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. — some variation climate
🌧Rainy
| 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 5 days | 57mm 7 days | 139mm 12 days | 131mm 11 days | 136mm 11 days | 192mm 15 days | 194mm 17 days | 145mm 15 days | 215mm 17 days | 193mm 13 days | 97mm 8 days | 61mm 6 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% |
| 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.