When is The Best Time to Go To Tokyo?

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Helen Foster is a Sydney-based author, journalist and content creator. She has traveled to Japan six times and is planning trip seven. Her articles on Japan have appeared in publications including Reader's Digest (Asia Pacific), RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, the Japan National Tourism Organisation website and more. She is a digital publisher member of the Australian Society of Travel Writers.

The Best Time to Go To Tokyo

In our opinion, the best time of year to go to Tokyo to get the best weather and miss the crowds is May (trying to miss Golden Week, but before the rain starts in June) or toward the end of October or early November.

That’s when we try and book our trips. But, you’re not us – so, check out what you might expect in Tokyo for each of the seasons…

Tokyo in Spring

Springtime in Tokyo is bursting with color as the cherry blossoms begin to bloom. As you take a stroll through the parks in the city, you’ll see the trees beginning to sprout the first green leaves of the year and the flowers open up to reveal a whole burst of color and fragrances.

But you know what else blooms in springtime? People.

It’s busy…

Tokyo Weather in Spring

March 14°C / 5°C

April 19°C / 10°C

May 23°C / 15°C

Spring in Tokyo lasts from March until the end of May, and the weather is usually dry and sunny.

The humidity is relatively low at 41.1% – 53% from March through to May.

The temperature is diverse and can be warm on some days and cold on others. It is recommended to wear layered clothing so you can take layers off if it gets too warm (or add some if it gets too cold!).

Tokyo gets approximately 8-9 days of rain per month during these months, which makes it an ideal time for traveling to the city.

Spring Events in Tokyo

Cherry Blossoms

The blooms happen from the end of March until very early April, but these trees only bloom for about one week a year, and so everyone is dying to catch an Instagram-worthy photo with the foliage.

Exactly when the blooms come varies yearly, but you’ll find maps online predicting the exact dates nearer the time. It can never be guaranteed, though.

The most popular places to see the flowers include the Meguru River and Shinjuku Gyoen Park, but if you’re looking for some other spots that the locals like, check out these suggestions from the team at Tokyo Tourism.

Sanja Matsuri

This huge festival in Akasuka happens the third weekend in May and, it shouldn’t be missed.

Hundreds of people take to the streets carrying immense floats on their shoulders. The celebrations start low-key on a Friday night, with locals carrying small floats around the alleys and shopping areas.

On Saturday, bigger floats emerge (above), and Sunday culminates with a battle, with giant floats, to seemingly see who can make the most noise as they jostle the giant floats around town.

This festival is also unusual as the yakuza openly take part in showing off their tattoos.

Girl’s Day

Girls Day, or Hinamatusuri takes place in Japan on March 3rd. One way this is celebrated is with displays of dolls. Some of which are quite immense.

Find tips to locate some of the best in our post on Hinamatsuri.

Watch Out For

Golden Week

This is a time when all businesses in Japan basically take a ten-day holiday, as there are four consecutive public holidays within a seven-day period.

Golden Week, which takes place at the end of April and the beginning of May, is the busiest time of the year.

The exact holiday dates vary, but Golden Week is usually between April 29 – May 6th.

Prepare for crowds of people this time of year, especially on public transport and in and around parks and tourist attractions. Hotels are often fully booked and prices are at an all-time high.

However, while everyone tells you to avoid Japan during Golden Week, it is actually not a bad time to be in Tokyo. The reason? Everyone else is leaving – and hotel prices go way down.

Because all the locals have time off, many of them choose to take vacations out of the city to the countryside or travel abroad.

See what happened when we booked a trip to Tokyo during Golden Week.

So, while it might be an okay time to be in the city, if you’re thinking of visiting nearby Hakone National Park for a glorious picture of Mount Fuji and to bath in the onsens, well, you might find you’re not the only one with that idea.

That being said, you should check opening times and plan in advance. While it might be quieter, it will not be empty (and places like Tokyo Disneyland will be an absolute zoo so if that’s a big part of your plan do NOT book to go in Golden Week).

