Japan travel calendar
When to go to Japan, day by day
Where it’s warm and calm, when the holidays fill every train, when the sakura and momiji are out and Fuji climbing is open, all on a calendar of the coming year.
The seasons in brief
Spring (March to May) and autumn (October to November) are the easy seasons: days of 15–25 °C, little rain and long light. Summer is hot and humid, with the rainy season in June and early July. Winter is cool and clear in Tokyo and Kyoto, deep snow in Hokkaido, and mild in Okinawa.
Sakura, momiji and Fuji
Cherry blossom and autumn leaves are seasons of their own, so the calendar shows their icon instead of a rating. They are beautiful, and they are also the most crowded and expensive weeks of the year: book rooms three to six months ahead.
In the Fuji climbing season, 1 July to 10 September, the mountain stands in place of the date, and those days keep their rating line.
Holidays to avoid
Three times a year the whole country travels: New Year (28 December to 4 January), Golden Week (29 April to 5 May) and Obon (13 to 16 August), each stretched by the weekends next to it. Trains sell out, prices jump and many places close. Silver Week in September joins them in the years it forms.
Three-day weekends, China’s National Day week, the Lunar New Year and Korea’s Chuseok make a day busier and dearer, but not one to avoid: they lower its rating by one step.
Heat, rain and typhoons
From mid-July to early September the usual high in Tokyo and Kyoto is above 30 °C, and humid. The rainy season runs from early June to around 19 July on Honshu, and from May in Okinawa. Typhoons come closest from late August through September.
The calendar uses the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 30-year normals for each city, so it shows what a day is usually like, not a forecast.
Mount Fuji
Fuji is shy: cloud hides it on most summer days. The clearest mornings come in winter, from late October to February: from early November to early February, a faint mountain sits behind the date for Tokyo. Each day’s details give the share of clear mornings at the summit, from ten years of records.
What the price level means
Like the $ on a map, ¥ to ¥¥¥¥ compares a night in a basket of well-reviewed mid-range hotels with that city’s median through the year: ¥ is at least 15 % cheaper, ¥¥ within 15 % of the median, ¥¥¥ up to half again, ¥¥¥¥ more. Prices come from Rakuten Travel, sampled every week up to a year ahead; further out, last year’s level stands in. Flights are not included.
How to read the calendar
Under each date is a line: solid bold green for a great time, solid softer green for good, dashed amber for not great and dotted red for days to avoid. Days in a row with the same line join up, so a good fortnight reads at a glance. A small dot marks a busy day: a long weekend, or a holiday abroad that brings crowds. Tap a day for why it’s rated as it is, the usual weather and the better days nearby.
Questions
What is the best month to visit Japan?
For Tokyo and Kyoto, the second half of April, May after Golden Week, and October to mid-November: mild, dry and outside the big holidays. The calendar shows the exact days for the coming year.
Is cherry blossom season worth the crowds?
If seeing the sakura is the point of the trip, yes, but plan for it: book rooms three to six months ahead and visit the famous spots early in the morning. If it isn’t, the weeks right after it are calmer, cheaper and just as warm.
When should I avoid travelling in Japan?
New Year, Golden Week and Obon, when the whole country travels at once. Trains and hotels sell out and many shops and sights close.
How hot is Japan in summer?
Usual highs in Tokyo and Kyoto are 30–34 °C from mid-July to early September, with high humidity. Hokkaido stays around 25 °C.
When can I see Mount Fuji?
Most often on winter mornings, from late October to February, when the air is clear. In summer it is hidden by cloud on most days, though that is when the climbing season is open.
Are the hotel price levels exact prices?
No: they compare a day with the same city through the year, from a fixed basket of hotels. They tell you whether a day is cheaper or dearer than usual, not what your hotel will cost.
Found your dates?
Turn them into a day-by-day plan, with the bookings to make and when they open.
