Discover the best time of year, based on historical climate, temperature, and precipitation.
The best weather in Tokyo is from April, May, November, but considering flight prices and crowds, the best months to visit are April, May, June. — predictable climate
🌦Cool & rainy
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| Score | 27 | 26 | 35 | 66 | 72 | 61 | 49 | 41 | 59 | 63 | 64 | 39 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Climate | Cold | Cold | Cold | Cool & rainy | Humid | Rainy | Hot & rainy | Hot & rainy | Rainy | Cool & rainy | Mild | Cold |
| Temperature | 0–9°C | 1–10°C | 5–14°C | 10–19°C | 15–23°C | 19–26°C | 23–30°C | 24–31°C | 21–27°C | 14–21°C | 8–17°C | 3–11°C |
| Feels like | -5–5°C | -4–6°C | 1–11°C | 7–17°C | 13–23°C | 19–28°C | 26–34°C | 27–35°C | 22–30°C | 13–21°C | 5–15°C | -2–8°C |
| Precipitation | 57mm 6 days | 57mm 9 days | 139mm 12 days | 131mm 11 days | 136mm 12 days | 192mm 15 days | 194mm 15 days | 145mm 12 days | 215mm 14 days | 193mm 12 days | 97mm 9 days | 61mm 7 days |
| Sunshine | 7.8h ☀︎ 78% | 7.9h ☀︎ 73% | 8.1h ☀︎ 68% | 8.2h ☀︎ 63% | 8.1h ☀︎ 58% | 6.4h ☀︎ 44% | 7.3h ☀︎ 51% | 9.5h ☀︎ 71% | 6.5h ☀︎ 52% | 6.8h ☀︎ 60% | 7.3h ☀︎ 71% | 7.5h ☀︎ 77% |
| Wind | N · 27 km/h | N · 28 km/h | N · 29 km/h | SE · 30 km/h | S · 28 km/h | SE · 25 km/h | S · 24 km/h | SE · 25 km/h | NE · 23 km/h | N · 23 km/h | N · 22 km/h | N · 23 km/h |
| Humidity (%) | 66% | 66% | 69% | 72% | 74% | 79% | 81% | 79% | 82% | 78% | 76% | 70% |
| Perfect days | 0% | 1% | 4% | 19% | 52% | 40% | 13% | 5% | 33% | 42% | 7% | 0% |
| Dry streak | 11d | 8d | 7d | 7d | 6d | 6d | 7d | 9d | 6d | 7d | 8d | 11d |
| Sunny streak | 11d | 10d | 11d | 10d | 11d | 7d | 11d | 18d | 10d | 9d | 9d | 11d |
| Extreme heat | — | — | — | — | — | 0% | 4% | 5% | 1% | — | — | — |
| Extreme cold | 53% | 41% | 8% | 0% | — | — | — | — | — | — | 0% | 23% |
| Temperature | +1.1° | +1.6° | +2.6° | +1.9° | +1.7° | +2.1° | +3.5° | +2.9° | +2.5° | +0.9° | +2.2° | +1.0° |
| Rainfall | Stable | Stable | Getting wetter | Getting wetter | Stable | Getting wetter | Getting wetter | Getting wetter | Stable | Getting drier | Stable | Getting drier |
| Ideal warm days | 0% | 0% | 0% | 0% | 4% | 15% | 23% | 26% | 25% | 3% | 0% | 0% |
| Outdoor comfort | 0% | 0% | 2% | 14% | 39% | 25% | 4% | 1% | 21% | 39% | 10% | 0% |
| Dry week odds | 26% | 11% | 5% | 7% | 4% | 2% | 6% | 14% | 5% | 7% | 11% | 21% |
| Heavy rain | 2% | 3% | 5% | 7% | 7% | 8% | 7% | 5% | 10% | 10% | 5% | 3% |
| Snow days | 9% | 15% | 4% | 1% | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2% |
| Muggy days | — | — | — | — | — | 19% | 83% | 92% | 48% | 3% | — | — |
| Oppressive days | — | — | — | — | — | — | 13% | 28% | 3% | — | — | — |
| Day length | 10.0h | 10.9h | 12.0h | 13.1h | 14.0h | 14.5h | 14.3h | 13.5h | 12.4h | 11.3h | 10.3h | 9.8h |
| Tourist Crowds | Low season | Low season | High season | Shoulder season | Shoulder season | Shoulder season | High season | High season | Shoulder season | High season | High season | High season |
Tokyo's most iconic natural spectacle, drawing immense crowds to parks and riversides for 'hanami' (flower viewing). Des…
Tokyo's parks and gardens transform with vibrant red and gold leaves, attracting many visitors for 'koyo' (autumn leaf v…
One of Tokyo's three great Shinto festivals, featuring elaborate parades and mikoshi processions. Held biennially in odd…
Japan's most important holiday, marked by temple visits (hatsumode), special foods, and family gatherings. Early January…
Tokyo's wildest and most famous Shinto festival, centered around Asakusa Shrine. Held in mid-May, the weather is typical…
One of Japan's largest and oldest fireworks festivals, lighting up the Sumida River. Held in late July, expect hot and h…
Tokyo hosts three of the six annual Grand Sumo Tournaments (January, May, September) at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. The weath…
A prestigious World Marathon Major event, attracting elite runners and enthusiasts globally. Held in early March, the we…
One of the world's largest video game conventions, showcasing new titles and technology. Held in mid-September, the weat…
Tokyo’s greatest calendar paradox is that millions endure freezing drizzle to catch March's cherry blossoms at peak congestion, while May quietly delivers the metropolis at its absolute balmiest and most comfortable.
