--- title: "Best Time to Visit Japan: 2026 Month by Month Guide" description: "The best time to visit Japan in 2026, covering cherry blossom and autumn colour, regional climate, festivals, typhoons, ski season and JR Pass costs." lang: en json-ld: | [ { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/#organization", "name": "Luxury Hotel Compare", "alternateName": "Jack Williamson", "url": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com", "description": "Independent luxury hotel comparison and travel guide covering the world's top luxury destinations.", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/og/lhc-logo.png" }, "sameAs": [] }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/#website", "name": "Luxury Hotel Compare", "url": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com", "description": "Independent luxury hotel comparisons and travel guides for the world's top destinations.", "publisher": { "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/#organization" }, "potentialAction": { "@type": "SearchAction", "target": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/?search={search_term_string}", "query-input": "required name=search_term_string" } } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides/best-time-to-visit-japan#article", "name": "Best Time to Visit Japan: 2026 Month by Month Guide", "headline": "Best Time to Visit Japan: 2026 Month by Month Guide", "description": "The best time to visit Japan in 2026, covering cherry blossom and autumn colour, regional climate, festivals, typhoons, ski season and JR Pass costs.", "url": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides/best-time-to-visit-japan", "image": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/og-homepage.jpg", "inLanguage": "en", "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/#website" }, "publisher": { "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/#organization" }, "abstract": "This month by month guide compares published weather data, event dates and live hotel rates across Japan rather than relying on tourist board promotion.", "backstory": "This month by month guide compares published weather data, event dates and live hotel rates across Japan rather than relying on tourist board promotion.", "disambiguatingDescription": "Seasonal pricing, festival dates and hotel rates last verified 12 July 2026. Research methods and funding are published at /methodology.", "author": { "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/about#jack-williamson" }, "datePublished": "2026-07-26", "dateModified": "2026-07-12", "speakable": { "@type": "SpeakableSpecification", "cssSelector": [ "h1", ".lhc-hero-subhead", "#overview", "#verdict-section" ] } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Travel Guides", "item": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Best time to visit Japan, month by month", "item": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides/best-time-to-visit-japan" } ] }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides/best-time-to-visit-japan#faq", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the best month to visit Japan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Late March through mid April for cherry blossom, and the first three weeks of November for peak autumn colour. If you cannot travel in those windows, mid May and late October deliver near identical weather with far smaller crowds and normal luxury hotel rates. Skiers want mid January to mid February in Hokkaido." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is cherry blossom season in Japan in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The 2026 forecast puts the first Tokyo bloom around 21 March, with full bloom five to seven days later. Kyoto follows two to four days behind. Blossom holds for roughly a week before wind and rain end it, so plan a ten to fourteen night trip anchored between 24 March and 5 April to catch the front at its strongest." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Japan expensive in cherry blossom season?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Luxury hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo raise rates fifty to one hundred percent through the sakura window and often impose minimum stays. The strongest properties sell out eight months in advance. If cost matters more than exact timing, book from 8 May instead, when the weather is warmer and rates return to baseline." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is the cheapest time to visit Japan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Mid January, excluding New Year and Chinese New Year, and June. Both discount luxury rooms thirty to forty percent against April. June brings the tsuyu rains, which arrive in defined blocks rather than all day, and the temple gardens photograph beautifully in the wet." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is the best time for autumn colour in Japan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Peak koyo starts in Hokkaido in late September, reaches Nikko and the Japanese Alps through October, arrives in Hakone in early November and finishes in central Kyoto between 10 and 25 November. Eikando and Tofukuji hold their colour into the first days of December in a warm year." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Japan good to visit in summer?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "August is thirty to thirty four degrees and humid across the main islands, but it is the festival month: Nebuta, Tanabata, Awa Odori and the whole fireworks season. Hokkaido stays a comfortable twenty two to twenty six degrees and is the right choice for anyone who cannot handle Honshu humidity." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is powder season in Niseko?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Reliable powder runs from late December to late February, with peak snowfall around mid January. Early March gives softer light, better visibility and half the crowds. Peak week pricing at the big Niseko hotels is set from 26 December through 6 January and sells out a year ahead." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is a JR Pass worth it in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Only if you are covering long distances. At about 50,000 yen for seven days, the nationwide pass needs three or more long Shinkansen legs to pay for itself. A Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka trip costs roughly 30,000 yen in point to point tickets, so the pass loses. For single region trips, the Kansai Wide Area Pass at about 12,000 yen for five days is far better value." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which airport should I fly into?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Haneda if your route allows it, because it is thirty minutes from central Tokyo against sixty to ninety from Narita. Fly into Kansai if you are starting in Kyoto or Osaka, and consider an open jaw ticket into Haneda and out of Kansai, which saves a full day of backtracking on a two city trip." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I visit Japan during typhoon season?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, with planning. August and September carry the real risk and it concentrates on Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku. Central Honshu usually sees heavy rain and suspended trains rather than danger. Buy weather disruption insurance before any storm is named, keep flexible fares and leave one spare day at the end of the trip." