Japan's seasons 四季

Month by month

Cherry blossom 桜

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The cherry blossom front (sakura zensen) starts in Okinawa in January, reaches Kyushu, Tokyo and Kyoto in the last ten days of March and climbs north through April until it arrives in Hokkaido in May. In the mountains it comes later than in the cities nearby.

The trees reach full bloom about a week after the first flowers, and after another week the petals fall. In one place you have roughly ten good days, so leave some slack in your plans: if you miss Kyoto, you can often catch the blossom again further north.

My tips

• Book hotels for Kyoto, Tokyo and Osaka early. Late March to early April is the busiest and most expensive time of the year there.
• Japanese weather companies publish detailed blossom forecasts from January and update them every week.
• Go early in the morning for the famous spots, or pick a smaller town where the blossom is just as pretty and far quieter.
• Hanami (blossom picnics) are part of the fun: join in, keep it quiet and take your rubbish with you.

*Okinawa has an early, deep-pink cherry (Kanhi-zakura). All other dates are for Somei-Yoshino, the pale pink cherry you see everywhere else.

Before the cherries come the plum blossoms (ume): from February to mid-March, in shrine gardens such as Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto or Kairakuen in Mito. Quieter than cherry season and lovely on a crisp, sunny day.

Autumn colours 紅葉

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Autumn runs the other way. The colours (kōyō) start on the high mountains of Hokkaido in mid-September, sweep through Tohoku and the Japan Alps in October and arrive in Tokyo, Kyoto and Kyushu in the second half of November. Higher up always comes first: when the maples peak in a mountain valley, the city below is still green.

Unlike cherry blossom, autumn colours last a while. Each place has two to three good weeks, and because the colours move from the mountains down into the valleys, you can follow them on a road trip for a month or more.

My tips

• October in Tohoku or Hokkaido is my favourite time to travel: clear, cool days and far fewer visitors than Kyoto in November.
• Many temples in Kyoto open in the evening with illuminated maples. Tickets for the famous ones sell out, so check before you go.
• Book mountain ryokans early: autumn weekends are their busiest time of the year.

Rainy season 梅雨

From early June to mid or late July, most of Japan has its rainy season (tsuyu). It doesn't rain all day every day, but the sky is often grey, it's humid, and some days bring heavy downpours. In Okinawa it comes a month earlier. Hokkaido doesn't really have one, which makes June one of its best months.

Is June worth it?

Yes, if you're flexible. Hotels are cheaper, the big sights are calmer, and moss gardens, forests and hydrangea temples look their best in the rain. Pack a light rain jacket, or buy an umbrella at any konbini for a few hundred yen. Plan museums, onsen and food tours for the wettest days, and keep mountain hikes for the clear ones.

Summer heat & festivals 夏

Once the rainy season ends, summer arrives properly. From mid-July to early September, Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and Kyushu reach 33–38 °C with high humidity, and heatstroke warnings are common. Sightseeing in the midday sun is hard work, so start early, rest in the afternoon and go out again in the evening.

In return, summer is festival season: the Gion Matsuri in Kyoto all through July, the Nebuta floats in Aomori in early August, the Awa Odori dance in Tokushima in mid-August and fireworks over rivers all over the country. Mount Fuji is open for climbing from early July to early September.

Where summer is pleasant

• Hokkaido: 20–28 °C, lavender in July, green hills and lakes.
• The Japan Alps and the highlands of Tohoku: cool nights, hiking season.
• Northern Tohoku: festivals in early August, still warm but rarely extreme.

Typhoons 台風

Typhoon season runs from June to October, with most storms in August and September. Okinawa and Kyushu are hit most often, but some typhoons travel up over Shikoku and Honshu. When one arrives, ferries, flights and often Shinkansen lines stop for a day, and sometimes two.

Winter & snow 冬

From December to March, Japan splits in two. The Sea of Japan side (Hokkaido, western Tohoku, Niigata, the Alps, Hokuriku) gets some of the heaviest snow in the world. The Pacific side (Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kyushu) stays mostly dry and sunny, around 5–12 °C.

Winter highlights

• Skiing: Hokkaido and Nagano from mid-December to March, best powder in January and February.
• Sapporo Snow Festival in early February and the Otaru Snow Light Path at the same time.
• Snow monkeys in their hot spring at Jigokudani, Nagano, best from January to February.
• Onsen in the snow: an outdoor bath while it snows is the best part of a Japanese winter.
• Shirakawa-go light-up on selected evenings in January and February. Book well ahead.

Japanese holidays and crowds

The season matters, but so does the Japanese holiday calendar. During these weeks, half the country travels at once: trains and hotels fill up, and prices go up.

Best time for each route

My recommendation for the itineraries on this site: