How we know: Sources are listed at the end. Weather figures are official climate normals; route and entry facts come from the cited airport and travel-guide pages. Wildly does not publish fare averages in prose; live prices are on the linked route pages.
Japan has four distinct seasons and a handful of holiday weeks when the whole country travels at once, so the "best time" is really a question of what you want to avoid. For most first-time visitors the answer is late spring after Golden Week, or autumn from mid-October to early December: mild weather, clear skies, and demand that has come off its peaks. If you want cherry blossoms or peak foliage you can have them, but you will share them with everyone else who planned the same trip.
Tokyo weather by month
Official 1991–2020 climate normals for the Japan Meteorological Agency's central Tokyo station (Kitanomaru Park, Chiyoda):
| Month | Avg high | Avg low | Precipitation | |---|---|---|---| | January | 50°F (10°C) | 34°F (1°C) | 2.4 in | | February | 52°F (11°C) | 36°F (2°C) | 2.2 in | | March | 58°F (14°C) | 41°F (5°C) | 4.6 in | | April | 67°F (19°C) | 50°F (10°C) | 5.3 in | | May | 74°F (24°C) | 58°F (15°C) | 5.5 in | | June | 79°F (26°C) | 65°F (18°C) | 6.6 in | | July | 86°F (30°C) | 72°F (22°C) | 6.1 in | | August | 88°F (31°C) | 74°F (24°C) | 6.1 in | | September | 82°F (28°C) | 69°F (20°C) | 8.9 in | | October | 72°F (22°C) | 59°F (15°C) | 9.2 in | | November | 62°F (17°C) | 48°F (9°C) | 3.8 in | | December | 54°F (12°C) | 39°F (4°C) | 2.3 in |
Two things stand out. Winter is dry and sunny in Tokyo (December–February each see roughly 2 inches of precipitation), and the wettest months are September and October, not the June rainy season, because that is when typhoons deliver their rain. Kyoto and Osaka run a couple of degrees warmer in summer; Hokkaido is much colder in winter and noticeably cooler in summer.
Season by season
Late March–April (cherry blossom, peak). Sakura moves north through the country over several weeks; Wikivoyage notes peak blossom in the main cities often coincides with April 1, the start of Japan's school and financial year. Weather is pleasant, hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo are at their most expensive and most fully booked, and the season is short enough that a fixed itinerary can miss it entirely.
Golden Week (April 29–May 5). Four public holidays fall within a week, and the country's domestic travel surges. Trains, hotels and attractions are packed. If your dates can move at all, land after May 6.
Mid-May to mid-June (shoulder). Post–Golden Week is arguably the best-value window in the year: highs in the 70s, gardens green, crowds thinned. The rainy season, tsuyu, begins in June across most of the main islands (Hokkaido largely escapes it) and brings grey, humid days rather than all-day downpours.
July–August (summer, hot and humid). Tokyo highs average 86–88°F with high humidity. Obon, the ancestral festival, falls in mid-July in the Kanto region and mid-August in Kansai and elsewhere; the mid-August week is a second domestic travel peak. Summer matsuri and fireworks are the reward; Hokkaido and the Japan Alps are the escape.
September–early October (typhoon season). Early autumn is when typhoons most often strike southern and central Japan, and these are the two wettest months in Tokyo's normals. Trips still work, but build slack into the schedule and keep an eye on the forecast if you are flying through Okinawa or Kyushu.
Mid-October to early December (autumn, second peak). Clear, dry and comfortable, with foliage colouring Kyoto's temple gardens from mid-November. Demand rises again, though it is spread over a longer window than sakura.
Mid-December to February (winter). Crisp and sunny in the Pacific-side cities, heavy snow on the Japan Sea side and in Hokkaido. The exception is New Year (roughly December 29 to January 3), Japan's most important holiday, when families travel home and Wikivoyage warns of "massive transport congestion." After the first week of January the country is quiet, and skiing in Nagano and Hokkaido is at its best.
