Key Takeaways
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The best time to visit Japan is late March to May and November, when Tokyo’s average daily high runs about 14 to 24°C and the trip avoids both the June to July rainy season and the August to September typhoon peak (Japan Meteorological Agency, Tokyo normals, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17). Cherry blossoms and autumn leaves also make parts of these months crowded and expensive.
This guide is maintained by Zurich Kotak General Insurance, an IRDAI-registered general insurer in India and part of the Zurich Insurance Group.
Last verified: 2026-09-17.
Indian passport holders need a Japanese visa before they fly: there is no visa on arrival, and applications from India go in through the Japan Visa Application Centre (VFS Global) for your state, with single-entry tourist visas issued electronically. See our guide to the Japan visa for Indians and check the Embassy of Japan in India’s website ( in.emb-japan.go.jp ) before you book.
Japan month by month
Tokyo swings from a 9.8°C January high to a 31.3°C August high, and its wettest months are September and October, not the rainy season. Figures are JMA’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Tokyo and Osaka (JMA, Osaka normals, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17), with rain rounded to the millimetre.
Month | Tokyo high / low (°C) | Tokyo rain (mm) | Osaka high / low (°C) | Osaka rain (mm) | What the month brings |
January | 9.8 / 1.2 | 60 | 9.7 / 3.0 | 47 | Cold and dry; New Year crowds |
February | 10.9 / 2.1 | 57 | 10.5 / 3.2 | 61 | Still cold; Hokkaido’s snow festival |
March | 14.2 / 5.0 | 116 | 14.2 / 6.0 | 103 | Cherry blossoms from late March |
April | 19.4 / 9.8 | 134 | 19.9 / 10.9 | 102 | Blossoms early on; Golden Week from 29 April |
May | 23.6 / 14.6 | 140 | 24.9 / 16.0 | 137 | Golden Week to 5 May, then mild |
June | 26.1 / 18.5 | 168 | 28.0 / 20.3 | 185 | Rainy season from early June |
July | 29.9 / 22.4 | 156 | 31.8 / 24.6 | 174 | Rains end mid-July; hot and humid |
August | 31.3 / 23.5 | 155 | 33.7 / 25.8 | 113 | Hottest month; Obon; typhoon peak |
September | 27.5 / 20.3 | 225 | 29.5 / 21.9 | 153 | Typhoon peak; still warm |
October | 22.0 / 14.8 | 235 | 23.7 / 16.0 | 136 | Mild; Tokyo’s wettest month |
November | 16.7 / 8.8 | 96 | 17.8 / 10.2 | 73 | Crisp; leaves turn late in the month |
December | 12.0 / 3.8 | 58 | 12.3 / 5.3 | 56 | Kyoto’s leaves early on; year-end crowds |
Kyoto matches Osaka’s summer highs but is colder in winter and wetter in July, at 223.6 mm.
Cherry blossom season
Cherry blossoms normally open around 24 March in Tokyo, 26 March in Kyoto and 27 March in Osaka, by JMA’s records; in 2026 they opened on 19, 23 and 26 March (JMA, flowering dates, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17).
JMA no longer forecasts the bloom; reference and news sources date the stop to 2010 (Wikipedia; Stars and Stripes, 2025-02-19). Forecasts now come from private companies such as Japan Meteorological Corporation, Weathernews and tenki.jp , so treat them as estimates. The blossom moves north through spring, reaching Hokkaido later. Because a warm March can bring it forward, as 2026 did in Tokyo, book refundable rooms if your trip depends on it.
The rainy season: tsuyu
Japan’s rainy season normally runs from about 7 June to about 19 July in the Tokyo region and from about 6 June to about 19 July around Osaka and Kyoto (JMA, rainy season, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17).
Region | Normal start | Normal end | 2026 |
Kanto-Koshin (Tokyo) | About 7 June | About 19 July | About 2 June to about 19 July |
Kinki (Osaka, Kyoto) | About 6 June | About 19 July | About 2 June to about 9 July |
Okinawa | About 10 May | About 21 June |
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JMA fixes each year’s dates after the season, and each marks the middle of a transition of about five days. Hokkaido is not on JMA’s rainy-season list.
Summer heat and typhoons
August averages a 31.3°C high in Tokyo and 33.7°C in Osaka and Kyoto, and on 2025-08-05 Isesaki in Gunma set Japan’s record of 41.8°C ( Nippon.com , 2026-04-23, accessed 2026-09-17).
Typhoon season runs roughly July to October, and approaches peak in August and September. By JMA’s normals, about 11.7 typhoons a year come within 300 km of Japan and 3.0 make landfall on the four main islands; approaches average 2.1 in July, 3.3 in August, 3.3 in September and 1.7 in October (JMA, typhoon normals, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17). Okinawa sees most in August, and the Tokyo and Osaka regions in September. No average predicts a given year, so keep a flexible day and follow the Japan Tourism Agency’s Safety tips app for warnings.
Travelling to Japan? Get covered before you fly. Travel insurance for Japan matters most in the months when heat and storms can put you in a clinic or hold up a flight.
Autumn leaves
Maple leaves usually turn red in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka from late November to early December. JMA recorded the change on 23 November 2025 in Tokyo (five days earlier than normal), 10 December in Kyoto (five days later) and 4 December in Osaka (three days later) (JMA, maple observations, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17). Kyoto’s temples draw heavy crowds, and rooms there peak in the second half of November.
