Japan month by month.
| Month | What it is like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| January | Cold and mostly dry and sunny on the Pacific side, with deep snow in Hokkaido, the Japanese Alps and along the Sea of Japan coast. The New Year holiday ends in the first days of the month, after which the cities and temples are among the quietest of the year. Clear winter air gives some of the best chances of seeing Mount Fuji. | Skiing in Niseko and Hakuba, hot-spring ryokans, quiet temples |
| February | Japan's coldest month, and the height of the ski season. Hokkaido holds its winter festivals, including the Sapporo Snow Festival early in the month, and plum blossom (ume) begins in the warmer south towards the end of it. Hot springs are at their best. | Powder snow, winter festivals, hot springs |
| March | The season turns. Plum blossom gives way to cherry blossom, which reaches Tokyo and Kyoto late in the month, and the ski season continues in the north. Demand for rooms rises sharply in the last week as the blossom approaches. | The first cherry blossom, the last of the powder |
| April | Peak blossom in Tokyo and Kyoto in the first days of the month, moving north to the mountains and Hokkaido later. Mild days and cool evenings. Golden Week begins on 29 April, the busiest travel period of the year. | Cherry blossom (book six to twelve months ahead) |
| May | Warm and green, with fresh leaves in the temple gardens and azaleas in flower. Golden Week ends on 5 May, and the weeks after it are among the most pleasant and least crowded of the spring, ideal for walking and the countryside. | Gardens, walking, the Kumano Kodo trails |
| June | The rainy season settles over most of the country from early in the month, with frequent, mostly light rain and hydrangeas and irises in the gardens. Hokkaido escapes it and is fresh and green, and the cities are quieter. | Hokkaido, quieter cities |
| July | The rainy season ends in mid month and the heat and humidity build in Tokyo and Kyoto. Kyoto's Gion Matsuri fills the month, festival season begins across the country, and the official climbing season on Mount Fuji opens. | Festivals, Hokkaido, the mountains |
| August | The hottest month, with Obon holidays in the middle of it, when trains and roads are full, and the risk of typhoons later on. Fireworks festivals run through the summer, and Hokkaido and the mountains are the coolest places to be. | Hokkaido, the mountains, festivals |
| September | Still warm and humid early on, with typhoons possible, but the crowds thin after the summer holidays. Colour begins in the far north and the high mountains at the end of the month. | Cities and food, quieter travel |
| October | Cooler, drier and clear, one of the most comfortable months of the year. Autumn colour spreads through Hokkaido and the mountains, and Kyoto holds its Jidai Matsuri, a procession of historical costume, on 22 October. | Autumn colour in the north, food, walking |
| November | Peak autumn colour reaches Kyoto and Tokyo in the middle and end of the month, under settled, sunny skies. Kyoto's temple gardens are at their most celebrated, and their busiest, in the last two weeks. | Autumn colour, Kyoto's temples and gardens |
| December | Cold and clear. The ski season opens in Hokkaido and the Alps, the cities light up for winter, and the year-end holidays begin at the end of the month, when many businesses close for New Year. | Skiing, winter illuminations, hot springs |
Japan by season.
Spring runs from March to May. Cherry blossom moves north through the country, peaking in Tokyo and Kyoto between late March and early April and reaching Hokkaido weeks later. It is Japan's most coveted season, and the finest rooms go six to twelve months ahead.
Summer, June to August, opens with the rainy season across most of the country and turns hot and humid in Tokyo and Kyoto. It is also the season of festivals and the best time for Hokkaido, which has no rainy season to speak of.
Autumn, October and November, is as spectacular as spring, with fewer crowds. The colour starts in Hokkaido and the mountains and reaches Kyoto and Tokyo in mid to late November, under clear skies and comfortable temperatures.
Winter, December to March, is powder season in Niseko and Hakuba, and the time for hot-spring ryokans in the snow. The cities are quieter outside the New Year holiday.
