Tokyo capital, city break
Best months: August. Rainiest: September. Highs range from 48°F (9°C) to 88°F (31°C).
Best Time to Visit Japan
The best time to visit Japan: in Tokyo, August; in Okinawa, November. The wettest stretch in Okinawa is May, June, August. It is hottest in Kyoto in August, with highs of 90°F (32°C). It is coolest in Kyoto in January, with highs of 47°F (8°C). The sea is warmest in Okinawa in September, at 86°F (30°C).
Climate normals were checked on September 29, 2026, over a year ago. An update is due.
Climate normals checked September 29, 2026 · Source: Open-Meteo (ERA5) · How we calculate
Japan weather by month
Colour shows the month rating for the best region. See the table below for month-by-month details.
- Jan67°FJanuary: Mixed
- Feb68°FFebruary: Mixed
- Mar70°FMarch: Mixed
- Apr66°FApril: Mixed
- May74°FMay: Mixed
- Jun79°FJune: Mixed
- Jul86°FJuly: Mixed
- Aug88°FAugust: Good
- Sep82°FSeptember: Mixed
- Oct81°FOctober: Mixed
- Nov76°FNovember: Good
- Dec70°FDecember: Mixed
Excellent Good Mixed Off-season
Japan air and sea temperature by month
- Tokyo: air
- Kyoto: air
- Okinawa: air
- Okinawa: sea
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tokyo: air | 48 | 51 | 58 | 66 | 74 | 79 | 86 | 88 | 81 | 71 | 62 | 53 |
| Kyoto: air | 47 | 49 | 57 | 66 | 74 | 80 | 86 | 90 | 82 | 71 | 62 | 51 |
| Okinawa: air | 67 | 68 | 70 | 74 | 79 | 83 | 86 | 86 | 85 | 81 | 76 | 70 |
| Okinawa: sea | 72 | 71 | 71 | 74 | 76 | 80 | 84 | 85 | 86 | 84 | 80 | 76 |
Japan weather table, month by month
Long-term averages for each region. Tap a region to open its table.
Tokyo · capital, city break
| Month | Day high | Night low | Rainy days | Rainfall | Humidity | Sun, h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 48°F (9°C) | 31°F (0°C) | 5 | 2.2 in (57 mm) | 66% | 7.8 |
| February | 51°F (10°C) | 33°F (1°C) | 7 | 2.2 in (57 mm) | 66% | 7.9 |
| March | 58°F (14°C) | 40°F (5°C) | 12 | 5.5 in (139 mm) | 69% | 8.1 |
| April | 66°F (19°C) | 49°F (9°C) | 12 | 5.2 in (131 mm) | 72% | 8.6 |
| May | 74°F (23°C) | 58°F (14°C) | 11 | 5.4 in (136 mm) | 74% | 8.9 |
| June | 79°F (26°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 15 | 7.6 in (192 mm) | 79% | 8.2 |
| July | 86°F (30°C) | 73°F (23°C) | 16 | 7.6 in (194 mm) | 81% | 8.7 |
| August | 88°F (31°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 14 | 5.7 in (145 mm) | 79% | 10.0 |
| September | 81°F (27°C) | 69°F (21°C) | 15 | 8.5 in (215 mm) | 81% | 7.4 |
| October | 71°F (22°C) | 57°F (14°C) | 12 | 7.6 in (193 mm) | 78% | 7.0 |
| November | 62°F (17°C) | 47°F (8°C) | 10 | 3.8 in (97 mm) | 75% | 7.3 |
| December | 53°F (11°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 7 | 2.4 in (61 mm) | 70% | 7.5 |
Kyoto · temples, sightseeing
| Month | Day high | Night low | Rainy days | Rainfall | Humidity | Sun, h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 47°F (8°C) | 31°F (−1°C) | 8 | 2.5 in (64 mm) | 76% | 7.2 |
| February | 49°F (9°C) | 32°F (0°C) | 8 | 2.5 in (64 mm) | 74% | 7.5 |
| March | 57°F (14°C) | 37°F (3°C) | 11 | 4.8 in (123 mm) | 73% | 8.3 |
| April | 66°F (19°C) | 46°F (8°C) | 11 | 6.4 in (163 mm) | 73% | 8.4 |
| May | 74°F (24°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 11 | 6.8 in (173 mm) | 73% | 9.3 |
| June | 80°F (26°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 15 | 9.4 in (239 mm) | 78% | 8.6 |
| July | 86°F (30°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 18 | 10.8 in (275 mm) | 82% | 9.1 |
| August | 90°F (32°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 13 | 7.6 in (192 mm) | 78% | 10.4 |
| September | 82°F (28°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 15 | 7.9 in (201 mm) | 80% | 8.4 |
| October | 71°F (22°C) | 55°F (13°C) | 11 | 7.1 in (180 mm) | 79% | 8.0 |
| November | 62°F (16°C) | 45°F (7°C) | 7 | 3.1 in (80 mm) | 79% | 7.7 |
| December | 51°F (11°C) | 35°F (1°C) | 7 | 2.5 in (64 mm) | 77% | 7.3 |
Okinawa · subtropical beaches
| Month | Day high | Night low | Sea | Rainy days | Rainfall | Humidity | Sun, h/day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 67°F (19°C) | 60°F (16°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 10 | 4.0 in (101 mm) | 68% | 6.4 |
| February | 68°F (20°C) | 61°F (16°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 11 | 3.8 in (96 mm) | 70% | 7.2 |
| March | 70°F (21°C) | 63°F (17°C) | 71°F (22°C) | 14 | 4.9 in (125 mm) | 73% | 8.0 |
| April | 74°F (24°C) | 68°F (20°C) | 74°F (23°C) | 15 | 5.8 in (147 mm) | 78% | 9.0 |
| May | 79°F (26°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 17 | 10.4 in (265 mm) | 84% | 9.0 |