It’s best to do any major sightseeing as early in the day as possible, especially if you’re visiting any of the real must see sights (like these).

Tokyo in Summer

Most people don’t suggest you visit Tokyo in Summer as Tokyo summer can be fierce.

They’re wet, hot, and humid – all the combinations of weather that you don’t need on any holiday.

If you’re traveling now, take the weather seriously – even if you’re from somewhere that’s normally warm like Australia.

Tokyo Weather in Summer

June 26°C / 19°C

July 30°C / 23°C

August 31°C / 24°C

The weather in Tokyo during the summer months can be somewhat unpredictable.

Typically, August and September get the most typhoons and are the wettest months of the year.

While the temperatures are usually high in the summer, it is the humidity that gets you more than the heat.

The humidity can reach an average of 78% in July and 83% in August, which is the type of humidity you would find in Southeast Asia. Make sure you keep drinking water if you are traveling now.

It is also the wettest time of the year.

Late summer is considered to be the start of Japan’s typhoon season, which typically starts in August and runs until October.

It is recommended you bring lightweight summer clothing and pack a raincoat when visiting Japan in the summer.

However, we don’t suggest that you use up valuable packing space with an umbrella. If you want to know why, check out our Japan Packing List which shows exactly what you do – and don’t – need to take.

Summer Events in Tokyo

Local Festivals

It is, however, the best time to visit Tokyo for festivals.

Matsuri’s, or cultural festivals in English, are everywhere in the summer as most shrines and temples will host their own festivals.

Keep and eye and an ear out for crowds collecting and you might find yourself in the middle of a local event.

Obon Celebrations

One of the key festivals in Japan is the Obon festival which takes place in mid-August.

Obon is a Japanese-Buddhist festival that honors the spirit of the dead and ancestors.

Traditionally, it is a time when people get together with families and hang lanterns in front of their houses. These collect the spirit of their ancestors, and in some areas, the lanterns are floated on water to send them on their journey.

Dances are usually performed at temples and shrines, and offerings are placed in front of altars and sometimes on graves.

Watch Out For

Obon Festivities!

While it’s pretty to look at it’s another very busy time for Japanese people to travel around the country and one of the three times of the year when you must book Shinkansen tickets in advance.

Tokyo in Autumn

When Tokyo hits the Autumn season, the oppressive heat disappears but the weather stays warm enough for shirt sleeves.

Toward the end of Autumn is one of the best times to visit Tokyo, especially if you want to do some hiking or outdoor activities.

While many visitors flock to Japan in the springtime for the pretty pink cherry blossoms, less famous among international travelers is the fact that November is also a time of vibrant and dazzling colors provided by nature.

This is the time when the leaves turn orange and yellow, and with the warm weather and open skies, this is the time when the parks in Tokyo and surrounding national parks really come alive.

It’s also one of the most popular times to take a day trip to nearby Nikko where the leaves are particularly spectacular (see above). If that’s on your list of things to do, you’ll want to check out our guide to Nikko from a local.

Autumn Weather in Tokyo

September 27°C / 20°C

October 22°C / 15°C

November 17°C / 9°C

September and October are still in typhoon season in Tokyo, so expect to see some rain.

However, temperatures are still generally quite warm and the humidity is around 72%, which is average for Tokyo.

The temperatures drop considerably towards the end of Autumn but there is less rain, with an average of around 6 days of rain in November.

Autumn Events in Tokyo

Halloween

Japan goes all out for Halloween, and while the big gathering in Shibuya has been cancelled, there’s still one place to see a lot of fantastic creative costumes – Disneyland.

October and the first few days of November are the only times of the year when adults are allowed to wear costumes to the parks, and they go all out.

This is not a cast member, this is a guest (sadly I have to blur her face so she can’t be fully identified which is a shame as she deserves all the praise for this beautiful outfit).

If you visit Disneyland in October, allow some time to see the fantastic outfits in the crowd.

Watch Out For

Wild Weather

September is still typhoon season in Japan and this can sometimes disrupt transport. Make sure if you’re flying home from Tokyo that you arrive back at least a day before your flight just in case.

