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 we would argue there're five.

Starting in March with Spring and Japanese cherry blossom viewing, we move into rainy season in June before the sunshine of Summer arrives in July.

Summer turns into a red, orange and golden Japan 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. At this time of year the Tokyo weather is dry and the air is clear.

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Tokyo Climate Chart

Tokyo Climate Information
  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

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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, your personal preferences, and the corresponding Tokyo climate!

It's easier to begin by telling you the peak times in the Japanese year - the times you may want to avoid if you don't like crowds.

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. If you know you will be here during these dates make sure to book your seats well in advance if you want a comfortable ride.

I would also avoid the Tokyo climate in June when rainy season kicks in. The days tend to be grey, humid, and yes you guessed it, rainy.

I still have strong memories of 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. (If you want to know the story go to About TokyoTopia). On opening the front door I'd hit a wall of humid heat and have to quickly run inside and change my clothes. This one took a while to get used to!

yellow-autumn-leaves

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. In Spring the Tokyo climate is fresh and at the end of March/beginning of April, the 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. Mount Fuji is as clear as a bell on the horizon on a crisp winter day.

This is also 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. Want to see what I mean? With photos that will blow you away, this is an excellent blog about hiking and climbing in Japan i-cjw.

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