When is the Worst Time to Visit Japan?

With four distinct seasons and plenty of seasonal festivals and holidays, it can be hard to know when's the best time to book your Japan trip. So in this video, we cover times of the year to avoid, what to expect in the different seasons and tips and tricks to make the most out of your holiday.
== LINKS ==
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== CHAPTERS ==
0:00 Intro
0:19 Japanese holidays
1:31 Summer
3:20 Winter
5:27 Book seasonal activities at Klook!
6:23 Spring
8:18 Autumn/Fall
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★★★ Credits ★★★
Intro sequence by the most talented Peter Laugesen : pjlaugesen.com
Creative commons images used in the intro:
* Gundam Robot Statue in Odaiba www.flickr.com/photos/picsofl...
* Japanese Salaryman Asleep www.flickr.com/photos/istolet...
* Domestic Cat commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Us...
* Saraninman commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Us...
* Wild Cat www.geograph.org.uk/profile/34298
* Ginza Holiday Promenade www.flickr.com/photos/yoshika...
* Shibuya Crossing www.flickr.com/photos/3102986...

[@buffertrash]

The summer rainy season/tsuyu can still be pretty nice. So long as you have raincoat or an umbrella, it's pretty manageable and it never got too hot. We went to Tohoku and the Izu peninsula and had a great time.

[@KenshoQuest]

Fall is my favorite with the colorful leaves and mild weather. We went in spring this year and it was beautiful but crowded. We also love Hokkaido in winter for the powdery snow. June is our least favorite since it's hard to be out and about when it's pouring rain. 🌸Heidi

[@LegendWings]

We visited Tokyo and Nagano the first week of November last year and honestly it was perfect. Always around 65F and there were plenty of seats on the Shinkansen. Definitely hoping to visit next time in the fall as well!

[@datkinegaming]

im from Hawaii so the humid i understand and im used to it but i do wanna see hot spring and cool leaves from the trees

[@a5tro25]

Love the colourful stock footage you used, if it is stock

[@dean93arr]

I came here to say thank you to Tokyo cheapo.. I just came back from my Japan Trip.. you videos help me a lot while studying to make my itinerary for the trip.. keep up the good work!

[@tokyocheapo]

Thank you so much for the wonderful feedback!

[@solidjb]

traveled to japan at late oct, early nov. one thing to keep in mind for late autumn and winter, especially in mountain regions, is that it gets dark pretty early and super quickly, so if you're not a morning person, or had a very tiring trek the day before - it will really cut into how much light time of day you'll have. I remember being bummed a bit in Kyoto where some temples for obvious reasons do not have bright electric lighting, and at 17:30 it was already pitch-dark

[@baguswahyutomo471]

Thank you for the info. I will visit Japan at late November, wdyt is it still good to see autumn leaves in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka?

[@solidjb]

​@baguswahyutomo471 I think it might be a good time for that. I've left early November and leaves were only started getting red, most everything still was green, so you might have better luck with this.

[@asdfsadf67]

going in mid-June. hope weather is bearable

[@tehfelf]

Gonna be humid and maybe rainy. June is rainy season but its been inconsistent the last few years June is hot but the hottest usually starts in July.

[@ohboy6672]

So just don't go in Summer.. or Spring. Or Winter. OR Fall. Got it.

[@fr0z3ngh0stly9]

Just found this video, and wow, I didn't realize I managed to visit right after Golden Week! Definitely missed a lot of the crowds!

[@tokyocheapo]

Oooh nice! Definitely a good time to go for a quieter experience 😊

[@stephenairs1675]

Thanks for another really informative video ❤ I’ll be in Tokyo for a week in late September, I watched a video on another KZbin channel that said that September was the worst month to go as there’s frequent typhoons, just how regular are the typhoons? I’m relieved to see that you guys think that fall is a good time to go 🙃👍🏻

[@tokyocheapo]

Hi there! When comparing the fall months, October and November are generally favoured as they have milder weather compared to September. It depends on the year, but you can see typhoons occur every week or two in September (this doesn't necessarily mean they make landfall). Generally, they're more frequent in southern areas like Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku compared to the north of the country. The Japan Meteorological Agency website is a good resource for checking current typhoon status.

