Japan Seasons And Months ((top)) May 2026

| Month | Avg. Temp (Tokyo) | Key Features | Cultural Events | |-------|------------------|--------------|------------------| | | 19–25°C (66–77°F) | Rainy season (except Hokkaido): heavy, frequent rain; high humidity; lush hydrangeas ( ajisai ) bloom. | Hydrangea festivals (Kamatis, Hakone); Sanno Festival (Tokyo, mid-June). | | July | 23–30°C (73–86°F) | End of rainy season (early July); intense heat, high humidity; clear skies after mid-July; typhoon season begins. | Gion Matsuri (Kyoto, all July, peak July 17 & 24); Sumida River Fireworks (Tokyo, last Saturday); Fuji climbing season opens (early July). | | August | 24–31°C (75–88°F) | Peak heat & humidity; many coastal resorts; evening festivals; occasional typhoons. | Obon (mid-August – ancestral spirit festival, major travel period); Nebuta Matsuri (Aomori); Daimonji Gozan Okuribi (Kyoto, Aug 16). |

| Month | Avg. Temp (Tokyo) | Key Features | Cultural Events | |-------|------------------|--------------|------------------| | | 21–27°C (70–81°F) | Early autumn: still warm, high humidity early; typhoon peak; foliage begins late Sep in high elevations (Hokkaido, Japanese Alps). | Tsukimi (Moon-viewing festivals, mid-Sep); Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri (Osaka, mid-Sep). | | October | 16–22°C (61–72°F) | Ideal weather: cool, dry, sunny; foliage peaks in northern/central Japan (Hakone, Nikko, Kyoto by late Oct). | Takayama Autumn Festival (Oct 9–10); Halloween events (urban areas). | | November | 10–17°C (50–63°F) | Peak foliage across lowland Honshu, Kyoto, Tokyo, Kamakura; chilly mornings & evenings; occasional frost. | Shichi-Go-San (children’s festival, Nov 15); Daitoku-ji Temple autumn openings; Yokohama Oktoberfest . | japan seasons and months

| Month | Avg. Temp (Tokyo) | Key Features | Cultural Events | |-------|------------------|--------------|------------------| | | 5–12°C (41–54°F) | Cold but mostly sunny in Tokyo/Osaka; heavy snow in Hokkaido, Tohoku, Japanese Alps; illuminations nationwide. | Omisoka (New Year’s Eve); Chichibu Night Festival (Dec 3); Emperor’s Birthday (Dec 23). | | January | 2–10°C (36–50°F) | Coldest month: clear, dry days; snow possible in Pacific cities (rarely heavy); peak ski season. | New Year’s (Shogatsu) – most important holiday (Jan 1–3, many closures); Coming of Age Day (second Monday). | | February | 2–10°C (36–50°F) | Still cold; end of ski season; plum blossoms begin (early in south, late in north). | Setsubun (Feb 3, bean-throwing for good luck); Sapporo Snow Festival (early Feb); Omizutori (Nara, late Feb). | | Month | Avg

1. Overview Japan is renowned for its distinct four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, winter), each offering dramatic shifts in landscape, cuisine, festivals, and daily life. Due to its elongated geography (from subarctic Hokkaido in the north to subtropical Okinawa in the south), seasonal timing varies by up to 4–6 weeks between regions. This report provides a month-by-month breakdown, followed by cross-seasonal themes. 2. Spring (March – May) Spring is Japan’s most iconic season, associated with renewal, hanami (cherry blossom viewing), and mild weather. | | July | 23–30°C (73–86°F) | End

| Month | Avg. Temp (Tokyo) | Key Features | Cultural Events | |-------|------------------|--------------|------------------| | | 8–14°C (46–57°F) | Plum blossoms first, cherry blossoms (sakura) begin late March in central Japan; variable weather, some rain. | Hinamatsuri (Girls’ Day, Mar 3); Setsubun (bean-throwing, early March); end of ski season in north. | | April | 11–19°C (52–66°F) | Peak cherry blossoms (Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka); warm days, cool nights; occasional light rain. | Hanami parties nationwide; Takayama Spring Festival (Apr 14–15); Kamakura Festival . | | May | 16–23°C (61–73°F) | Late cherry blossoms in northern Honshu/Hokkaido; lush greenery; increasingly warm and sunny; pre-rainy season. | Golden Week (Apr 29–May 5 – major holiday period, domestic travel peaks); Aoi Matsuri (Kyoto, May 15). |