Tokyo in Winter

It may be deathly cold in Tokyo in the winter, but there is very little rain (although you do sometimes see snow) and there are usually crystal-clear skies.

Japan may not be a Christian country but that doesn’t mean they don’t celebrate the fun bits of Christmas. Wrap up warm and you’ll have a blast.

Winter Weather in Tokyo

December 12°C / 4°C

January 10°C / 2°C

February 10°C / 2°C

Tokyo’s winters are beautiful, with very little rain or snow and mostly sunshine.

It is also the least humid time of year, with an average humidity of 30%, which is consistent throughout December to February.

It is recommended to wrap up as temperatures can get cold, with an average daytime temperature of 10°C and dropping to an average of 2°C at night. Hat, scarves, and gloves are essential packing items for a trip to Japan in the winter.

Winter in Tokyo

Look Out For Mount Fuji

Winter is possibly the best time of year to visit Tokyo if you want to see Mount Fuji from the city or on a day trip.

Mount Fuji is an elusive mountain that can only be seen on average on 70 days of the year.

Those are not good odds.

In the winter, you have a much better chance of seeing the mountaintop because it’s after the typhoon season when all the clouds have cleared.

Visit the Illuminations

Another good reason to visit Tokyo in the winter is the winter illuminations and celebrations. Tokyo takes Christmas pretty seriously, and the dazzling displays of twinkling lights are comparable to none.

One of the best places to see the Christmas lights in Tokyo is at Midtown, where Midtown Winter Moments takes place from mid-November until the end of February.

If you want to see what’s new when you’re there, have a look at Jonelle Patrick’s blog as she usually does a great round-up of them in December.

Christmas Quirks in Japan

If you are travelling at Christmas, watch out for a couple of interesting things.

For starters, you might see big queues outside the KFC. That’s because KFC is hugely popular in Japan for Christmas Day dinner.

Traditional Japanese Christmas cakes (I’m aware that’s not a strictly true statement, but go with it) are sponge cakes with strawberry and cream filling.

Also, a tip I learned from my Japanese teacher is that restaurants might be very busy on Christmas Eve.

It’s become a thing in Japan for couples to go out together on Dec 24th and it’s now so popular, that couples have to book a year in advance for some restaurants – and some also actually charge for eating there (over and above your meal).

Need Extra Planning Help?

Our Japan trip planners can help. Choose from our 62-page Japan Super Planner, which includes tips on everything from picking hotels to sightseeing. Or, try a specific planner like Tokyo Tips, Kyoto Tips, or the Rail Pass Planner. Find them in our Planners store – printable and digital versions are available.

Watch Out For

New Year’s Day

The first day of the year is particularly auspicious, and many Tokyoites go to a shrine or temple to make offerings for the year ahead.

If you’re sightseeing, and don’t want to be around crowds, this would be a bad time to go to one of the major shrines in Tokyo as they’ll be super busy.

However, if you want to experience a unique cultural experience as part of your trip then you might want to head to a shrine or temple specifically on New Year’s Day. Find our list of the 10 Most Important and Interesting Shrines in Tokyo here.

January the 2nd is also an important day for Tokyo as it’s one of the days when the Emperor appears at the Imperial Palace, so expect crowds in that area.

Many people also travel outside Tokyo between Dec 29 and January the 1st, so, check opening times for restaurants and shops carefully. And try to avoid traveling out of town on those days if you want to avoid the crush. Again, this is another date when you must book your Shinkansen tickets in advance.

So, there you have it. Our guide to the best time to visit Tokyo – let us know in the comments when you most want to visit.

Who Writes This Blog?

My name is Helen Foster, and I’m a journalist and author. My travel articles have appeared in publications including The Australian, RAC Horizons, Jetstar Magazine, Sainsbury’s Magazine, and more.

I’ve traveled to Japan five times before- solo and with my partner – and I’ve just returned from trip six in June 2023. So, everything here is pretty up to date.