When is cherry blossom season in Japan?
Cherry blossom (sakura) typically runs from late March to mid April in Tokyo and Kyoto, starting earlier in the south (Kyushu) and later in the north (Hokkaido). Each tree is in full bloom for about a week, so a trip built around the blossom is built around a moving date.
Because the finest hotels and ryokans for those weeks are booked six to twelve months ahead, an advisor reserves early and plans the route to follow the bloom north if the timing shifts.
When is the best time for autumn colour?
Autumn foliage (momiji) begins in Hokkaido and the high mountains from late September and October, and reaches Kyoto and Tokyo from mid to late November. Kyoto's temple gardens are at their most celebrated in the last weeks of November.
The weather is settled and clear, and the crowds are lighter than in spring, which makes autumn the choice for many travellers who know Japan well.
When is the best time to ski in Japan?
The ski season in Niseko and Hakuba runs from December to March, and Niseko's light, dry powder is the reason a growing number of UHNW travellers ski Japan rather than the Alps. January and February usually bring the deepest snow.
A winter trip pairs well with Tokyo and Kyoto, which are quiet and crisp in January and February, and with a hot-spring ryokan between the two.
The weeks to plan around.
Three periods fill Japan's trains and hotels with domestic travellers. Plan around them, or plan for them with an advisor who can secure what remains.
- Golden Week, 29 April to 5 May: a run of national holidays and the busiest week of the year to travel.
- Obon, in mid August: families travel home, and trains and roads are full.
- New Year, from about 29 December to 3 January: many businesses, and some restaurants and shrines, close or change their hours.
The weather to plan around.
The rainy season (tsuyu) covers most of Japan from early June to mid July, with frequent, mostly light rain; Hokkaido is largely spared. Typhoon season peaks in August and September, when a storm can close flights and trains for a day or two.
Neither rules a season out. They shape which part of Japan to see, and they are why a trip in those months benefits from someone who can move it at short notice.
Busy seasons, without the crowds.
Japan's best seasons are also its busiest. Advisors work with local specialists in Japan who arrange what the crowded weeks otherwise make impossible: a temple or garden visited privately before it opens, a ryokan taken over by one party, a table at a counter with eight seats.
Which month is right depends on what you want to see. Your advisor plans the trip around it, books it, and stays at hand for changes before and during the journey.
Japan by region.
Japan runs some 3,000 kilometres from the snow of Hokkaido to the subtropical islands of Okinawa, so the best time depends on where you are going as much as when.
Tokyo and Kyoto are at their finest in spring and autumn, crisp and clear in winter, and hot and humid in high summer. Most first journeys are built around them, which is why spring and autumn are the busiest seasons.
Hokkaido, in the far north, is a winter destination for powder snow and a summer one for cool, dry weather, open landscapes and the lavender fields around Furano in July. It has no real rainy season.
Okinawa and its islands are warm for most of the year. The beach season runs roughly from April to October; the rainy season arrives earlier than on the main islands, in May and June, and typhoons are most likely from August to September.
The Japanese Alps and the mountains of central Japan are for walking from early summer to autumn, and for snow, hot springs and quiet villages in winter.
The best months, by what you want to do.
Use this as a starting point; an advisor fits the dates to everything else you want from the trip.
- Cherry blossom: late March to early April in Tokyo and Kyoto; later in the mountains and the north.
- Autumn colour: October in Hokkaido and the mountains; mid to late November in Kyoto and Tokyo.
- Skiing: December to March in Niseko and Hakuba, with January and February usually the deepest snow.
- Hot springs: December to February, when a ryokan's open-air bath is at its best in the cold.
- Walking, including the Kumano Kodo trails: April to May and October to November, outside the rainy season and the summer heat.
- Gardens in flower: May and June, for azaleas, irises and hydrangeas.
- Mount Fuji in view: the clear, dry days of winter give the best chance of seeing it.
