The best time to visit Tokyo, Japan, is in mid-spring (April to early May) and in late autumn (late October to mid-November). During these shoulder season months, temperatures are still relatively mild to warm. Rainfall is lower than in the periods around Japan’s hot and wet summer. In these seasons, we also love the chance to enjoy Tokyo at its most colourful as the spring cherry blossoms and fall leaves burst onto the scene.
Summer is the high tourism season in Tokyo. Despite this, it’s not, in our opinion, a comfortable time to travel to Japan’s capital. When we’ve visited in the summer months, we’ve always been put off by extreme heat and humidity.
On top of this, they’re the wettest months of the year. Oh, and another strike? The summer also falls within Tokyo’s typhoon season, which runs from May to October, peaking between July and September.
Looking to dig into all your options for your Japan vacation? Let us help you get your travel plans in order with our complete Tokyo weather guide, including our recommendations for what to expect and what to wear by season and by month!
Weather in Tokyo: An overview
Like many popular Japanese cities, Tokyo sits within a temperate, humid subtropical climate zone. This gives it four distinct seasons: spring, summer, autumn, and winter.
Although we’ll admit there’s quite a swing in weather conditions throughout, we think Tokyo is mostly a year-round destination.
But with a couple of caveats.
Tokyo experiences hot and humid summers, moderate springs and autumns, and mild to cool winters. Summer is the most popular season to visit. But after visiting during these months, we’d also say they’re among the least comfortable for travellers.
Not only is the summer the wettest season, but it also falls in the middle of typhoon season. The typhoon season in Tokyo starts in May and ends in about October. We see the highest chances of landfall from July to September.
(Fortunately, we’ve noticed that Tokyo rarely gets affected heavily.)
Rain falls throughout the year in Tokyo, peaking in June, September, and October. Gearing up for the wet conditions helps, but unless it’s your only option, we’d recommend not planning a trip to Japan during these times.
Overall, we think mid-spring and late autumn are much better choices for travellers. During these months, temperatures are still mild to warm with less precipitation. And let’s not forget the bonus of experiencing cherry blossom season in Tokyo or marvelling at the beautiful fall colours!
Winter is the driest time of year in Tokyo. And although the temperatures often sit in the single digits, it’s not, in our opinion, too cold in winter to experience Tokyo to its fullest. Bundle up with a warm sweater and good outerwear; you’ll be just fine.
Moving on after Tokyo? Plan out the rest of your trip with our guide to when to visit Japan!
Tokyo Weather by Season
Spring
When is spring in Tokyo?
Spring in Tokyo is from late March to May.
What to expect
With winter slowly disappearing, we start to see the temperatures in Tokyo leap upward beyond March. Spring is a special time of year in Tokyo, with the cherry blossoms dropping in for a quick “hello” near the end of March or early April.
Unless you’re in love with crowds (and paying hefty premiums), we’d recommend avoiding visiting during Golden Week. This string of Japanese holidays falls around the end of April and the beginning of May.
(And after experiencing the tail-end of this on one trip by accident, we’d say: steer clear!)
During both cherry blossom season and Golden Week, we’d suggest planning far ahead and expect higher accommodation prices.
What to wear
During spring, wear pants, light sweaters, and long-sleeved shirts, and you should be plenty comfortable. With temperatures still cool, we’d also recommend carrying around a rain jacket. A warmer softshell jacket works well in spring, too.
We’d also suggest packing a fleece jacket as a mid-layer for the odd cool day and chilly nights. Dressing in layers is our recommendation for spring.
Summer
When is summer in Tokyo?
Summer in Tokyo is from June to August.
What to expect
From our many trips to the continent throughout the year, we know that Asia is rarely a pleasant place to travel in the summer. And we’ve discovered that Tokyo is no exception.
We found out the hard way on one of our trips that summer days in Tokyo are hot and sticky, with frequent downpours sullying the mood between mid-June and mid-July.
Late August and early September are equally nasty as typhoon season hits Japan. Oddly enough, summer is also one of the busiest times of the year we’ve found for tourists in Tokyo. We’d recommend booking your accommodations well ahead if you’re planning to travel at this time.
What to wear
With the heat and humidity, we think you’ll be most comfortable in light summer attire, including lightweight, quick-drying pants and shirts. Lightweight hiking shoes, breathable walking shoes, or travel sandals will keep your feet comfortable in the dead heat of summer.
Oh, and we’d also suggest carrying a travel umbrella and ultra-lightweight rain jacket with you at all times. (You’ll thank us when that inevitable mid-day downpour hits without warning!)
Autumn
When is autumn in Tokyo?