| June | 83°F (28°C) | 78°F (25°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 21 | 11.7 in (298 mm) | 87% | 8.9 |
| July | 86°F (30°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 84°F (29°C) | 21 | 7.4 in (188 mm) | 83% | 11.2 |
| August | 86°F (30°C) | 81°F (27°C) | 85°F (29°C) | 22 | 8.8 in (224 mm) | 82% | 11.0 |
| September | 85°F (30°C) | 79°F (26°C) | 86°F (30°C) | 23 | 8.1 in (206 mm) | 81% | 9.9 |
| October | 81°F (27°C) | 75°F (24°C) | 84°F (29°C) | 14 | 5.9 in (151 mm) | 75% | 9.4 |
| November | 76°F (25°C) | 71°F (21°C) | 80°F (27°C) | 11 | 4.4 in (111 mm) | 72% | 7.9 |
| December | 70°F (21°C) | 64°F (18°C) | 76°F (24°C) | 12 | 5.6 in (143 mm) | 69% | 6.1 |
Best time to visit Japan for beaches, sightseeing and savings
| Goal | When to go |
|---|---|
| Beach holiday | Okinawa: November |
| Sightseeing | Okinawa: February |
| Peak season | August, November |
| Cheaper: shoulder season | July, September to October, December |
- Beach holiday — sea 75°F (24°C)+, highs 75–95°F (24–35°C), rain under 150 mm
- Sightseeing — highs 63–88°F (17–31°C), rain under 100 mm
- Peak season — the best weather rating of the year
- Cheaper: shoulder season — months next to peak season, weather still decent
Shoulder season is a weather-based estimate, not a price check: demand is lower in these months, so flights and hotels are usually cheaper than at peak. We do not compare prices here; check them for your dates.
- Compare with other destinations: where to go in August, where to go in November.
How to use it
- Read the calendar: green is in season, red is off-season.
- Open a region table for highs and lows, sea temperature, rainfall, rainy days, humidity and sunshine.
- Pick your goal in the “When to go” block: beach, sightseeing or shoulder season.
- Compare with other destinations in “Where to go” for your month.
When to visit each region of Japan
Kyoto temples, sightseeing
Rainiest: June to July, September. Highs range from 47°F (8°C) to 90°F (32°C).
Okinawa subtropical beaches
Best months: November. Rainiest: May to June, August to September. Highs range from 67°F (19°C) to 86°F (30°C), sea 72–86°F (22–30°C).
Best time to visit Japan: FAQ
When is the best time to visit Japan?
The best time to visit Japan: in Tokyo, August; in Okinawa, November. The wettest stretch in Okinawa is May, June, August. It is hottest in Kyoto in August, with highs of 90°F (32°C). It is coolest in Kyoto in January, with highs of 47°F (8°C). The sea is warmest in Okinawa in September, at 86°F (30°C).
What is Japan's rainy season?
Months with more than 200 mm (7.9 in) of rain: in Tokyo, September; in Kyoto, June to July, September; in Okinawa, May to June, August to September. The wettest month in Okinawa is June, with about 11.7 in (298 mm).
Is Japan hot all year?
Day highs in Tokyo range from 48°F (9°C) to 88°F (31°C). The hottest month is August in Kyoto, at 90°F (32°C).
Where the data comes from
- Air temperature, rainfall, humidity — ERA5 reanalysis (Copernicus / ECMWF) via Open-Meteo, averaged over 2015–2024. Each region uses one point: the resort or city in its caption.
- Sea temperature — Open-Meteo Marine, average sea surface temperature for 2023–2026 (the source has no longer record yet).
- Sunshine — sunshine duration from the same ERA5 reanalysis (Open-Meteo), average hours of sun per day for the month, 2015–2024.
- Rainy days — days with at least 1 mm (0.04 in) of rain. Reanalysis picks up light rain more often than weather stations, so treat this as an upper bound.
- Month rating — one rule for every destination, based on three factors: day highs (ideal 75–91°F / 24–33°C), monthly rainfall (ideal under 80 mm / 3.1 in) and, for beach regions, sea temperature (ideal 77°F / 25°C or warmer). All ideal means Excellent; one slightly weaker factor means Good. Mixed means heavy rain (150 mm / 5.9 in or more), highs above 97°F (36°C) or a sea below 70°F (21°C). Off-season means highs of 100°F (38°C) or more, cold below 54°F (12°C), over 350 mm (13.8 in) of rain, or several problems at once. A country's rating follows its best region, so check the regional table.
- Licence — weather data by Open-Meteo.com under CC BY 4.0; ERA5 reanalysis by the Copernicus Climate Change Service / ECMWF. The normals are precomputed and stored on this site, so the page sends no requests to the source.
Checked September 29, 2026. Climate normals are refreshed yearly and the notes every 90 days. These are long-term averages, not a forecast: any given year can differ.
