January in Tokyo: strong conditions, 2nd of 12
Good · 7.6/10Expect 4°C (40°F) in January. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
With around 36 mm of rain, any showers tend to pass through rather than settle in; about 26 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.1 hours of daylight fill the rest.
That is 7.6/10 on the same scale — 2nd of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Budget for peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in.
February holds up well in Tokyo — 4th best month
Good · 7.5/10Expect 6°C (42°F) in February. A good month for city streets, viewpoints and long meals; leave swimming for another season.
Budget for roughly 56 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 23 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.9 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 7.5/10 on the same scale — 4th of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
March in Tokyo — workable with trade-offs
Trade-offs · 6.5/10March averages 10°C (50°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Monthly rainfall reaches 158 mm — wet for this destination — but about 23 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still break through, so keep one indoor fallback in the plan.
It scores 6.5/10 here, 8th of 12 months, against 7.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
April holds up well in Tokyo — 5th best month
Good · 7.4/10Temperatures hover around 15°C (59°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
147 mm of rain makes this a wet month here, though with about 21 days with 6+ hours of sunshine there is still bright weather between the fronts.
That is 7.4/10 on the same scale — 5th of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect peak pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
May in Tokyo — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 6.9/10May averages 19°C (65°F), the range most people find easiest for walking a city all day without either overheating or losing daylight to weather.
Monthly rainfall reaches 192 mm — wet for this destination — but about 20 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still break through, so keep one indoor fallback in the plan.
It scores 6.9/10 here, 7th of 12 months, against 7.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Figure on mid-season pricing, with crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
June in Tokyo — middling scores, decent value
Trade-offs · 6.5/10At 23°C (73°F) this is comfortable city weather in June, with sightseeing easiest before lunch and after the afternoon peak.
195 mm of rain makes this a wet month here, though with about 22 days with 6+ hours of sunshine there is still bright weather between the fronts.
That is 6.5/10 on the same scale — 9th of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Budget for mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
July in Tokyo — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 4.7/10Days in July average 28°C (82°F) and humidity near 76% — front-load outdoor plans before the heat builds and treat the middle of the day as indoor time.
163 mm of rain makes this a wet month here, though with about 25 days with 6+ hours of sunshine there is still bright weather between the fronts.
That is 4.7/10 on the same scale — 11th of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect low-season pricing, and crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
If your dates are flexible, December is materially better in Tokyo — 3 points higher on the same scale.
August in Tokyo — the hardest end of the year
Hardest · 4.5/10August averages 28°C (83°F) and humidity near 76%, so the practical pattern is early mornings, a long midday break, and evenings back outside.
Monthly rainfall reaches 149 mm — wet for this destination — but about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still break through, so keep one indoor fallback in the plan.
It scores 4.5/10 here, 12th of 12 months, against 7.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack the lightest breathable clothing you own, a hat, and more water than feels necessary, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? December scores 3.2 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
September in Tokyo: mixed conditions, plan around the weather
Trade-offs · 5.6/10September averages 25°C (76°F) — pleasant for mornings and evenings on foot in the city, with a midday break when the sun is strongest.
Monthly rainfall reaches 200 mm — wet for this destination — but about 22 days with 6+ hours of sunshine still break through, so keep one indoor fallback in the plan.
It scores 5.6/10 here, 10th of 12 months, against 7.7/10 in the destination's best month.
Plan for low-season pricing, with crowds are light for this destination.
Pack light clothing, a hat and real sun protection, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
Flexible dates? December scores 2.1 points higher here — enough to change the trip.
October in Tokyo — reliably good (6th best month)
Good · 7/10Temperatures hover around 18°C (64°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
139 mm of rain makes this a wet month here, though with about 20 days with 6+ hours of sunshine there is still bright weather between the fronts.
That is 7/10 on the same scale — 6th of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect mid-season pricing, and crowds are moderate.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a proper rain shell rather than an umbrella.
November holds up well in Tokyo — 3rd best month
Good · 7.6/10Temperatures hover around 13°C (55°F) — the kind of month where neither heat nor cold forces the schedule.
Budget for roughly 87 mm of rain this month — a flexible day or two helps — with about 23 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 10.3 hours of daylight to work around it.
That is 7.6/10 on the same scale — 3rd of 12 months, versus 7.7/10 for the best month here.
Expect peak pricing, and this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack layers you can shed by midday plus one warm layer for the evening, a packable rain layer.
December: the best month of the year in Tokyo
Best window · 7.7/10December averages 7°C (44°F) — jacket weather. Comfortable for walking and museums, too cool for anything water-based.
Rainfall runs 48 mm, so plan one flexible day in three; you still get about 27 days with 6+ hours of sunshine and 9.8 hours of daylight.
On our climate-comfort scale this is the top-ranked month of the year for Tokyo at 7.7/10 — the reference point every other month on this page is measured against.
Figure on peak pricing, with this is one of the busiest months here. You are paying the year's highest rates for the year's best conditions — book early or shift a few weeks either side.
Pack a mid-weight jacket, long sleeves and shoes you can walk 15 km in, a packable rain layer.
