Best seasons to visit Tokyo

Month by month

January is cold (around 2 to 10°C), dry and brilliantly clear, with Mount Fuji visible from the towers on more days than any other month. The first three days of the year close most shops and restaurants; after that it is the cheapest and quietest time to visit. February is similar, with plum blossoms late in the month and the first hints of spring in the department-store sweets.

March warms quickly. Cherry blossoms in Tokyo typically open in the last week of March and peak around the first days of April, give or take a week depending on the year. April after the blossoms is still the best spring weather, and prices stay high until Golden Week ends. May after the 6th is one of the two best windows of the year: 20 to 25°C, low humidity, green everywhere.

June brings tsuyu, the rainy season, from around the 7th to mid-July: grey, humid, not always raining but always threatening, with hydrangeas as the payoff. July turns hot and humid once the rains stop, with the Sumida River fireworks on the last Saturday. August is the hardest month: 33 to 36°C with heavy humidity, Obon travel in the middle, and the first typhoons. September stays hot and is the peak typhoon month; by late month the heat finally breaks.

October is reliably pleasant, though an early-October typhoon is common. November is the other best window: crisp, dry, 10 to 18°C, with autumn colors starting in the parks around the 20th and peaking into the first week of December. December is cold, clear and full of illuminations, and the last week empties out as the city goes home for New Year.

Crowds and prices

Golden Week runs from 29 April to around 6 May, when much of Japan is on holiday at once: trains and hotels are full, attractions have long lines, and Tokyo itself is oddly calm because residents leave town. Obon in mid-August (around the 13th to 16th) does the same. The cherry blossom fortnight and the second half of November are the two peaks for international visitors, with hotel rates 50 to 100 percent above the off-season. Silver Week in late September is a smaller spike.

The cheap, quiet months are mid-January to February, June and early September. If weather matters more than blossoms, aim for the second half of May or the first half of November and book early.

What to pack

Walking 15,000 to 20,000 steps a day is normal, so shoes you trust come first, and slip-ons help with the shoe-removal routine. Spring and autumn: layers, a light jacket, a folding umbrella. Summer: the lightest breathable clothes you own, a hat, sunscreen, a cooling towel, and days planned around air-conditioned breaks; locals carry handheld fans and parasols for good reason. Rainy season: a proper umbrella (or buy a ¥700 one at any konbini) and quick-drying shoes. Winter: a real coat, but indoor heating is strong, so layers again. Year-round: a small bag for your trash, a coin purse and a power bank.

Dress is casual but tidy; Tokyo does not do beachwear in the city. Tattoos are fine on the street. Deodorant is sold but weaker than Western brands, so bring your own.

The honest ranking

Late November, then mid-May, then early April, then the clear cold of January. Avoid August unless you have no choice, and if June is your only option, book museums and covered markets and enjoy the lower prices.