- Festivals: July for Kyoto's Gion Matsuri, and summer for fireworks across the country.
- Okinawa's beaches: May to October, with typhoons most likely in August and September.
- Hokkaido in summer: June to August, cool and green while the rest of Japan is hot.
How long the blossom and the colour last.
Cherry blossom moves north through Japan over about two months, but each tree is in full bloom for only about a week, and rain or wind can shorten it. A trip built around the blossom is planned with room to move between cities as the forecast firms up.
Autumn colour lasts longer and moves the other way, from the mountains and the north down to the cities, so a trip in late October and November can follow it from the Alps to Kyoto.
How far ahead to book.
For cherry blossom and autumn colour, the finest hotels and ryokans in Tokyo and Kyoto are booked six to twelve months ahead, and the most sought-after restaurants open their reservations months in advance. Golden Week and the New Year holiday also fill early.
Outside those weeks, a few months is usually enough. An advisor reserves the hard parts first, the ryokan nights and the private visits, and builds the rest of the journey around them.
A first visit and a return visit.
For a first visit, spring or autumn: Tokyo, a ryokan in the countryside and Kyoto, at the time of year Japan is most famous for.
For a return visit, many travellers choose the seasons others overlook: Kyoto quiet under winter skies, Hokkaido's powder snow, the art islands of the Seto Inland Sea in May, or Hokkaido in midsummer.
Crowds at the famous sights.
Kyoto's best-known temples and shrines, Fushimi Inari, Kinkaku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera among them, are busiest from mid-morning to late afternoon in every season, and most of all in spring and autumn. The answer is timing: arrive at opening or come back in the evening, and visit the quieter temples in between.
Some temples and gardens can be visited privately, before opening or after closing, through the local specialists advisors work with. In the busiest weeks those visits are what make the season worth it.
What to pack, season by season.
- Spring and autumn: layers for mild days and cool evenings, and comfortable shoes for temple grounds and gardens.
- Summer: light, breathable clothes and an umbrella for the rainy season; something warmer for Hokkaido and the mountains.
- Winter: a warm coat for the cities and full mountain clothing for Hokkaido, where it is far colder.
- All year: shoes that slip off easily, since you remove them in ryokans, temples and many restaurants.
Your questions.
What is the best month to visit Japan?
For most travellers, April for cherry blossom or November for autumn colour. May and October are close behind, with fewer crowds. For skiing, January and February.
When is the rainy season in Japan?
From early June to mid July across most of the country. Hokkaido is largely spared, which makes it the place to be in June.
When is typhoon season in Japan?
Typhoons are most likely in August and September. One can stop flights and trains for a day or two, so a trip in those months is best planned with room to move.
When is Japan least crowded?
January and February outside the New Year holiday, June, and the weeks after Golden Week in May are the quietest. The busiest are cherry blossom season, Golden Week, mid August and the New Year.
How far ahead should we book for cherry blossom?
Six to twelve months for the finest hotels and ryokans in Tokyo and Kyoto during peak bloom.
Is winter a good time to visit Japan?
Yes. December to February brings powder snow in Hokkaido and the Alps, hot springs at their best, clear skies for Mount Fuji, and quieter cities outside the New Year holiday.
Is summer a good time to visit Japan?
For Hokkaido and the mountains, yes. Tokyo and Kyoto are hot and humid in July and August, and the rainy season covers most of the country in June and early July, but summer is also the season of festivals.
When is the best time to see Mount Fuji?
The clear, dry days of winter, from about December to February, give the best chance of seeing Mount Fuji. In summer it is often hidden by haze and cloud.
When is the best time to visit Okinawa?
May to October for the beaches, with typhoons most likely in August and September. Okinawa's rainy season comes earlier than on the main islands, in May and June.
The right month depends on what you want to see. Your advisor plans around it.
Recommendations chosen for you, an itinerary crafted around them, and every booking managed by an independent Ultra Advisor who works with local specialists in Japan.