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the best time for a Japan honeymoon?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Late May or late October. You get warm settled weather, quiet temples, ryokan rooms that are actually available and rates a long way below the blossom and koyo peaks. Both windows also suit the onsen resorts in Ise Shima and Hakone, which are the part of a Japan honeymoon people remember." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the best time for a Japan family trip with children?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Late March or October. Temperatures sit between fifteen and twenty two degrees, which matters when you are walking six kilometres a day with a child, and neither window carries the humidity of summer or the ice of January. Avoid Golden Week and Obon, when domestic transport is full and queues are long." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How far in advance should I plan a Japan trip?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Six to eight months for a normal trip and ten to twelve for cherry blossom, peak koyo or New Year in Niseko. Hotels are the constraint, not flights. Book the rooms first, then the flights, then restaurants at thirty to ninety days, then rail seats at a month out." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Japan good for solo travellers?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It is among the best countries in the world for it. Trains are simple, crime is very low, counter dining is normal and nobody treats a table for one as unusual. The only friction is that some ryokan price per person with a two person minimum, so check before you book a traditional inn." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Luxury Hotel Compare earn commission from these bookings?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. I earn a small commission through the Booking.com affiliate programme when readers book through my links. It never changes the ranking and hotels cannot pay for placement on this site." } } ] } ] }, { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Article", "headline": "The best time to visit Japan, month by month, in 2026", "description": "The best time to visit Japan in 2026, covering cherry blossom and autumn colour, regional climate, festivals, typhoons, ski season and JR Pass costs.", "image": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/images/blog/japan-seasons-hero-1200w.webp", "datePublished": "2026-07-26", "dateModified": "2026-09-04", "mainEntityOfPage": { "@type": "WebPage", "@id": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides/best-time-to-visit-japan" }, "author": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Jack Williamson", "url": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/about" }, "publisher": { "@type": "Organization", "name": "Luxury Hotel Compare", "url": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com" } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Travel guides", "item": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Best time to visit Japan", "item": "https://luxuryhotelcompare.com/travel-guides/best-time-to-visit-japan" } ] }, { "@type": "FAQPage", "mainEntity": [ { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the best month to visit Japan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Late March through mid April for cherry blossom, and the first three weeks of November for peak autumn colour. If you cannot travel in those windows, mid May and late October deliver near identical weather with far smaller crowds and normal luxury hotel rates. Skiers want mid January to mid February in Hokkaido." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is cherry blossom season in Japan in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "The 2026 forecast puts the first Tokyo bloom around 21 March, with full bloom five to seven days later. Kyoto follows two to four days behind. Blossom holds for roughly a week before wind and rain end it, so plan a ten to fourteen night trip anchored between 24 March and 5 April to catch the front at its strongest." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Japan expensive in cherry blossom season?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. Luxury hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo raise rates fifty to one hundred percent through the sakura window and often impose minimum stays. The strongest properties sell out eight months in advance. If cost matters more than exact timing, book from 8 May instead, when the weather is warmer and rates return to baseline." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is the cheapest time to visit Japan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Mid January, excluding New Year and Chinese New Year, and June. Both discount luxury rooms thirty to forty percent against April. June brings the tsuyu rains, which arrive in defined blocks rather than all day, and the temple gardens photograph beautifully in the wet." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is the best time for autumn colour in Japan?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Peak koyo starts in Hokkaido in late September, reaches Nikko and the Japanese Alps through October, arrives in Hakone in early November and finishes in central Kyoto between 10 and 25 November. Eikando and Tofukuji hold their colour into the first days of December in a warm year." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Japan good to visit in summer?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "August is thirty to thirty four degrees and humid across the main islands, but it is the festival month: Nebuta, Tanabata, Awa Odori and the whole fireworks season. Hokkaido stays a comfortable twenty two to twenty six degrees and is the right choice for anyone who cannot handle Honshu humidity." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "When is powder season in Niseko?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Reliable powder runs from late December to late February, with peak snowfall around mid January. Early March gives softer light, better visibility and half the crowds. Peak week pricing at the big Niseko hotels is set from 26 December through 6 January and sells out a year ahead." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is a JR Pass worth it in 2026?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Only if you are covering long distances. At about 50,000 yen for seven days, the nationwide pass needs three or more long Shinkansen legs to pay for itself. A Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka trip costs roughly 30,000 yen in point to point tickets, so the pass loses. For single region trips, the Kansai Wide Area Pass at about 12,000 yen for five days is far better value." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Which airport should I fly into?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Haneda if your route allows it, because it is thirty minutes from central Tokyo against sixty to ninety from Narita. Fly into Kansai if you are starting in Kyoto or Osaka, and consider an open jaw ticket into Haneda and out of Kansai, which saves a full day of backtracking on a two city trip." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Can I visit Japan during typhoon season?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes, with planning. August and September carry the real risk and it concentrates on Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku. Central Honshu usually sees heavy rain and suspended trains rather than danger. Buy weather disruption insurance before any storm is named, keep flexible fares and leave one spare day at the end of the trip." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the best time for a Japan honeymoon?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Late May or late October. You get warm settled weather, quiet temples, ryokan rooms that are actually available and rates a long way below the blossom and koyo peaks. Both windows also suit the onsen resorts in Ise Shima and Hakone, which are the part of a Japan honeymoon people remember." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "What is the best time for a Japan family trip with children?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Late March or October. Temperatures sit between fifteen and twenty two degrees, which matters when you are walking six kilometres a day with a child, and neither window carries the humidity of summer or the ice of January. Avoid Golden Week and Obon, when domestic transport is full and queues are long." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "How far in advance should I plan a Japan trip?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Six to eight months for a normal trip and ten to twelve for cherry blossom, peak koyo or New Year in Niseko. Hotels are the constraint, not flights. Book the rooms first, then the flights, then restaurants at thirty to ninety days, then rail seats at a month out." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Is Japan good for solo travellers?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "It is among the best countries in the world for it. Trains are simple, crime is very low, counter dining is normal and nobody treats a table for one as unusual. The only friction is that some ryokan price per person with a two person minimum, so check before you book a traditional inn." } }, { "@type": "Question", "name": "Does Luxury Hotel Compare earn commission from these bookings?", "acceptedAnswer": { "@type": "Answer", "text": "Yes. I earn a small commission through the Booking.com affiliate programme when readers book through my links. It never changes the ranking and hotels cannot pay for placement on this site." } } ] }, { "@type": "ItemList", "itemListOrder": "https://schema.org/ItemListOrderAscending", "numberOfItems": 0, "itemListElement": [] } ] } ] --- [L Luxury Hotel Compare Indep · Editorial · 2026 ](/) Destinations Guides [Best eSIM](/travel-guides/best-esim-international-travel-2026)[Priority Pass Review](/airport-lounges)[Best Luxury Luggage](/suitcases) [Book Via Booking.com](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3Dluxury%2Bhotels%26checkin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) In this guide When to go In this guide - [When to go](#when-to-go) - [Month by month](#month-by-month) - [Climate by region](#regional-climate) - [Cherry blossom](#cherry-blossom) - [Autumn colour](#autumn-colour) - [Sumo calendar](#sumo-calendar) - [Fireworks](#fireworks) - [Typhoons](#typhoons) - [Ski season](#ski-season) - [Golden Week](#golden-week) - [JR Pass maths](#jr-pass) - [Which month suits you](#which-month-for-you) - [Hotels to plan around](#hotels-worth-planning-around) - [Before you go](#post-arrival-essentials) - [FAQ](#faq) - [Keep planning](#keep-planning) Guide facts Best months April and November Cherry blossom 2026 24 March to 5 April Peak autumn colour 10 to 25 November Powder season Late December to late February Cheapest months January and June Ideal trip length 10 to 14 nights Last verified 4 September 2026 Planning your dates? [Check live prices](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3DJapan%26checkin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) ![Cherry blossom in front of Mount Fuji and a five storey pagoda at first light](/images/blog/japan-seasons-hero-1200w.webp) Japan · Planning · 2026 # The best time to visit Japan , month by month, in 2026 Cherry blossom from late March, peak maples through the middle of November, powder in Niseko from Christmas to the end of February. This is the whole Japanese travel year in one place, with the climate tables, festival dates, ticket windows and booking lead times I use to plan my own trips. By **Jack Williamson**, Luxury Travel Editor Published 26 July 2026 Updated 4 September 2026 28 minutes ## The quick answer The two best windows are 24 March to 5 April for cherry blossom and 10 to 25 November for peak autumn colour. Both need eight to twelve months of hotel lead time and both cost fifty to one hundred percent more than the same rooms in January. If you can travel outside those weeks, mid May and mid October give you almost identical weather, far fewer people and normal rates. Avoid Golden Week at the end of April, avoid the second week of August in the cities, and treat September in Kyushu and Okinawa as a typhoon gamble. Skiers want mid January to mid February in Hokkaido. Okinawa swims comfortably from late April to late October. Everything below is broken down region by region. We may earn a commission when you use our links, at no extra cost to you. [How rankings and funding work](/methodology#how-we-make-money). ## The Japanese year at a glance Daytime high, celsius Temperatures are Tokyo daily highs. The demand banding reflects luxury hotel pricing rather than weather, which is why February reads busy on the back of Hokkaido powder and June reads quiet despite being one of the loveliest months in the temple gardens. 10 11 14 19 23 26 30 31 28 22 17 12 Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Rain days 5 6 10 11 11 13 12 10 12 10 7 5 Crowds Quiet Steady Busy Peak Steady Quiet Steady Busy Steady Busy Peak Steady **My verdict.** Book April or November if the photographs matter most. Book May or October if the trip matters more than the photographs. ## Japan, month by month January. New Year shuts family run restaurants and floods the shrines for the first three days, then Tokyo empties in a way it never does otherwise. It is also the opening of the Niseko powder season. Four nights in the capital followed by a week on the snow is the most peaceful shape a Japanese winter trip can take, and January rates on the Honshu side are the lowest of the year. February. The coldest month nationally and also the driest and sharpest for photography. Snow monkey season peaks at Jigokudani, the Sapporo Snow Festival fills Hokkaido in the first week, and plum blossom opens around Kitano Tenmangu in Kyoto a fortnight before the cherry crowds arrive. This is the correct month for an onsen ryokan. March. The month of anticipation. Kyoto and Tokyo reach fourteen degrees by mid month and the first cherry buds open in the last week. The 2026 Japan Meteorological Corporation forecast puts the Tokyo opening bloom around 21 March with Kyoto four days behind. Hotel prices step up sharply from 20 March. April. Sakura peak, and the single most demanded fortnight on the Japanese hotel calendar. Serious properties sell out eight