Tokyo does not present itself as a single coherent city so much as an interlocking galaxy of distinct urban villages, where centuries-old temple courtyards sit folded beneath colossal geometric skyways. The capital of Japan draws travelers into a sensory slipstream—the hushed cedar quiet of a neighborhood shrine gives way within paces to the subterranean roar of commuter rail, steam drifting from back-alley ramen stalls, and walls of amber neon reflecting off damp pavement. It is an exhilarating, relentless place, but how much you enjoy pounding its pavement depends almost entirely on which slice of the calendar you step into.
March is the single busiest month on Tokyo's calendar, entirely driven by the magnetic pull of Cherry Blossom Season. Tour buses descend and travelers surge into public green spaces to spread picnic tarps for hanami. Yet visitors are almost universally shocked by how biting the air remains. Early spring in the capital is raw, damp, and brisk; the breeze cutting between office towers in Nishi-Shinjuku will have you clutching your coat tight, while rain falls with stubborn persistence. Runners at the Tokyo Marathon in early March often trace the route through shivering squalls.
By April, the atmosphere softens considerably. The temperatures creep into pleasant afternoon territory, though the trees have shed most of their petals and regular showers still sweep through the alleys. If you must see the blooms, pack thermal layers and steel your nerves for packed trains and swollen queues at every turn.
If you want Tokyo to feel effortless, May is the prize. The cherry blossom hysteria has vanished, tourist numbers drop to their calmest levels of the year, and the weather settles into an intoxicating, sunlit equilibrium. The days are genuinely warm without the suffocating humidity of summer, making it the perfect month to spend all day on foot wandering through the winding record shops and low-rise side streets of Kōenji.
May is also when Tokyo’s traditional soul bursts into the open air. The Kanda Matsuri fills the center with ornate portable shrines, while Asakusa erupts during the wild processions of the Sanja Matsuri. Even sports fans gather to catch the Sumo Grand Tournament. You get warm sun, blue skies over the bay, lively neighborhood celebrations, and room on the sidewalks to actually breathe.
June opens with the arrival of the summer rains, drenching the crosswalks and coating the sprawling transit concourses in a sheen of wet umbrellas. By July and August, the rain gives way to an oppressive, relentless wall of heat. The apparent temperature climbs well into the mid-thirties, and because the city is a vast plain of asphalt and glass, the heat radiates upward from the pavement long after dark.
Exploring outdoors between noon and late afternoon becomes an exhausting ordeal. Tokyoites survive by hopping from air-conditioned underground malls to refrigerated convenience stores. Evenings, however, bring their own electric magic. Watching the Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival ignite the night sky along the riverfront while dressed in light cotton robes is an unforgettable rite of passage, provided you can handle the sweat.
September remains surprisingly hot and carries the year's highest rainfall, with passing tropical storms dumping torrential downpours that drive crowds indoors toward gaming conventions like the Tokyo Game Show or the autumn Sumo Grand Tournament. But by October, the air clears, temperatures fall into an easy, crisp rhythm, and Tokyo regains its walking stride.
November stands as the year's second great highlight. As the Autumn Foliage takes hold, ancient maple canopies flare crimson and ginkgo trees turn blazing yellow against clean, sharp blue skies. The rain retreats to a light mist, the air feels bracing rather than biting, and the city takes on a reflective, golden glow—though crowds swell noticeably compared to the quiet warmth of late spring.
Winter in Tokyo is dry, sunny, and bone-chilling. Strong northern winds whistle through the urban canyons around Nishi-Shinjuku, and temperatures struggle to lift above single digits. The low season brings a fascinating stillness to the city, especially during New Year's Celebrations, when business halts and quiet throngs line up for early-morning prayers in temple grounds.
