Tokyo Climate
From 0 to 40 in 12 months. °C that is, not mph. The Tokyo climate is temperate but with vastly different conditions depending on the time of year. Officially there are four seasons, but I would argue there are five. Starting in March with Spring and hanami viewing, we move into rainy season in June before the sunshine of Summer arrives in July. Summer turns into a red, orange and golden Autumn - or Fall if you prefer - around mid-September time. Winter blows in around November, when the temperatures drop, but the skies stay largely blue and bright. This is often the best time of year to get clear views of Mount Fuji because the weather is dry and the air is clear.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min °C | -2 | -1 | 2 | 8 | 12 | 17 | 21 | 22 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 1 |
| Max °C | 8 | 9 | 12 | 17 | 22 | 24 | 28 | 30 | 26 | 21 | 16 | 11 |
| Sun | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 5 |
Sun = average sunshine hours per day
Data taken from BBC world weather information
When to visit Tokyo
This is not an easy one to answer as it depends on the time of year, the Japanese calendar, annual Japanese festivals, and the corresponding Tokyo climate. It's easier to begin by telling you the peak times in the Japanese year. There are 2 major National Holiday events when travel in Tokyo, in fact anywhere in Japan, becomes a major headache. These are Golden Week (April 29 - May 5) and Obon (August 13 - 16). Everybody is traveling home to see family and celebrate together. In turn, traffic snarls up, trains are jammed and the prices go through the roof. The good news is that it's not easy to book tickets at this time as they are usually all reserved 2 - 3 months in advance.
I would also avoid June when rainy season kicks in as the days tend to be grey, humid, and yes, you guessed it, rainy. I remember my first year here - I would open my curtains, see the grey sky, and dress for a cold day as I would in the UK. On opening the front door I'd hit this wall of humid heat and have to quickly run inside and change my clothes. This one took a while to get used to!
So when is good to travel to Tokyo? It's really up to you and your temperature tastes, along with any specific festivals or celebrations that you would like to see. If you don't like heat and humidity then it really is best to miss the months of July and August. Although the average highest temperature may be 30°C, thermometres are often touching on 40°C or just over. It is estimated that the natural temperature in Tokyo summer is always raised by 2 or 3°C simply as a result of urban heating effects.
My favourite times of year are Spring and Autumn. Spring is fresh and at the end of March/beginning of April, the Japanese cherry blossom blooms and hanami parties can be spotted underneath cherry trees all around Tokyo. May is a lovely warm month with plenty of sunshine before the dreaded rainy season starts in June. In Autumn, just as pink blossoms sweep across the country during hanami, now it's the turn of Tokyo fireworks at hanabi parties, and the leaves of Autumn to impress you with their beauty. Again, the heat and humidity of summer have gone, but the days are still warm with plenty of sunshine.
Finally Winter. It's colder as you can see from the chart above, but the days are usually crisp and dry with some excellent views at your finger tips. This is great weather for walking and there are several hiking trails about an hour away from the centre of Tokyo. Don't forget that if you like your winter sports, all are easily accessible from Tokyo.