to twelve months ahead and charge fifty to one hundred percent above January. Golden Week begins on 29 April and closes the month with domestic travel at full volume. See my [Kyoto hotel guide](/travel-guides/best-luxury-hotels-kyoto-2026) for the properties that actually hold their standards in blossom week. May. The best value month in the Japanese year once Golden Week has passed. Twenty three degrees in Kyoto, deep green hillsides around Arashiyama and Nikko, and rates back to normal from 8 May onwards. June. Tsuyu, the rainy season, arrives in the second week and runs into mid July. It is not the washout people expect. Rain falls in defined blocks, hydrangea covers Hakone and Kamakura, temple moss is at its best and luxury rates drop thirty to forty percent. Hokkaido misses tsuyu entirely. July. The rains end around 20 July and full summer arrives immediately behind them. Gion Matsuri runs all month in Kyoto with the main parade on 17 July, and the Sumida River fireworks close the month in Tokyo. Thirty degrees with high humidity means early starts and coastal onsen rather than temple marathons. August. The hottest, most humid and most festive month. Aomori Nebuta from 2 to 7 August, Sendai Tanabata from 6 to 8 August, Awa Odori in Tokushima from 12 to 15 August and Gozan Okuribi in Kyoto on 16 August. Obon week in the middle of the month books out domestic transport. Hokkaido stays a workable twenty four to twenty six degrees. September. Typhoon risk peaks between 5 September and 10 October, with real disruption potential in Okinawa, Kyushu and the Kii Peninsula. Central Honshu is mostly spared. Humidity falls through the month and Hokkaido's uni and hairy crab season begins. October. The undervalued autumn month. First colour in Hokkaido and the Japanese Alps from 5 October, twenty two degrees across Honshu and international crowds still thin. Nikko peaks around 20 October and the front reaches the Kyoto hills in the final week. November. Peak koyo. Nikko early, Hakone mid month, Eikando and Tofukuji in Kyoto through the last ten days. Rates match April and hotels sell out eight months ahead. Autumn tends to reward the returning traveller more than spring does, because the colour lasts longer and the walking weather is better. December. Colour holds in central Kyoto until about 5 December and the temple illumination programmes run through the month. Snow reaches Niseko around 20 December and Christmas week is the second most expensive ski booking window of the year after New Year. Tokyo hotels, including several in my [Tokyo hotel guide](/travel-guides/best-luxury-hotels-tokyo-2026), discount the week between 20 and 28 December. ## Five regions compared, month by month Japan spans three thousand kilometres from the sub arctic to the subtropics, so a national average is useless. Each cell reads daily high and daily low in celsius, then average monthly rainfall. Sunrise and sunset are Tokyo times on the fifteenth of the month. Read the extremes. Sapporo in January sits below freezing all day. Naha in January is nineteen degrees and swimmable by late April. Nagoya is the hottest of the big cities in August and the one I would skip in high summer. Average monthly climate across Tokyo, Kyoto, Sapporo, Naha and Nagoya Month Tokyo Kyoto Sapporo Naha Nagoya Sunrise / sunset January 10 / 2 · 60mm 9 / 1 · 50mm \-1 / -7 · 108mm 19 / 14 · 107mm 9 / 1 · 48mm 06:50 / 16:40 February 11 / 2 · 56mm 10 / 1 · 68mm 0 / -7 · 92mm 20 / 14 · 120mm 10 / 1 · 66mm 06:30 / 17:10 March 14 / 5 · 118mm 14 / 4 · 113mm 4 / -3 · 78mm 22 / 16 · 161mm 14 / 4 · 122mm 05:50 / 17:35 April 19 / 10 · 125mm 20 / 9 · 116mm 11 / 3 · 55mm 24 / 19 · 166mm 20 / 9 · 125mm 05:10 / 18:00 May 23 / 15 · 138mm 25 / 14 · 161mm 17 / 8 · 56mm 27 / 22 · 232mm 24 / 14 · 151mm 04:35 / 18:25 June 26 / 19 · 168mm 28 / 19 · 215mm 21 / 13 · 61mm 30 / 25 · 247mm 27 / 19 · 202mm 04:25 / 18:55 July 30 / 23 · 156mm 32 / 23 · 234mm 25 / 17 · 90mm 32 / 26 · 141mm 31 / 23 · 204mm 04:35 / 19:00 August 31 / 25 · 155mm 34 / 24 · 132mm 26 / 19 · 127mm 32 / 26 · 241mm 33 / 25 · 126mm 05:00 / 18:40 September 28 / 21 · 225mm 29 / 20 · 176mm 22 / 14 · 142mm 31 / 25 · 261mm 29 / 21 · 235mm 05:20 / 18:00 October 22 / 16 · 235mm 23 / 14 · 121mm 16 / 7 · 110mm 28 / 23 · 153mm 23 / 15 · 143mm 05:45 / 17:15 November 17 / 10 · 96mm 17 / 8 · 71mm 8 / 1 · 114mm 25 / 20 · 110mm 18 / 9 · 74mm 06:10 / 16:35 December 12 / 5 · 58mm 12 / 3 · 45mm 2 / -4 · 115mm 21 / 16 · 103mm 12 / 3 · 51mm 06:40 / 16:30 Humidity runs 50 to 60 percent from December to April and 75 to 85 percent from June to September everywhere except Sapporo, which stays near 70 percent year round. Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency 1991 to 2020 normals. ![Cherry blossom in full bloom over a stone canal path in Kyoto at first light](/images/blog/japan/sakura.webp) The Philosopher's Path in the first week of April, walked before seven, which is the only way to have it. ## Cherry blossom, front by front The sakura front moves from Kyushu to Hokkaido over roughly ten weeks. Okinawa opens first in late January with a different species, Kyushu follows around 20 March, Tokyo and Kyoto peak in the last week of March and the first days of April, Kanazawa and Sendai take the second half of April, and Hakodate and Sapporo finish the season in the first week of May. Two numbers matter more than the forecast. First, full bloom lasts about seven days and one wet windy afternoon can end it, so plan a ten to fourteen night trip rather than a three night raid. Second, the front has been arriving earlier: the ten year trend at the Tokyo reference tree has moved the opening bloom forward by roughly four days since 2016, and 2023 tied the earliest opening on record at 14 March. Plan for the last week of March rather than the first week of April if you are booking a single city. Booking lead time is four to six months for good rooms and eight to twelve for the handful of properties everybody wants. Kyoto is the hardest bed in the country in blossom week, which is the argument for reading my [Kyoto hotel guide](/travel-guides/best-luxury-hotels-kyoto-2026) before you pick dates rather than after. Twenty cherry blossom spots ranked by region, with typical peak bloom Spot Region Typical peak Why go Philosopher's Path, Kyoto Kansai 28 Mar to 5 Apr Canal lined tunnel of blossom, best walked before seven in the morning Maruyama Park, Kyoto Kansai 27 Mar to 4 Apr The weeping cherry lit at night, and the closest thing Kyoto has to a party Arashiyama, Kyoto Kansai 29 Mar to 6 Apr Hillside blossom above the Oi River, seen best from the water Osaka Castle Park Kansai 28 Mar to 6 Apr Three thousand trees against the keep, floodlit until nine Nara Park Kansai 30 Mar to 8 Apr Blossom and deer, and far fewer photographers than Kyoto Yoshinoyama, Nara Kansai 1 to 15 Apr Thirty thousand trees on one mountainside in four staggered bands Meguro River, Tokyo Kanto 26 Mar to 3 Apr Four kilometres of overhanging blossom and the best evening walk in the city Chidorigafuchi, Tokyo Kanto 25 Mar to 2 Apr Rowing boats on the Imperial Palace moat under the branches Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo Kanto 25 Mar to 12 Apr Twelve varieties, so the season runs two weeks longer than anywhere else Ueno Park, Tokyo Kanto 24 Mar to 1 Apr The classic hanami picnic, loud and joyful and worth seeing once Kamakura, Kanagawa Kanto 27 Mar to 