[@craftydemon529]

Thank you for this! I really wanted to come to Japan in summer for the festivals but don't do well with heat at all so I didn't know what to do. I thought most festivals were during summer so it's great to know there's still some during other seasons. Have you done any videos on what festivals are when? My vision isn't great even with glasses so reading an article gets difficult (I'll definitely still save it to try reading little bits now and then though)

[@tokyocheapo]

Glad to hear it was helpful! We don't have any videos on festivals at the moment but it's a topic that's on the list 😊

[@craftydemon529]

@@tokyocheapo Thank you

[@Underthecrown]

Two of my main goals is to visit the snow monkey park and to bike the shimanami kaido. Do you think btwn sept/October/nov, what would be the best time?

[@solomani5959]

If crowds are a concern I’ve had great success with May/June and October/November. Agree summer is the worst. It’s super hot and humid. It really feels like jungle climate during summer (40+ Celsius and 100% humidity).

[@tokyocheapo]

Yes! Great suggestion for low crowd seasons 😊

[@EresTremulent]

I agree, especially if it's your first time, don't go in August.

[@sygutty]

I'm going to mid to end of september I'm really hoping the heat will have died down a bit by then

[@JAROJAN63]

What is the best time to plan a visit on Honsiu (between Tokyo and Hiroshima) in Autumn for about 15 days? Could you pls point any dates range ( from - to), thx.

[@Ellie-es4ms]

Is end of September a good time for Disney and other places? Thank you 🙏

[@ryangray600]

I visited Japan in the winter, and It was amazing. However, I live in Chicago IL so the winter in Japan was LIGHT compared to what I am used to lol

[@Tomegaro]

Mind me asking what month and what types of things you did?

[@xsheilove91]

I’m going end of September this year. The weather should be comfortable

[@MentalThingsIsScary]

Same. End of September until mid Oct. It should start off hot still and then become more comfortable

[@ryuukisetsu1338]

The Typhoon season is not ended yet in that time, but it still okay. Better to go early October

[@AvidvFCP]

@TokyoCheapo Please can you list the music used? Thanks

[@user-pn2ue3ht5q]

I traveled during golden week and it’s a big mistake😖 If i want to avoid crowds, where is the best to? I went to Miyama and Amanohashidate in Kyoto and it’s gorgeous, any similar cities like those? Thanks!

[@tpatrickl9539]

I lived in Japan for 14 years. I referred to the summer months as 100 days of hell. June 1 until about September 10 are miserable. It’s going to be over 90° and over 90% humidity. Add that all of the Japanese school kids on vacation, starting mid July until late August, it becomes intolerable. The best time to visit Japan is late. March/early April. The weather is fine and you get a chance to see the cherry blossoms. Golden week means that your hotel prices are going to quadruple if not even more expensive.very prohibitive.

[@ciptomuktihardianipuspita]

hi, i need recommendation for itinerary at July next month for first time traveler, so far i only know about tokyo, did u have any recommendation ?

[@tpatrickl9539]

@@ciptomuktihardianipuspita you’re going to be miserable. There are way too many tourists to enjoy anything. It’s going to be hot and humid. I wouldn’t go personally. It’s a terrible time to be in that country.

[@emjd]

Any good in spetember/October ? I know you say it's hot but I find only anything above 35°C is too hot. Not a fan of too much tourists though. I can't afford early April prices unfortunately

[@KhomkessMyaszrilphast_]

What about last 2 weeks of September?

[@tpatrickl9539]

@@emjd by the middle of September, the weather is reasonable. The heat is gone by then. October is very nice. Yeah, the tourists start disappearing the end of August. Japanese kids go back to school late August, that clears out a lot of tourists. You’re fine in September.

[@tolgcast]

My wife and I will be traveling to Japan in August as we can only take paid time off in August. Wish us luck :(

[@0matas0]

Is September a reasonable month to go? Does it rain enough then that there's a good chance of the trip being negatively affected?

[@zacksmith5717]

I would really like to go when it's not cold. I don't want to pack pants and a thick jacket. I would rather ware shorts. Would late September/early October be recommended. Also, when do Halloween related things start to pop up like decorations or at restaurants/bars?

[@savvasmch3211]

hey guys nice video!! we will be in Japan from 5 to 20 of September.. i don't mind about the typhoons..we will stay in for one day if we have to.. i am worried about the heat.. i ve heard that the tempature still remains on a high level...is like August.. or is better that time ..