Winter and snow
Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka have cold winters with little snow, while Sapporo in Hokkaido gets deep snow. JMA’s normals give Tokyo 8 cm of snowfall a year, Kyoto 15 cm and Osaka 1 cm, against 479 cm in Sapporo, where January averages -0.4°C by day and -6.4°C at night (JMA, Sapporo normals, in Japanese). The Sapporo Snow Festival runs from 4 to 11 February 2027 (official site, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17). Some sights close for New Year; Osaka Castle’s main tower shuts from 28 December to 1 January (Osaka Castle, in Japanese).
Golden Week, Obon and other crowded weeks
Japan’s busiest travel weeks are Golden Week in late April and early May, Obon in mid-August and New Year. Golden Week strings together national holidays on 29 April and 3, 4 and 5 May (Cabinet Office, in Japanese, accessed 2026-09-17), and for 2026 travel company JTB projected 23.9 million domestic travellers ( Nippon.com , 2026-04-21). Obon is not a national holiday; for Obon 2026, JR Central expected the busiest westbound bullet trains on 8 August and eastbound on 16 August (Japan Today, August 2026).
In its peak periods, JR Central makes every Nozomi seat reserved-only (JR Central, accessed 2026-09-17). Its published periods from April 2026 to March 2027:
JR Central peak period | Holiday it brackets |
2026-04-24 to 2026-05-06 | Golden Week |
2026-08-07 to 2026-08-16 | Obon |
2026-09-18 to 2026-09-23 | September holidays |
2026-10-10 to 2026-10-12 | Sports Day |
2026-11-21 to 2026-11-23 | Labour Thanksgiving Day |
2026-12-25 to 2027-01-05 | Year-end and New Year |
2027-01-09 to 2027-01-11 | Coming of Age Day |
2027-03-20 to 2027-03-22 | Spring equinox |
Prices rise with the crowds: JR Central adds JPY 400 to a reserved seat in its busiest periods (JR Central, in Japanese), and hotels and flights climb with them.
The best months for Indian travellers
Outside the peak weeks, the most comfortable windows are the second half of May and early November, and the cheapest months are January, February and June.
If you are | Go in | Why |
A first-timer | Early April, or mid-November to early December | Blossoms or autumn leaves, at peak prices |
A family on summer school holidays | Second half of May | After Golden Week, before the rains; Tokyo highs near 24°C |
A family on a Diwali or October break | October or November | Mild; October is Tokyo’s wettest month and still typhoon season |
A family on a December break | Early to mid-December | Cold, dry days before the year-end peak |
On a budget | January, February or June | Cheapest months for rooms (January, February) and to fly from India (all three) |
Most Indian schools break for summer in May and June; if your trip runs into July or August, plan around the heat and the Obon crowds.
Next, price the season in Japan trip cost from India , check the journey in India to Japan flight time , and pack with what to wear in Japan .
Travel insurance, whichever month you choose
Travel insurance is not a requirement for a Japanese visa or for entry, but Japan’s Foreign Ministry calls it “highly recommended” (MOFA, accessed 2026-09-17). Since 2026-04-01, an unpaid hospital bill of JPY 10,000 (about INR 6,170) or more can be reported to Japan’s immigration agency and lead to strict screening on a later visit (MHLW, PDF, in Japanese).
A summer trip carries the heat, an August or September trip the storms, and a blossom or autumn trip weeks of prepaid, peak-price bookings. Emergency medical treatment is the core of Zurich Kotak’s Smart Travel policy, which also covers trip cancellation for listed causes, including severe weather, natural disaster and cancellation by the airline, plus trip delay, baggage and medical evacuation, all up to plan limits. Buy it when your first non-refundable payment goes out.
Japan falls under the Asia plans: Excel, with a sum insured of up to USD 100,000, and Prime, up to USD 500,000, for travellers up to age 70, with no Senior Citizen plan on this geography; travellers aged 71 or over can read about travel insurance for senior citizens . In Japan most claims run on reimbursement, so keep itemised bills; claims go through Europ Assistance India and are settled within 15 days of complete documents. Compare plans on travel insurance for Japan .
FAQs
Q: What is the best time to visit Japan? A: Late March to May and November, when Tokyo’s average daily high runs about 14 to 24°C, outside the June to July rainy season and the August to September typhoon peak.
Q: When is cherry blossom season in Japan? A: Late March to early April in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. JMA’s normal flowering dates are 24 March, 26 March and 27 March, and in 2026 the blossoms opened on 19, 23 and 26 March. Forecasts come from private weather companies, not JMA.
Q: When is the rainy season in Japan? A: From about 7 June to about 19 July in the Tokyo region and about 6 June to about 19 July around Osaka and Kyoto, by JMA’s normals. Okinawa’s runs from about 10 May to about 21 June.
Q: When is Golden Week, and should I avoid it? A: Golden Week strings together national holidays on 29 April and 3, 4 and 5 May. Avoid it if you can: it is one of Japan’s busiest travel weeks, and JR Central makes every Nozomi seat reserved-only.
Q: What is the best time to visit Japan from India with family? A: The second half of May for a school summer holiday, after Golden Week and before the rains. For a Diwali or winter break, November or early to mid-December.