4 Apr Dankazura approach to Tsurugaoka Hachimangu, an hour from Tokyo Fuji Five Lakes Chubu 10 to 20 Apr Chureito Pagoda with blossom and the mountain in one frame Takato Castle Park, Nagano Chubu 5 to 15 Apr Fifteen hundred pink Takato Kohigan trees, a variety found nowhere else Kanazawa, Kenrokuen Hokuriku 5 to 13 Apr One of the three great gardens of Japan, opened free at blossom time Takada Castle, Niigata Hokuriku 7 to 15 Apr Four thousand trees lit at night around the moat Hirosaki Castle, Aomori Tohoku 22 Apr to 5 May The best blossom in Japan on a clear day, with Mount Iwaki behind Kitakami Tenshochi, Iwate Tohoku 20 to 30 Apr Two kilometres of river bank and horse drawn carts Kakunodate, Akita Tohoku 22 Apr to 3 May Weeping cherries over samurai district walls Goryokaku, Hakodate Hokkaido 28 Apr to 8 May A star shaped fort outlined in blossom, seen from the tower Maruyama Park, Sapporo Hokkaido 1 to 10 May The last hanami of the year, with plum and cherry blooming together Peak windows are ten year averages from Japan Meteorological Corporation data. Add three to four days in a cold spring and subtract three in a warm one. ![GoWithGuide logo](https://cdn.brandfetch.io/gowithguide.com/w/200/h/200/logo?c=1id1S46xxETYxelu0Ag) Private guides in Japan ### Want a licensed guide for cherry blossom season? Blossom week rewards local knowledge more than any other week of the year. Our partner GoWithGuide matches you with bilingual Japan guides who know which garden opens at sunrise and which one is unbearable by nine. From about 250 US dollars a day. [Find a Japan guide](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=87121&awinaffid=2811492&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fgowithguide.com%2Fjapan) ![Red Japanese maple leaves framing a temple pagoda in Kyoto on a misty November morning](/images/blog/japan/koyo.webp) Kyoto in the third week of November, when the maples do the thing everybody comes for. ## Autumn colour, front by front Koyo runs the other way to sakura. It starts in the mountains of Hokkaido in the third week of September at Daisetsuzan, reaches the Japanese Alps and Nikko through October, arrives in Hakone in the first half of November and finishes in central Kyoto between 10 and 25 November. Southern Kyushu holds colour into the first week of December. Autumn is the better season for a second Japan trip. The window is three weeks rather than one, the walking weather is kinder, the light is longer for photography and the palette runs from yellow ginkgo through orange to the deep red of the Japanese maple rather than one shade of pink. It is also every bit as expensive in Kyoto, so the same eight month booking rule applies. For a Kyoto autumn base, the properties in my [Kyoto hotel guide](/travel-guides/best-luxury-hotels-kyoto-2026) that back onto the eastern hills are worth the premium in November, because you can be at Eikando before the gates open and back for breakfast. Twenty autumn colour spots ranked by region, with typical peak Spot Region Typical peak Why go Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido Hokkaido 18 to 30 Sep The first colour in Japan, six weeks before Kyoto Jozankei, Hokkaido Hokkaido 5 to 20 Oct Gorge colour and an onsen town forty minutes from Sapporo Naruko Gorge, Miyagi Tohoku 25 Oct to 8 Nov The bridge view every Japanese autumn poster uses Lake Towada, Aomori Tohoku 15 to 31 Oct Oirase stream walk, flat and stunning for four kilometres Kamikochi, Nagano Chubu 10 to 25 Oct Larch and birch under the Hotaka range, closed from mid November Kurobe Gorge, Toyama Chubu 1 to 15 Nov An open sided railway through a canyon in full colour Korankei, Aichi Chubu 15 to 30 Nov Four thousand maples lit at night, an hour from Nagoya Nikko, Tochigi Kanto 18 Oct to 5 Nov Iroha zaka hairpins and Lake Chuzenji, the strongest autumn base from Tokyo Hakone Kanto 5 to 20 Nov Colour, Fuji views and open air onsen in one weekend Mount Takao, Tokyo Kanto 15 to 30 Nov A proper mountain walk inside the Tokyo metropolis Rikugien, Tokyo Kanto 20 Nov to 5 Dec The best night illumination in the capital Meiji Jingu Gaien ginkgo Kanto 20 Nov to 5 Dec One hundred and forty six ginkgo trees in a gold corridor Eikando, Kyoto Kansai 15 to 30 Nov The finest maple temple in Japan, and it knows it Tofukuji, Kyoto Kansai 18 Nov to 2 Dec Tsutenkyo bridge over a valley of two thousand maples Arashiyama, Kyoto Kansai 15 to 30 Nov Hillside colour from the river, best by boat at eight in the morning Kiyomizudera, Kyoto Kansai 18 Nov to 2 Dec Night illumination on the stage, unforgettable and very crowded Nara Park Kansai 10 to 30 Nov Colour, deer and space to breathe Koyasan, Wakayama Kansai 1 to 15 Nov Temple lodging among maples at eight hundred metres Miyajima, Hiroshima Chugoku 15 to 30 Nov Momijidani valley behind the shrine, at its best on a weekday Kirishima, Kagoshima Kyushu 20 Nov to 8 Dec The last colour of the year, with volcanic onsen attached Peaks are ten year averages. A warm October pushes the Kyoto window into the very end of November. ![Two sumo wrestlers facing off in a clay ring inside a packed Japanese arena](/images/blog/japan/sumo.webp) The dohyo at a grand tournament. Buy on the first morning tickets go on sale or you will not get in. ## The sumo tournament calendar Six grand tournaments run each year, each lasting fifteen days and always starting on a Sunday. Three are in Tokyo at the Ryogoku Kokugikan, and those are the easiest to build a trip around because you can watch a full afternoon and still be at dinner in Ginza by eight. Tickets go on general sale roughly one month before each tournament and the good box seats for the Tokyo basho sell out within hours. Buy through the official Japan Sumo Association site or through BuySumoTickets.com, which resells with English support and delivers to your hotel. Arena seats at the back cost about 4,000 yen, ringside box seats for four run from about 45,000 yen, checked 4 September 2026. If you are timing a January, May or September trip around a Tokyo basho, stay east or central. Several properties in my [Tokyo hotel guide](/travel-guides/best-luxury-hotels-tokyo-2026) are fifteen minutes from Ryogoku by taxi. The six grand sumo tournaments of the year Month Tournament Location Ticket window How to buy January Hatsu Basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo Released early December Official JSA site or BuySumoTickets.com March Haru Basho EDION Arena, Osaka Released early February Ticket Oosumo, or resale with English support May Natsu Basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo Released early April Official JSA site, sells out fastest of the six July Nagoya Basho IG Arena, Nagoya Released early June Official JSA site, easiest same week tickets September Aki Basho Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo Released early August Official JSA site or hotel concierge November Kyushu Basho Fukuoka Kokusai Center Released early October Official JSA site, generally available on the day Weekdays in the first week are the easiest tickets. Finals Sunday is the hardest ticket in Japanese sport. ![Large fireworks bursting over a dark river with a crowd in yukata watching from the bank](/images/blog/japan/hanabi.webp) A summer hanabi on the river. Bring a fan, because August evenings do not cool down. ## Fireworks season, festival by festival Hanabi season runs from late July