Autumn in Tokyo is from September to November.
What to expect
Early autumn, from September to mid-October, is one of the wettest times of the year in Tokyo. Come November, we’ll finally see the rain taper off.
Although the temperatures quickly become cooler in fall, there’s a bright side. We love visiting in autumn to see Tokyo erupt into beautiful fall colours. Even if you miss the peak fall foliage, we still think fall is a great time to visit Japan’s capital!
What to wear
September is still pleasantly warm, but we’d recommend carrying a light jacket—whether a softshell or fleece—into October and November as nights get chilly.
Since rains are frequent, pack a rain jacket and umbrella for the inevitable soaking.
Winter
When is winter in Tokyo?
Winter in Tokyo is from December to early March.
What to expect
Tokyo can get chilly during the winter. The weather is, however, generally pleasantly dry and sunny.
We do see snow fall from time to time, but it often turns quickly to slush; in our experience, the temperatures don’t tend to hover long below freezing.
And although there are fewer tourists to bump into during the winter months, we find little respite from Tokyo’s high accommodation prices. We’ve noticed that it gets especially busy here around the holidays.
What to wear
With the cooler temperatures, you’ll need to carry slightly heavier outerwear than in the fall. A warm, insulated jacket is our recommendation for when the temperatures dip into the single digits.
We also think that packing some warm, waterproof, and insulated winter boots could be a good idea to combat the snow and slush. Most of the time, you should be able to get away with a pair of waterproof hiking shoes or waterproof walking shoes.
Weather by Month
January
January is the coldest month of the year in Tokyo. But we don’t think it’s such a bad time to visit; it also happens to be the driest month of the year!
Sunny days are the norm in January, and snow isn’t as common as you might think.
Our one recommendation? We’d suggest not visiting around New Year’s as Tokyo gets absolutely jammed with tourists.
- Average Temperature: 5°C / 41°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 2°C / 36°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 8°C / 46°F
- Rainfall: 43mm / 9 days
Looking for the perfect place to hang your head in Tokyo? Check out our complete guide to where to stay in Tokyo, including our favorite neighbourhoods, areas & hotels!
February
The mercury rises ever so slightly into February, as does the amount of precipitation. Still, we expect to see mostly sunny days in February.
If you’re into running, consider joining almost 40,000 other runners for the Tokyo Marathon at the end of the month.
- Average Temperature: 6°C / 43°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 2°C / 36°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 9°C / 48°F
- Rainfall: 55mm / 11 days
March
Winter weather still persists in Tokyo into early March. In our experience, it tapers off into more spring-like conditions towards the middle and end of the month.
At the end of March, keep your eyes peeled for the first signs of cherry blossom season in Tokyo.
- Average Temperature: 9°C / 48°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 5°C / 41°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 12°C / 54°F
- Rainfall: 94mm / 17 days
April
By April, we see spring in full force in Tokyo. Mornings and evenings can still get a little damp and chilly. Daytime highs start to reach into the high teens, making April a pleasant month to spend time outdoors.
By the beginning of April, the sakura (cherry blossoms) in Tokyo should be in bloom. With both the beautiful cherry blossoms and mild weather, we think April is one of the best months to travel to Tokyo.
Just keep in mind that it’ll be very busy at the prime hanami (cherry blossom viewing) spots around the city.
- Average Temperature: 14°C / 57°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 10°C / 50°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 17°C / 63°F
- Rainfall: 119mm / 16 days
May
Like April, we’d expect to see some great travel weather in Tokyo during May, particularly in the first half of the month. Average daytime temperatures finally start to climb into the twenties, marking the beginning of much warmer weather to come.
After traveling to Tokyo in May, we’ve noticed that it’s still a little cool in the mornings and at night. But it’s hardly enough for us to not recommend visiting at this time.
We should warn you, however, that rainfall picks up in the latter half of the month. Late May also marks the official start of typhoon season in Japan. Keep your travel plans flexible and get good trip cancellation insurance, just in case.
- Average Temperature: 18°C / 64°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 14°C / 57°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 21°C / 70°F
- Rainfall: 132mm / 16 days
TIP: May is a fantastic time to travel around Japan—especially by train! Check to see if a train pass will save you some yen with our Japan Rail Pass guide!
June
Temperatures start to surge in June, the wettest month in Tokyo. June marks the beginning of Tokyo’s rainy season.
From our experience traveling at this time of year, it’s a miserable six or so weeks where rain inevitably hits as often as your voracious appetite for sushi will.
Overall, June is hot, humid, and wet; we don’t think it’s exactly a winning combination for your trip to Tokyo.