Getting there from the US
Tokyo has two international airports, and both have wide US nonstop networks.
Haneda (HND), closer to central Tokyo, is served from the US by American (Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York–JFK), Delta (Atlanta, Detroit, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Seattle), United (Chicago–O'Hare, Los Angeles, Newark, San Francisco, Washington–Dulles), ANA (Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York–JFK, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington–Dulles) and Japan Airlines (Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Honolulu, Los Angeles, New York–JFK, San Francisco), per the Haneda airport destinations table.
Narita (NRT) handles the rest: American from Dallas/Fort Worth and Chicago, ANA and JAL from Los Angeles and San Francisco, JAL from Boston, San Diego and Seattle, and Delta and Alaska on seasonal or resuming Seattle service, per the Narita destinations table. Some of those listings carry start and end dates, so check the current schedule for your travel month.
Flight time is roughly 11 hours from Los Angeles, 10 from San Francisco or Seattle, 13 from Chicago and 14 from New York. For today's prices see LAX to Tokyo Narita, SFO to Tokyo Haneda, JFK to Tokyo Haneda and Chicago to Tokyo Narita. If you are flying from Southern California, the LAX to Tokyo flight guide covers the airline and airport choice in more detail.
When fares tend to be lowest
Demand on US–Japan routes tracks the Japanese holiday calendar as much as the American one. The expensive windows are cherry blossom season (late March–mid April), Golden Week, the mid-August Obon week, and the Christmas–New Year fortnight. Outside those, mid-January through early March and the post–Golden Week weeks in May and June are when airlines have the most seats to fill, and autumn foliage sits somewhere in between.
That is a demand-calendar argument, not a price forecast. Fares on a given route move with fuel, capacity and competition, so the sensible approach is to pick a shoulder window, check the route page for what it is actually pricing at now, and set a price alert with a target you would happily pay. Wildly checks the route daily and emails you when the fare drops.
Entry requirements for US citizens
US passport holders can enter Japan for tourism without a visa for stays of up to 90 days (Wikivoyage, "Get in"). Japan's Visit Japan Web service lets you submit immigration and customs forms electronically before you land, which shortens the arrival queue. Rules can change, so confirm with the nearest Japanese consulate before departure.
Where to go, by month
- January–February: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka are dry and uncrowded; Hokkaido for skiing and the Sapporo Snow Festival; onsen towns are at their most atmospheric.
- Late March–April: Blossom season anywhere on Honshu; Okinawa blooms earlier and Hokkaido later, into May.
- Mid-May–June: The classic Tokyo–Kyoto–Osaka triangle before the rain sets in; Hokkaido stays dry through tsuyu.
- July–August: Hokkaido, the Japan Alps and Tohoku for cooler air; Okinawa beaches if you accept typhoon risk.
- Mid-October–November: Kyoto and Nara for foliage; Nikko and the Fuji Five Lakes colour earlier in October.
- Early December: Winter illuminations in the big cities before the New Year crowds arrive.
FAQ
What is the single best month to visit Japan? For weather and manageable crowds, mid-to-late May (after Golden Week) or November. For blossoms, the first week of April in Tokyo and Kyoto, accepting the crowds and hotel prices that come with it.
How bad is the June rainy season? Tsuyu means humid, overcast days with frequent showers rather than constant rain. Tokyo's June precipitation normal is 6.6 inches, less than September or October. Hydrangea gardens are at their best and indoor attractions are uncrowded.
Should I avoid typhoon season entirely? Not necessarily, but September is the month most likely to see a typhoon disrupt trains and flights. Buy refundable tickets or travel insurance and avoid stacking tight connections.
How far in advance should I book? For blossom season, Golden Week or New Year, book flights and Kyoto hotels several months out; availability, not just price, is the constraint. For shoulder months, watch the route page and let an alert tell you when the fare dips.
Do I need a visa? No, for tourist stays of up to 90 days on a US passport (Wikivoyage). Fill in Visit Japan Web before you fly.