When is the best time to visit Japan?
Unless visiting for winter sports or cherry blossom, the best time of the year to visit is in October and November, during Japanese autumn. Hurricane season will be past, the weather will be temperate, and the country’s sensational autumnal colours will be at their most striking.
Main photo: Sakura and Fujisan (Getty Images)
When is typhoon season in Japan?
Typhoons can occur at any time between July and October, with the peak season typically in August and September. Typhoons are powerful and potentially deadly tropical storms originating in the northwest of the Pacific; in the North Atlantic they would be called hurricanes. Around 30 form close to Japan each year, with some causing widespread damage and travel disruption. Forecasting tends to be accurate within a week or so, but as attendees of the typhoon-ravaged Rugby World Cup in 2019 may testify, the season is best avoided altogether if possible.
When is cherry blossom season?
Cherry blossom or sakura season runs from late March through April during the Japanese spring. The hanami (cherry blossom observation) gets particularly intense around Kyoto, but the trees are found the length of Japan. The first blossoms actually start in the tropical southern islands of Okinawa as early as mid-January, later appearing in parks in Kyushu in mid-March. From there, the flowers blossom northwards, passing Kyoto and Tokyo, moving up the Tohoku coast and eventually onto the island of Hokkaido, where trees may not reach their peak until the end of April. Since 2019, the Japan Meteorological Corporation has offered a free app to track the blossoms across the country.
Read our guide to Japan’s cherry blossom season
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When is rainy season?
Rainy season typically runs for around six weeks from the start of June until mid-July. Given how many of Japan’s most popular and engaging tourist attractions are outside, it is a season best avoided in favour of more temperate spring or autumn. Summer in Japan is characterised by hot and humid conditions and unpredictable downpours. Unlike many Southeast Asian nations, the rains are not easily forecast, making planning a trip tricky. However, there are significant variations between Japan’s regions. On the Hawaii-like islands of Okinawa, the rainy season tends to have passed by late June. Meanwhile in northern Japan, Hokkaido may have little rain while the largest island of Honshu is being drenched.
When is the winter-sports season?
Winter sports run from mid-December to late March, approximately matching the European and North American ski seasons. Famous destinations such as the former Winter Olympics host Nagano typically open their ski resorts over this period. It’s also the best time to see the prefecture’s renowned Japanese macaques bathing in steaming hot springs. Far-flung Hokkaido in the north typically experiences earlier, heavier snowfall at the start of December. To the south in Yamagata, mid-February offers anyone travelling to Zao Onsen the chance to see its snow monsters, strange-looking ice sculptures formed around pine trees by high winds and low temperatures.
Why is autumn the best season?
Neither too hot, nor too cold, clear of the typhoon and rainy seasons, autumn sees all parts of Japan become more accessible. In almost all prefectures you’ll find incredible displays of autumn colours — yellow ginkgo trees, fiery red Japanese maples and burnt orange birches fill valleys to give a far more varied palette than during cherry blossom season. Menus will contain yuzu citrus after the harvest and sanma, the Japanese autumn fish. Colder evenings make onsen bathing even more special, while after the tumult of the summer storms, days are often bright and clear. The cooler temperatures and lack of humidity make hiking in the Japanese Alps far more appealing, too.
Sunshine and rainfall
The climate in Japan varies massively depending on the region but on the main island of Honshu, June is the wettest month while May has the most hours of sunshine.
Key dates for your calendar
February: The Sapporo Snow Festival
For a week each February, the largest city on Hokkaido makes the most of its deep freeze. For almost 50 years, it has seen a snow-sculpture contest take place in Odori Park, where around 400 ice statues are created by artists from around the world. Up to two million visitors can arrive in the busiest years, mostly drawn by these incredible works, some of which are 50ft tall and made with tons of snow. Thankfully, Sapporo is a city well prepared to handle such visitor numbers — and the cold weather. Cosy restaurants specialise in popular local dishes such as piping-hot bowls of ramen and the jingisukan, a grilled lamb dish named after Genghis Khan.
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April: Golden Week
Especially popular with domestic travellers, Golden Week is a series of public holidays starting each year on April 29. Just after cherry blossom, the focus switches to four national holidays, which take place over just seven days. Starting with Showa Day to commemorate the death of Emperor Showa, also known as Hirohito, the week progresses with Constitution Day, Greenery Day and lastly Children’s Day, or the Boys’ Festival (the girls’ equivalent takes place in March). While the week is cherished by Japanese, it is probably a time best avoided by foreign visitors as accommodation and transport will be very full with holidaying locals.
August: Obon As well as being the heart of typhoon season, with often crushing humidity, August is also best avoided for Obon. From August 13-16, most of the nation goes on holiday, meaning the majority of attractions are closed. The megacities also empty as many urban Japanese return to their home prefectures to visit family and commemorate their ancestors. While this is a pretty reverent time, if you do find yourself in the country during Obon, there is still a chance of having a good time if you can find a bon odori — a traditional public dance. The biggest and best of these is in Tokushima prefecture on the island of Shikoku. The Awa Dance Festival sees thousands of dancers and over a million spectators descend on Tokushima City for three days of revelry.
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