The prevailing climate in Japan is temperate, but as Japan is over 3,800 km from north to south, the weather varies greatly from region to region.
In general, however, there are 4 seasons in all regions of Japan except the southernmost islands around Okinawa.
Regions of Japan with different climates
Japan can be divided into several zones with slightly different climates and weather.
- The island of Hokkaido and the northern parts of Honshu have long, hard winters with lots of snow and hot summers.
- Central Honshu (Tokyo, Nagano, Niigata, Sendai, Fuji) is in the temperate zone, where there is plenty of snow for skiing in winter, but summers are very warm and humid.
- Southern Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu lie on the border between temperate and subtropical zones, but even here it can snow exceptionally in winter. Summers are very hot and humid.
- Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands lie entirely in the subtropical zone, with winter temperatures around 19 °C and summer temperatures over 32 °C.
Japan during the year
What is the weather like in Japan in each month?
Weather in winter
The coldest months are December, January and February.
Temperatures in southern Honshu and the islands of Shikoku and Kyushu hover around 6 °C, while north in Hokkaido the average temperature is -5 °C.
January and February are among the rainiest months in Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa.
On the other hand, it snows very often in the mountains of northern Honshu and Hokkaido.
When is the ski season?
The longest season is roughly from the beginning of December to the end of March on Hokkaido, which is also home to the largest ski resorts.
The large ski resorts on the island of Honshu around Nagano are usually open from the second half of December to mid-March.
Spring weather
Spring is one of the main seasons for travel to Japan.
Temperatures during April and May are very pleasant, ranging between 18°C and 22°C. On Hokkaido, expect temperatures to be only around 14°C to 20°C, while on Okinawa they rise to 27°C.
The spring season attracts tourists in particular with the flowering sakura, the Japanese dogwood, whose pink flowers are ubiquitous throughout the country.
When will you see the cherry blossoms?
Sakura blossom seasons vary slightly by island.
- Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands - mid-January to mid-February
- Kyushu and Shikoku - late March to the first week or so of April
- Southern Honshu (Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo) - late March to first half of April
- Northern Honshu (Niigata, Sendai, Aomori) - first half of April to early May
- Hokkaido - first half of May
Compare flight prices to Japan during spring
Summer weather
Summer is the least suitable time of the year to visit Japan.
Temperatures of over 31°C prevail throughout the country, including the northern island of Hokkaido. The humidity is very high and heavy monsoon rains can occur.
The rainiest months are June, July and August. On Hokkaido, July, August and September tend to be the rainiest months.
Weather in autumn
Autumn, along with spring, is the main season for travel to Japan.
The weather is considerably less rainy than in summer, but even during autumn you have to expect that it can rain very heavily - but usually only 1 day at most in a row.
The likelihood of rain decreases from the second half of November.
Temperatures can still be between 22 °C and 26 °C in October, before dropping to below 20 °C during November.
When is autumn foliage in Japan?
Japan is a country of extensive dense deciduous forests. Many tourists head here for the beautiful scenery when the leaves on the trees turn shades of red, yellow or orange.
- Okinawa and the Ryukyu Islands - in this part of Japan, trees that have colourful leaves in autumn do not grow
- Kyushu and Shikoku - mid-November to the first week of December
- Southern Honshu (Osaka, Kyoto, Tokyo) - mid-November to the first week of December
- Northern Honshu (Sendai, Aomori) - second half of October to first half of November
- Hokkaido - second half of October to first half of November
Table of temperatures during the year
Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku - The islands lie in the warmer temperate zone
Hokkaido - Colder winters and more humidity
Okinawa - The almost tropical Ryukyu archipelago
When to go to Japan
In Japan, the weather varies considerably with the season. Overall, Japan is worth visiting at any time due to its seasonal festivals, food and diverse nature. Everything lends itself to the seasons and all are definitely worth a visit.
- March, April, May - Ideal weather, sakura bloom season.
- June, July - The rainy season. There are persistent rains between June and July each year and this is the least suitable time of year to visit.
- August, September - Hot and humid summers. Unlike the hot dry summers in Europe, Japan has high humidity (up to 98%) that even your clothes won't dry in a week outside. You certainly can't avoid a few showers a day, but the rains are not as intense as in June and July.
- October - Pleasant weather often with summer temperatures but significantly lower humidity than in summer.
- November - The main season for autumn foliage colour, particularly the second half of November to early December.
- December, January, February - Winter season for skiing and travel in Japanese cities, with significantly fewer tourists.
