and it brings out the best in the plentiful natural landscapes, it can be very wet, especially the farther south you go. If you’re exploring the northernmost island of Hokkaido however, the rainy season doesn’t reach here, so the weather is perfect.
The festivities crank up in the fine weather in the city of Sapporo on Hokkaido Island. In June you have the Yosakoi Soran, with energetic, joyful and colourful dance procession on the streets surrounding the central Odori Park. The many dancers are performing a modern take on a traditional dance of the summer.
Following on from the pageantry of Yosakoi Soran is the Hokkaido Shrine Festival, one of the region’s biggest celebrations. As well as traditional dedication ceremonies at shrines there are stalls, attractions and entertainments for three days, culminating in a huge parade complete with colourful costumes and taiko drummers.
July is a busy month for festivals, events and domestic travel. The weather remains humid and hot – with temperatures around 30, but the rains ease off towards the middle of the month, except in tropical Okinawa, where they continue for a bit longer. These is prime season to climb Mt Fuji, only possible in July and August due to the warmer weather.
Kyoto’s biggest festival, Gion Matsuri is a big, month long street party where locals and visitors alike take to the streets, dressed in traditional yukata and enjoy street food and beer. The festivities include two parades, featuring traditional floats. This is Japan’s most famous festival.
Dating back to 1733, this annual firework display features up to 22,000 rockets and is one of Tokyo’s biggest hanabi (fireworks) event.
August is peak summer and, like July, is hot and humid. It also has an even more packed calendar of local festivals and firework display! This is when the big school holiday falls, so a lot of people are travelling and things can be pretty busy.
One of August’s biggest festivals and held in Aomari City, the floats of the Nebuta Matsuri have to be seen to be believed! Huge papier-mache floats and puppets parade the streets every night for five days to crowds of up to three million people!
Although potentially still hot and humid, you’ll find September brings with beautiful blue skies and comfortable temperatures. Everything quietens down as locals go back to school and work, making it a great time to explore. The leaves begin to turn in the northern reaches of Hokkaido at the end of the month.
A sumo tournament is held in Tokyo in September, lasting for 15 days, giving you the perfect opportunity to see this ritual-filled and fascinating sport in action.
With comfortable temperatures and blue skies, October is also the start of the autumn, with red and gold hues working their way down the country from the north, but not yet reaching Tokyo and Kyoto. October is also harvest time, which means plenty of delicious seasonal foods to try, and is also considered a time for the arts, so plenty of museums have big exhibitions starting at this time.
Beautiful, hand-crafted floats parade around the town for two nights and people gather for a traditional harvest celebration. In the evenings, food carts and portable shrines come out in force and there are lanterns and traditional music livening up the streets.
With the autumn in full swing, and glorious displays of colourful foliage everywhere. The weather is cool and clear, getting chillier as the month continues. Sights at this time tend to be much quieter make it an excellent time to explore.
At this time of year, plenty of light festivals pop up as the nights get longer. One of the biggest and best is the Sagamiko Illumillion in Kanagawa. The epic light installations use as many as six million bulbs and there are fairground rides, food stalls and a vibrant atmosphere.
December temperatures vary throughout the country, from comfortably cool to really cold! It tends to be dry in most places, with the mountains and some of the bigger ski resorts getting their first dumpings of snow. This is also the perfect time to take the most of Japan’s plentiful hot springs, or onsen baths!