January and February offer crystal-clear visibility, but they require heavy down coats and woolen hats for even modest neighborhood walks. For travelers seeking contemplative quiet and clear horizons, winter has an austere charm, but it demands far more endurance than the gentle warmth waiting on the other side of spring.
Top sights and attractions to build your days around once you know when to go.
Tokyo Skytree , a.k.a Tokyo Sky Tree, is a broadcasting and observation tower, located in Sumida, Tokyo, Japan. It has been the tallest tower in Japan since opening in 2012, and reached its full height of 634 metres in early 2011, making it the tallest tower in the world, displacing the Canton Tower, and the third tallest structure in the world behind Merdeka 118 and Burj Khalifa.
Tokyo Tower , also known by its official name Japan Radio Tower is a communications and observation tower in the district of Shiba-koen in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, completed in 1958. At 332.9 meters, it was the tallest tower in Japan until the construction of Tokyo Skytree in 2012. It is a lattice tower inspired by the Eiffel Tower, and is painted white and international orange to comply with air safety regulations.
The Tokyo National Museum or TNM is an art museum in Ueno Park in the Taitō ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is considered the oldest national museum and the largest art museum in Japan. The museum collects, preserves, and displays a comprehensive collection of artwork and cultural objects from Asia, with a focus on ancient and medieval Japanese art and Asian art along the Silk Road. There is also a large collection of Greco-Buddhist art. As of April 2023, the museum held approximately 120,000 Cultural Properties, including 89 National Treasures, 319 Horyuji Treasures, and 649 Important Cultural Properties. As of the same date, the Japanese government had designated 902 works of art and crafts as National Treasures and 10,820 works of art and crafts as Important Cultural Properties, so the museum holds about 10% of the works of art and crafts designated as National Treasures and 6% of those designated as Important Cultural Properties. The museum also holds 2,651 cultural properties deposited by individuals and organisations, of which 54 are National Treasures and 262 are Important Cultural Properties. Of these, 3,000 cultural properties are on display at one time, with each changing for between four and eight weeks. The museum also conducts research and organizes educational events related to its collection.
Yasukuni Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Chiyoda, Tokyo. It was founded by Emperor Meiji in June 1869 and commemorates those who died in service of Japan, from the Boshin War of 1868–1869, to the two Sino-Japanese Wars, 1894–1895 and 1937–1945 respectively, and the First Indochina War of 1946–1954. The shrine's purpose has been expanded over the years to include those who died in the wars involving Japan spanning from the entire Meiji and Taishō periods, and the earlier part of the Shōwa period.
The Imperial Palace is the main residence of the emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings, including the Fukiage Palace , where the emperor has his living quarters; the main palace , where various ceremonies and receptions take place; some residences of the Imperial Family; an archive; and museums and administrative offices.
Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is therefore also known as Chiyoda Castle . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate there, and it was the residence of the shōgun and the headquarters of the military government during the Edo period (1603–1867) in Japanese history. After the resignation of the shōgun and the Meiji Restoration, it became the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Some moats, walls and ramparts of the castle survive to this day. However, the grounds were more extensive during the Edo period, with Tokyo Station and the Marunouchi section of the city lying within the outermost moat. It also encompassed Kitanomaru Park, the Nippon Budokan Hall and other current landmarks of the surrounding area.
Ueno Park is a spacious public park in the Ueno district of Taitō, Tokyo, Japan. The park was established in 1873 on lands formerly belonging to the temple of Kan'ei-ji. Amongst the country's first public parks, it was founded following the Western example as part of the borrowing and assimilation of international practices that characterizes the early Meiji period. The home of a number of major museums, Ueno Park is also celebrated in spring for its cherry blossoms and hanami. In recent times the park and its attractions have drawn over ten million visitors a year, making it Japan's most popular city park.
The National Museum of Western Art is the premier public art gallery in Japan specializing in art from the Western tradition. The museum is in the Ueno Park in Taitō, central Tokyo. It received 1,162,345 visitors in 2016.
Meiji Shrine is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto.
Tokyo Dome is an indoor stadium in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. It was designed as a baseball stadium following its predecessor, Korakuen Stadium.
Sensō-ji , is an ancient Buddhist temple in Asakusa, Tokyo, Japan. It is Tokyo's oldest-established temple, and one of its most significant. It is dedicated to Kannon, the bodhisattva of compassion. Structures in the temple complex include the main hall, a five-story pagoda and large gates. It is the most widely visited religious site in the world with over 30 million visitors annually. The temple is the 13th stop on the Bandō Sanjūsankasho pilgrimage route.
The Tokyo Mosque, also known as Tokyo Camii, is a mosque with an adjoining Turkish culture center located in the Ōyama-chō district of Shibuya ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is the largest mosque in Japan.
Places from Wikidata and Wikipedia.
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