[@annemaas5947]

I’m also going at the same time as you. I too am a little concerned about the heat but I’ve read posts in other places that said their trip in September was just great. If it’s incredibly hot (and I am used to heat but hate humidity) I plan to start our days fairly early. Also you can buy cooling wipes that are menthol smelling and cooling, plus a little fan which helps a lot 😀

[@tokyocheapo]

While a lot of the country will start to cool down in September, it can still be quite hot in in the cities, like Tokyo. @annemaas5947 has some great suggestions for keeping cool! We'd also suggest, you could also use a parasol/umbrella to keep the sun off you 😊

[@helenincorvaja9979]

same here. we'll be there around the same time. It's the typhoon which is worrying me :( Any idea how long does it last if it strikes on land?

[@user-zn2lq9hd5d]

Oh no! I’ve booked my flights to go to Japan in the summer. From early August to mid August… it’s the only time I could go of the year and now I’m scared of the heat I’m in for 😅

[@neriannc]

I booked early September and now, I can’t cancel 🫠

[@datkinegaming]

and when is the firework is it during the festival? like golden week

[@NemuiLiz]

I went to Japan last year from end September to mid Octobre and...BEWARE of Chinese Holidays! 🤣 I was so unfortunate to be in Kyoto of all places right when the Chinese had Holidays and it was SO crowded with people 🙈 Not only chinese but they were the absolute majority

[@village_mayor]

With regards to travelling to Japan during new years, I TOTALLY DISAGREE. I travelled during new years in 2024, and if you travel smart, you will avoid Tokyo and Osaka at all cost and go somewhere quiet. True, my friend stayed in Tokyo on Dec 31 and it was a mess. But I went to Matsushima (Miyagi) for New Years and it was perfect. Unlike what your video described, it was super quiet, and on the contrary, too quiet. I got to check out Hatsuhinode with the locals which was an experience I would never forget, to see the first sunrise of the new year. And Hatsumode is something I've always wanted to partake in. And to also eat osechi is something you can never do other times of the year. So unlike what the video described, I actually recommend New Years, and actually recommend partake in the annual migration with everyone else. Travel smart, book in advance, and plan ahead to avoid crowdedness.

[@m4t1ss]

Why did you not mention Silver week? o_O

[@jacobduggan8008]

Well, it looks like I'm going to Hokkaido. I can only get july off work.

[@tokyocheapo]

Totally understand that with work. Hokkaido is nice and if you do travel in Tokyo, Osaka etc., we'd suggest planning to take frequent breaks inside 😊

[@OXGAMES_Z]

I want to return to Japan in the fall but I don't know which date will be the best. Is it a good time from mid-November to the first days of December or what do you recommend?

[@tthrl]

Peak foliage season is in November. At higher altitudes they can be in October too. Go for Nov

[@tokyocheapo]

That’s a good time, it’s usually a bit cooler but not proper winter cold until late December

[@paulccrimmins]

Actually I went on 25th August to 15th September and the weather was awesome. You might have to carry an umbrella 🌂 around once in a while, but the temperatures are good

[@baguswahyutomo471]

@@tthrl i'll be there at late Nov to early Dec. Is it still the best time for autumn?

[@corronord]

Oh damn, he said typhoons in October and that’s when I’m coming, damm 😣😓

[@EresTremulent]

I once experienced two straight weeks of rain in october in Tokyo. Hope you'll get lucky.

[@corronord]

@@EresTremulent oh my goodness 🫥 fingers crossed for clear skies

[@autumntriesthings]

Auto-like for the cat lol

[@nuetralite82]

I’m gg 24/5-1/6.. any tips?

[@tokyocheapo]

It'll be comparatively quiet at that time so you don't have to worry as much about crowds 😊 It also won't be too hot yet but perhaps have an umbrella with you just in case. Enjoy your trip!

[@nuetralite82]

@@tokyocheapo thank you for your reply! 🫶🏻😊

[@IsabellePodrasky]

My ongoing joke about visiting anyplace during the summer is that you’re not booking a vacation to said place. Rather, you’re booking a vacation on the sun. In the summer, people aren’t going to Japan. They’re going for a vacation on the sun. Anyplace hot and humid, they’re going for a vacation on the sun. ☀️ 🌞 🥵

[@Dillingham-]

Worst: when 1 USD buys 80 yen Best: when 1 USD buys 160 yen

[@user-kv4yg7ww4v]

Hi I'm From India Sir Madam❤❤😊😊

[@CLJuvenal]

The best time to visit is when the yen is strong and the cheap, classless tourists can't come over and be rude.

[@ohboy6672]

Because the more money you have, the less rude you are!