- Average Temperature: 21°C / 70°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 18°C / 64°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 24°C / 75°F
- Rainfall: 181mm / 20 days
July
We wouldn’t expect much respite from the wet weather as we enter July. In this mid-summer month, the daytime temperatures and humidity push to less than comfortable levels.
The first three weeks or so of July still firmly grip you in the rainy season. Even when the skies aren’t opening up above you, we’d expect some seriously hot and sticky conditions.
- Average Temperature: 25°C / 77°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 22°C / 72°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 28°C / 82°F
- Rainfall: 128mm / 20 days
August
With the rainy season in the rearview mirror, August is a slightly more pleasant month to visit Tokyo than June or July. Sunny days prevail, but the heat and humidity, in our opinion, are still killer.
If you’re from a more temperate country, you may find the Japanese late-summer weather still a tad unpleasant. Late August also marks the start of the peak typhoon season in Japan.
Fortunately, we’ve learned that Tokyo rarely sees any major effects from this.
- Average Temperature: 26°C / 79°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 23°C / 73°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 29°C / 84°F
- Rainfall: 147mm / 17 days
September
The summer weather begins to break into fall during the month of September. While we like the less oppressive heat, the renewed fury of rainfall (and typhoon season) that comes along with it isn’t superb.
September is one of the wettest months in Tokyo, with an average of 207mm of precipitation. That means we’ll smee plenty of hot and wet days for pretty much the entire month.
- Average Temperature: 23°C / 73°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 20°C / 68°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 26°C / 79°F
- Rainfall: 207mm / 21 days
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October
Unfortunately, the first half of October isn’t much better than September. Temperatures in Tokyo are still warm into October, but we’ve noticed that it’s generally fairly wet and gloomy.
Although autumn is officially upon us in October, the cooler temperatures don’t tend to start rolling in until the end of the month. From our experience, the latter half of the month is a much better time to travel here.
- Average Temperature: 18°C / 64°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 15°C / 59°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 20°C / 68°F
- Rainfall: 158mm / 17 days
November
We see autumn in full swing in Tokyo come November. With the cooler temperatures, we finally get to witness the tree leaves throughout the city’s parks erupt into a cavalcade of fall colours.
With the combination of incredible scenery and drier weather, November is, along with April, an ideal month to travel to Tokyo.
- Average Temperature: 12°C / 54°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 9°C / 48°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 15°C / 59°F
- Rainfall: 84mm / 12 days
Spending time in Tokyo in autumn? Save some time to tackle some of our favorite day trips from Tokyo, where you’ll see some of Japan’s finest fall colours in full force!
December
Winter may be coming, but weather-wise, we don’t think December is so bad in Tokyo. Surprisingly, December is the sunniest month of the year in Tokyo and the second driest.
We’d expect to see plenty of blue skies; in our opinion, they help make the crisper temperatures seem more pleasant.
- Average Temperature: 8°C / 46°F
- Avg. Low Temperature: 4°C / 39°F
- Avg. High Temperature: 11°C / 52°F
- Rainfall: 44mm / 9 days
Final recommendations
The best month to visit Tokyo is either April or November.
Why visit in April?
If you’ve ever visited Asia in the summer, you’ll understand why we’re happy to recommend the spring month of April for visitors to Tokyo.
By April, temperatures are already starting to warm up nicely without inching too close to the oppressive summer highs. April is also fairly dry. We love how it lets us enjoy Tokyo among bluer skies more than in the gloomy days of summer and early fall.
And let’s not forget about the sakura! The beginning of April generally coincides with cherry blossom viewing season in Tokyo.
To catch them, timing is of the essence; the blossoms disappear nearly as quickly as they sprout. Of all the reasons we could come up with to visit Tokyo in April, this is the biggest. Not only is sakura a must-see for Japan, but we think it’s practically a must for every world traveller!
One thing we’d like to note is that the end of April marks the start of Golden Week. This string of national holidays sends Japanese tourists all around the country to explore.
In our opinion, it’s generally not a great time to travel throughout Japan. Whenever we’ve tried to plan a trip around Golden Week, we’ve seen accommodation availability drop while prices climb even higher.
Why visit in November?
Next to April, we’d also recommend hitting up Tokyo in November. Like many other four-season destinations, Tokyo is absolutely beautiful in the fall. The blast of autumn colours throughout the city, especially in places like Shinjuku Gyoen, is a site to behold.
In November, the temperatures in Tokyo cool down. In our experience, though, they’re mild enough during the day to enjoy the outdoors without multiple layers.
It’s a dry month, too, especially compared to the wet and dark days of September and October or the incessant rainstorms of summer.