through August and it is the reason to accept Japanese summer humidity. These are not ten minute displays. Nagaoka runs two hours across two nights and sets off twenty thousand shells, including the Phoenix sequence that spans two kilometres of riverbank. Two rules. Paid seating goes on sale in May and June and is worth every yen, because free viewing means arriving four hours early with a plastic sheet. And book your hotel before the date is confirmed, because rooms near the big riverside displays double within a day of the announcement. Eight major firework festivals with dates and viewing advice Festival Where When Best viewing Sumida River Fireworks Asakusa, Tokyo Last Saturday of July Paid seating at Sumida Park, or a river view room in Asakusa Nagaoka Fireworks Nagaoka, Niigata 2 and 3 August Paid riverbank seats, sold by lottery in May Tenjin Matsuri Fireworks Osaka 25 July From the Okawa river boats, booked through hotels Omagari National Fireworks Daisen, Akita Last Saturday of August The competition final, paid seating only, sells out in June Toyota Oiden Fireworks Toyota, Aichi Late July Yahagi River bank, easy day trip from Nagoya Naniwa Yodogawa Fireworks Osaka Early August Umeda side riverbank, the most accessible big Osaka display Miyajima Water Fireworks Miyajima, Hiroshima Late August From the island shore with the torii gate in the foreground PL Art of Fireworks Tondabayashi, Osaka 1 August Twenty thousand shells in an hour, the loudest finale in Japan Dates shift by a week either way each year and heavy rain postpones rather than cancels. Confirm with the organiser in June. ![Heavy rain and storm cloud over a Japanese coastal town with wind bent palms](/images/blog/japan/typhoon.webp) A September system coming ashore in the south. Two wet days, then it clears. ## Typhoon season and how much it should worry you Typhoon season officially runs from May to October, but the storms that actually reach the main islands cluster in August and September. Okinawa and Kyushu take the brunt. Tokyo and Kyoto typically see the remains of a system as a day of heavy rain and cancelled Shinkansen rather than anything dangerous. The practical impact is a lost day rather than a lost trip. Japan handles storms extremely well: trains are suspended in advance and restarted quickly, and hotels rarely lose power. What you want is a flexible airline ticket, travel insurance that covers weather disruption bought before any named storm forms, and one spare day at the end of the itinerary if you are flying home from Naha or Fukuoka in September. Typhoon risk by month, region and likely travel impact Month Frequency Regions affected Impact on travel Insurance guidance May to June Rare landfall Okinawa only Little to none Standard policy is enough July One to two systems Okinawa, southern Kyushu Occasional ferry and flight delays Buy cover before booking flights August Peak, three to four systems Okinawa, Kyushu, Shikoku, Kii Peninsula Flight cancellations and suspended Shinkansen Weather disruption cover, buy before any storm is named September Peak, three to four systems Kyushu, Shikoku, Tokai, occasionally Kanto The highest chance of a lost day nationally Flexible fares plus a spare day at trip end October One to two systems Okinawa, southern Kyushu Mostly rain by the time it reaches Honshu Standard policy, watch the forecast a week out November to April Effectively none None None Standard policy The Japan Meteorological Agency publishes English typhoon tracks and warnings. Check it daily in September rather than relying on your hotel to tell you. ![A skier carving through deep powder snow between snow covered birch trees in Hokkaido](/images/blog/japan/ski.webp) Hokkaido in late January, which is the whole reason to fly north in winter. ## Ski season, resort by resort Japanese powder is not marketing. Niseko records around fifteen metres of snow in an average season, which is roughly double what most Alpine resorts see, and it falls as the dry cold snow that Siberian air produces when it crosses the Sea of Japan. Mid January to mid February is the reliable window everywhere. Late season, meaning the first three weeks of March, gives softer light, longer days and half the crowds for maybe seventy percent of the snow quality. Christmas and New Year is the most expensive fortnight of the Japanese year on the mountain. Six Japanese ski resorts compared on season, snowfall and facilities Resort Season Average snowfall Onsen English signage Niseko United, Hokkaido Early Dec to early May About 15m Excellent, many hotel and public baths Complete, effectively bilingual Hakuba Valley, Nagano Early Dec to early May About 11m Very good, village baths in Happo Very good across ten linked resorts Nozawa Onsen, Nagano Late Nov to early Apr About 10m Outstanding, thirteen free public baths Moderate, improving each season Rusutsu, Hokkaido Late Nov to early Apr About 12m Good, large resort baths Good, quieter tree runs than Niseko Furano, Hokkaido Late Nov to early May About 9m Good, town baths nearby Moderate, the most Japanese feeling of the six Kiroro, Hokkaido Late Nov to early May About 21m Very good, hotel onsen on site Good, the deepest snow record in this list Snowfall figures are cumulative seasonal averages from resort records. Peak powder days cluster between 10 January and 15 February at all six. ![Dense crowd crossing Shibuya scramble crossing in Tokyo at dusk, long exposure](/images/blog/japan/golden-week.webp) Golden Week in Tokyo. Every train, hotel and restaurant in the country is full at once. ## Golden Week, and why to plan around it Golden Week is a run of four national holidays at the end of April and the start of May. Almost the entire country travels at once. Shinkansen reserved seats sell out weeks ahead, hotels charge two to three times their normal rate, and popular temples and gardens are genuinely uncomfortable. The dates are 29 April to 6 May 2026, 29 April to 5 May 2027 and 29 April to 6 May 2028. If your dates are fixed and they fall inside that window, book everything five to six months ahead including train seats, and choose a resort or an onsen town over a city day trip programme. If you have any flexibility, move by one week in either direction. Early April gives you the tail of the blossom at normal prices. From 8 May onwards you get warm weather, green hills, empty temples and rates back at their baseline. Mid October is the autumn equivalent of that trade. Golden Week rate impact against the same rooms a week later Property type Golden Week rate Week of 8 May Difference Tokyo five star, entry room About 165,000 yen About 78,000 yen Roughly double Kyoto luxury hotel, entry room About 190,000 yen About 85,000 yen Roughly 2.2 times Traditional ryokan, two meals About 145,000 yen About 62,000 yen Roughly 2.3 times Hakone onsen resort About 130,000 yen About 55,000 yen Roughly 2.4 times Domestic flight, Tokyo to Sapporo About 48,000 yen About 17,000 yen Roughly 2.8 times Indicative rates for two people sharing, checked 4 September 2026. Minimum stay rules of two or three nights are common across Golden Week. ![A white shinkansen speeding past green tea fields with snow capped Mount Fuji behind](/images/blog/japan/shinkansen.webp) The Tokaido line past Fuji. The view is on the right hand side going west. ## JR Pass maths after the price rise The nationwide Japan Rail Pass rose sharply in October 2023 