Japan Travel Weather

Japan’s seasons are its pride and joy. While we can broadly divide the annual calendar into the four distinct seasons of winter, spring, summer, fall, historically Japan celebrated the passage of the year with 24 separate seasons that illustrate the passing of the year. Poetically titled with names like ‘the time when frogs begin singing’, or ‘rainbows hide’, these micro-seasons reflect Japan’s natural and agricultural heritage.

For most of Japan, winter usually prevails from December through February, though in the Japanese Alps, winter can be very much longer, with snow lasting as late as June. Days are crisp and cool, though with mountain areas dipping as low as -20 Celsius but low-lying areas do not often dip below freezing.

Springtime brings the start of the blooming season, beginning with the plum blossoms in March that herald the imminent arrival of fleeting cherry blossoms in March and April. These are followed quickly by wisteria in May. Springtime temperatures are moderate, ranging from 7 Celsius in Hokkaido in April to 15 Celsius in southern Honshu.

Hydrangea burst forth with colourful blooms in June, marking the start of summer and the coming of the rainy
season. Following the rainy season, the weather can be very hot and humid, from 20-28 Celsius but heat waves can bring temperatures into the 30s. Summer is a time for local festivals which often had their origins in celebrating summer harvests. In summer, typhoon season begins, leading up to autumn.

Autumn, like spring, is a very pleasant time to travel in Japan. Temperatures are moderate, ranging from 12 to 20 Celsius, and aside from the occasional typhoon, weather becomes drier. With the cooler weather, gingko trees turn a bright yellow, maples turn a rich crimson and other trees take on a rich rust coloured hue. The Cool autumn evenings are soon followed by cold winter days and from November to December, higher altitudes and northern regions will see their first snowfall, starting the cycle of the year once again.