and now costs about 50,000 yen for seven days, 80,000 yen for fourteen and 100,000 yen for twenty one in ordinary class. That change killed the old advice that every visitor should buy one. Here is the test. A one way Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen seat is about 14,000 yen and Kyoto to Hiroshima is about 11,500 yen. A classic Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and back loop costs roughly 30,000 yen in point to point tickets, which is well short of the pass. Add Hiroshima and Kanazawa, or plan three or more long Shinkansen legs inside seven days, and the pass wins. Two cities and a day trip does not justify it. For single region trips the regional passes are much better value. The Kansai Wide Area Pass is about 12,000 yen for five days and covers Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Himeji and Kinosaki. The JR Hokkaido Pass is about 28,000 yen for seven days. The JR East Tohoku Pass is about 30,000 yen for five flexible days. Buy online up to thirty days ahead for the cheaper rate and exchange the voucher at the airport, or buy at a major JR station counter with your passport if you decide once you are there. Rail pass options compared against typical point to point fares Pass Price Covers Worth it when Japan Rail Pass, 7 days About 50,000 yen Nationwide JR, most Shinkansen Three or more long Shinkansen legs in one week Japan Rail Pass, 14 days About 80,000 yen Nationwide JR A Tokyo to Kyushu or Tohoku loop with several stops Kansai Wide Area Pass, 5 days About 12,000 yen Kyoto, Osaka, Nara, Kobe, Himeji, Kinosaki Almost any Kansai only trip JR Hokkaido Pass, 7 days About 28,000 yen All JR Hokkaido lines Sapporo, Furano and Hakodate in one trip JR East Tohoku Pass, 5 flexible days About 30,000 yen Tokyo north to Aomori Two or more northern Shinkansen returns Point to point tickets About 14,000 yen Tokyo to Kyoto Whatever you actually ride Two city trips, which is most first visits Prices checked 4 September 2026 in ordinary class. Green car passes run roughly forty percent higher. ![Airalo logo](https://cdn.brandfetch.io/airalo.com/w/200/h/200/logo?c=1id1S46xxETYxelu0Ag) Staying connected ### Have your data live before wheels down Japanese pocket wifi rental is an airport counter queue you do not need. An Airalo eSIM activates the moment you land, from about 12 US dollars for 3GB across Japan. [Get your eSIM](https://airalo.tpx.lt/XJUpu9hS) ## Which month for what Ten common trip briefs and the month I would actually book for each of them, on the assumption that you want the trip to work rather than to match a photograph you saw online. Choosing your Japan month by travel style If you want Book Why Cherry blossom 24 March to 5 April The Tokyo and Kyoto peak, booked eight months ahead Autumn colour 10 to 25 November Kyoto maples at full depth with cool walking weather Best value 8 to 31 May Spring weather, green hills, normal rates, no crowds Cheapest possible Mid January or June Luxury rates fall thirty to forty percent Powder skiing 10 January to 15 February Peak snowfall in Hokkaido and Nagano Festivals July and August Gion Matsuri, Nebuta, Awa Odori and the fireworks season Honeymoon Late May or late October Warm, quiet and the easiest month for good ryokan rooms Family with children Late March or October Mild temperatures and manageable walking distances Beaches in Okinawa Late April to mid July Warm sea before the typhoon peak arrives Photography above all February or November The clearest air and the longest low light of the year ## Five hotels worth planning the trip around Each of these is the strongest property in Japan for one particular season. If your dates are flexible, pick the hotel first and let it choose your month. [Aman Tokyo](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3DAman%2BTokyo%26checkin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) is the year round anchor, thirty three floors above the Imperial Palace with the only urban onsen of its kind in the city. [Hoshinoya Kyoto](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3DHOSHINOYA%2BKyoto%2BArashiyama%26checkin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) is the blossom pick, reached by private boat up the Oi River. [Amanemu](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fsearchresults.html%3Fss%3DAmanemu%2BIse-Shima%2BJapan%26checkin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) in Ise Shima is the onsen pick, with a private thermal pool in every suite. [The Ritz-Carlton Nikko](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fjp%2Fthe-ritz-carlton-nikko.html%3Fcheckin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) is the autumn pick on Lake Chuzenji. [Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono](https://www.anrdoezrs.net/click-101801746-17288959?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.booking.com%2Fhotel%2Fjp%2Fpark-hyatt-niseko-hanazono.html%3Fcheckin%3D2026-10-21%26checkout%3D2026-10-23%26group_adults%3D2%26no_rooms%3D1%26group_children%3D0) is the winter pick, with the gondola off the lobby. Five Japanese hotels and the season each one is built for Hotel Where Book it for From Aman Tokyo Otemachi, Tokyo Any month, strongest in January About 2,100 US dollars Hoshinoya Kyoto Arashiyama, Kyoto Cherry blossom, late March About 1,400 US dollars Amanemu Ise Shima February and July About 1,800 US dollars The Ritz-Carlton Nikko Lake Chuzenji Autumn colour, early November About 1,100 US dollars Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono Niseko, Hokkaido Powder, mid January About 900 US dollars Rates are lead in doubles checked 4 September 2026 and move sharply in blossom and koyo weeks. ## Twelve things to sort before you fly The planning jobs that decide whether the first forty eight hours in Japan feel effortless or fraught. Work down the list in order. - ### Which airport to fly into Haneda is thirty minutes from central Tokyo and always the better arrival if your route offers it. Narita is sixty to ninety minutes out. Kansai serves Kyoto and Osaka in about seventy five minutes. Naha is the gateway for Okinawa. Flying into one and out of the other saves a full day of backtracking. - ### An eSIM before you land Japan is not a country to arrive in offline, because train routing, restaurant maps and translation all live on your phone. An Airalo Japan eSIM starts around 12 US dollars for 3GB and activates on landing. [Get an Airalo eSIM](https://airalo.tpx.lt/XJUpu9hS) - ### Airport lounge access Priority Pass covers TIAT Lounge at Haneda Terminal 3, IASS Executive Lounges at Narita Terminals 1 and 2 and lounges at Kansai and Naha. Worth it on a long haul arrival where you land at dawn and cannot check in until three. [See Priority Pass options](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=60243&awinaffid=2811492) - ### Suica, Pasmo and ICOCA One IC card covers trains, subways, buses, vending machines and convenience stores nationwide. Add Suica to Apple Wallet before you fly and top it up with a card. Physical Welcome Suica cards are sold at Narita and Haneda arrivals. - ### Luggage forwarding Yamato takuhaibin moves a suitcase hotel to hotel overnight for about 2,000 yen. Send the big case from Tokyo to Kyoto and ride the Shinkansen with a day bag. Every hotel front desk arranges it and most take it before eleven in the morning for next day delivery. - ### Cash against card Cities, department stores and hotels take cards everywhere. Small izakaya, older kissaten, temple entry, some Michelin counters and rural buses are still cash. Carry 30,000 yen and withdraw at 7-Eleven ATMs, which accept foreign cards reliably. - ### No tipping, ever There is no tipping anywhere in Japan, including taxis, restaurants and hotels. Leaving money on the table causes confusion and occasionally offence. Service charge appears on ryokan and high end restaurant bills already. - ### Toilets, and how to work them The washlet panel is usually pictograms. The large button on the wall is the flush, the panel buttons are bidet functions, and the square button with a hand is the stop. Slippers left inside a bathroom stay in the bathroom. - ### Restaurant reservation windows The best sushi and kaiseki counters open bookings thirty to ninety days ahead and fill the same day. Some accept overseas guests only through a hotel concierge. Ask your hotel to request tables the day you confirm the room, not the week you arrive. - ### Blossom and koyo tracking apps Japan Meteorological Corporation publishes the sakura forecast from January and updates it weekly. Weathernews runs the most accurate live bloom map, and its autumn equivalent tracks koyo from September. Both have usable English pages. - ### Convenience store food is genuinely good 7-Eleven, Lawson and FamilyMart sell onigiri, egg sandwiches, oden and coffee at a standard no other country matches. Use them for early train breakfasts and late arrivals rather than treating them as a compromise. - ### A licensed private guide For a bilingual guide who can hold a restaurant table, explain a shrine properly and get you through a blossom garden before the coaches arrive. Full days run about 250 to 400 US dollars. [Find a Japan guide](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=87121&awinaffid=2811492&ued=https%3A%2F%2Fgowithguide.com%2Fjapan) ![Priority Pass logo](https://cdn.brandfetch.io/prioritypass.com/w/200/h/200/logo?c=1id1S46xxETYxelu0Ag) Before you fly ### Landing at Haneda, Narita or Kansai? Priority Pass unlocks TIAT Lounge at Haneda Terminal 3, the IASS Executive Lounges at Narita and more than 1,600 lounges worldwide. From 469 US dollars a year. [See membership options](https://www.awin1.com/cread.php?awinmid=60243&awinaffid=2811492) ## Best time to visit Japan, answered What is the best month to visit Japan? Late March through mid April for cherry blossom, and the first three weeks of November for peak autumn colour. If you cannot travel in those windows, mid May and late October deliver near identical weather with far smaller crowds and normal luxury hotel rates. Skiers want mid January to mid February in Hokkaido. When is cherry blossom season in Japan in 2026? The 2026 forecast puts the first Tokyo bloom around 21 March, with full bloom five to seven days later. Kyoto follows two to four days behind. Blossom holds for roughly a week before wind and rain end it, so plan a ten to fourteen night trip anchored between 24 March and 5 April to catch the front at its strongest. Is Japan expensive in cherry blossom season? Yes. Luxury hotels in Kyoto and Tokyo raise rates fifty to one hundred percent through the sakura window and often impose minimum stays. The strongest properties sell out eight months in advance. If cost matters more than exact timing, book from 8 May instead, when the weather is warmer and rates return to baseline. When is the cheapest time to visit Japan? Mid January, excluding New Year and Chinese New Year, and June. Both discount luxury rooms thirty to forty percent against April. June brings the tsuyu rains, which arrive in defined blocks rather than all day, and the temple gardens photograph beautifully in the wet. When is the best time for autumn colour in Japan? Peak koyo starts in Hokkaido in late September, reaches Nikko and the Japanese Alps through October, arrives in Hakone in early November and finishes in central Kyoto between 10 and 25 November. Eikando and Tofukuji hold their colour into the first days of December in a warm year. Is Japan good to visit in summer? August is thirty to thirty four degrees and humid across the main islands, but it is the festival month: Nebuta, Tanabata, Awa Odori and the whole fireworks season. Hokkaido stays a comfortable twenty two to twenty six degrees and is the right choice for anyone who cannot handle Honshu humidity. When is powder season in Niseko? Reliable powder runs from late December to late February, with peak snowfall around mid January. Early March gives softer light, better visibility and half the crowds. Peak week pricing at the big Niseko hotels is set from 26 December through 6 January and sells out a year ahead. Is a JR Pass worth it in 2026? Only if you are covering long distances. At about 50,000 yen for seven days, the nationwide pass needs three or more long Shinkansen legs to pay for itself. A Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka trip costs roughly 30,000 yen in point to point tickets, so the pass loses. For single region trips, the Kansai Wide Area Pass at about 12,000 yen for five days is far better value. Which airport should I fly into? Haneda if your route allows it, because it is thirty minutes from central Tokyo against sixty to ninety from Narita. Fly into Kansai if you are starting in Kyoto or Osaka, and consider an open jaw ticket into Haneda and out of Kansai, which saves a full day of backtracking on a two city trip. Can I visit Japan during typhoon season? Yes, with planning. August and September carry the real risk and it concentrates on Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku. Central Honshu usually sees heavy rain and suspended trains rather than danger. Buy weather disruption insurance before any storm is named, keep flexible fares and leave one spare day at the end of the trip. What is the best time for a Japan honeymoon? Late May or late October. You get warm settled weather, quiet temples, ryokan rooms that are actually available and rates a long way below the blossom and koyo peaks. Both windows also suit the onsen resorts in Ise Shima and Hakone, which are the part of a Japan honeymoon people remember. What is the best time for a Japan family trip with children? Late March or October. Temperatures sit between fifteen and twenty two degrees, which matters when you are walking six kilometres a day with a child, and neither window carries the humidity of summer or the ice of January. Avoid Golden Week and Obon, when domestic transport is full and queues are long. How far in advance should I plan a Japan trip? Six to eight months for a normal trip and ten to twelve for cherry blossom, peak koyo or New Year in Niseko. Hotels are the constraint, not flights. Book the rooms first, then the flights, then restaurants at thirty to ninety days, then rail seats at a month out. Is Japan good for solo travellers? It is among the best countries in the world for it. Trains are simple, crime is very low, counter dining is normal and nobody treats a table for one as unusual. The only friction is that some ryokan price per person with a two person minimum, so check before you book a traditional inn. Does Luxury Hotel Compare earn commission from these bookings? Yes. I earn a small commission through the Booking.com affiliate programme when readers book through my links. 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