Best Time to Visit Japan

EDIT: I'm overwhelmed by the response to this post! Thank you for all the kind messages and the award. I can see that it's been viewed over 400,000 times and shared 4,000 times!

Hi all, I’ve seen a bunch of complaints about the same tips and tricks being shared over and over on this subreddit (hotel rooms are small, get a suica card, tax free, don’t just listen to TikTok etc). I thought I’d share the things that I tell people before they visit, beyond the very obvious. I’ve travelled to Japan many times in the past few years and have also been living here recently as well. I’ve shared some of my previous trip reports from a few years ago in my profile too! 

These tips are opinions. I’m sure many will disagree and that’s fine. Some will have been posted elsewhere, even by me in comments, so apologies for any repetition. Some are about saving money, others are about spending more. You're the best one to judge what's right for you! Most of the tips are Tokyo-specific as that's where I live, but others are more general.

Where to stay?

I don’t recommend staying in a hotel next to Shibuya, Shinjuku or another huge station on your first trip. I think that’s the reason some people get really overwhelmed at the start. Being close to another smaller station is much better than a hotel that's a 10 minute walk to Shinjuku. Not the end of the world if you do end up staying by a big station, but I don’t recommend it.

Public transport

Google Maps will give you ten different ways to get to a place. If you’re travelling with someone don’t be surprised if they see completely different routes to you. Obviously, they’ll all work out in the end, but if you’re planning your day from your hotel and you’re looking at the routes, it’s often best to check the connections. I’d prioritise not changing trains in a huge station if possible. Just a little example, the Keiyo line which goes from Tokyo Station to Disney is an unfathomably long walk from other lines in Tokyo Station. It would be much easier to take another route that avoids Tokyo Station altogether. Google Maps underestimates the time it takes to change train lines. If you’re a regular commuter it’s probably accurate but the first time you’ve ever gone to a place you’re not going to do it as quickly.

Don’t forget about buses. In Tokyo, they’re less frequent than trains but can connect some places much more directly without going in and out of busy stations, for example between Harajuku and Shinjuku. It's also nice to see the city from a different perspective. You need to line up for the bus. Seats are not comfortable if you’re tall, so just stand. Different locations have different rules about boarding in the front vs the back, tap on/off or flat rate, etc. So just watch what other people are doing.

Watch out for bikes. They are everywhere. Don’t change your direction walking suddenly; they can see you, they’ll go around you.

If you are taking an internal flight, they do not want you to show up early. In many cases check in closes only half an hour before departure. Getting there an hour before the flight departs is more than enough time. Post-security in domestic areas is often very bare. For example, I believe this is still the case that Narita’s Domestic terminal has nothing, literally nothing, past security. You can of course enjoy the airport before security if you like and eat and make purchases. But that particular point was a culture shock for me that some residents weirdly made fun of me for. Unless you'd experienced it you might not expect it.

Taxis

Don’t be a hero when it comes to walking. Taxis are of course more expensive than public transport, but can be quite cost effective if sharing. And what is a few $ when you’ve already spent thousands? If your feet are tired and sore it’s worth it. This subreddit seems to have a major aversion to taxis though.

If you’d like to take a taxi from a major transport hub, for example Tokyo station, it's often faster to cross the street simply wave down a cab. That way you don’t have to wait in a long line.

Shopping

If you see a product you like, particularly food and drink, buy it there and then. Even when it is a chain store, the offering changes. If you can’t buy something there and then, make a note of exactly where you found it. You’d be surprised how much the first few days are a blur and you can’t remember where you saw something.

I often see Ginza recommended in shopping itineraries, but in my experience, it’s not the most practical place to shop. While flagship stores in Ginza may have a slightly wider selection, they’re usually much more crowded. For most purchases, it’s far more comfortable to visit another branch elsewhere. Tax-free shopping is still available, and you’ll avoid the long lines and chaos. I recently visited the Uniqlo flagship store in Ginza just because I was nearby, and it was packed and overwhelming. Honestly, any other Uniqlo location would offer a much better shopping experience. If you genuinely enjoy shopping, I’d actually suggest limiting your time in Ginza to a quick visit. Department stores and malls a bit farther out are typically larger, quieter, and much more pleasant to browse.

Seria is better than Daiso. It just feels nicer overall, less loud and tacky (sorry Daiso), and it’s only found in Japan, which makes it feel a bit more unique. A lot of their stuff is actually made in Japan too, which is cool. And the best part? Everything really is 100 yen plus tax. You’ll often see the same kind of items that cost 200 yen at Daiso going for just 100 yen at Seria.

Shopping seems like a good activity for a relaxing day, but you’ll be on your feet the whole day. You'll exhaust yourself easily.

Always complete a transaction in Yen if prompted by the card terminal.

Drug stores and supermarkets are cheaper than convenience stores or vending machines for drinks, both soft and alcoholic. They also have a wider selection of snacks and drinks. 

There’s a cost-benefit analysis for tax free purchases. If you’ve just hit the threshold, you’re going to save a few USD. If there’s no line or they do it directly at the checkout, no brainier. If you need to line up separately somewhere like some Muji or Don Quijote stores, if the line is really long it’s not worth it. I’ve seen tourists say that they had to wait 30+ minutes for tax free sometimes. Your time is worth more than that. See also my previous tip about not going to the flagship stores which can help avoid that issue entirely.

You need to take off your shoes when using a changing room, even if you're only trying something on above the belt.

Eating

Install and activate the LINE app before you get to Japan. It might not work if you try to activate it when you arrive due to the multi factor authentication. It will allow you to make reservations at certain restaurants, and also sometimes has coupons and promotions for stores.

A lot of restaurants, particularly chains, can be reserved directly via Google Maps or through links from Google Maps. If you want to eat at Kura Sushi or Sushiro, you can reserve a time slot and show up at that time to be first in line. This is particularly important in tourist hotspots. Sometimes I’ll walk past a Kura Sushi that has a two hour wait. If you know roughly when you’re going to be there, reserve it and even if you miss your timeslot you’ll still be ahead in line. Kura can now be reserved through a web browser; Sushiro requires the LINE app.

Want to try a popular restaurant that doesn't allow reservations without waiting in line? Check if they’re on Uber Eats. Yes, it's more expensive, but if you’re totally exhausted or jetlagged one evening, getting great food delivered lets you try something you were excited about without having to trek across the city. I had my eye on a really popular place that was about 20 minutes away, but reviews said the line could be up to 45 minutes at peak times. I ordered it on Uber Eats instead and had my food in 30 minutes. It was delicious. I know you didn’t come to Japan just to sit in your hotel room, but this is a great way to try a popular place with zero risk of being turned away or having to wait outside. Plus, you can check ahead to see if what you want is sold out, which is a common issue at small restaurants.

Exhausted and jet lagged in the first few days? Make your activity going to a store, buying some snacks and drinks, and reviewing them. Take pictures of everything and make notes, score everything out of 10. Great low energy but fun activity especially for families. It’s one of the things that makes you appreciate how different Japan can be. It also has the benefit of keeping track of things that you liked and might want to take home.

Communication

If you don’t speak Japanese, keep verbal communication minimal and clear. I’m from the UK, and people tend to add a lot of words to create politeness “would it be possible to…”, “would you be so kind as to…”. It will go much more smoothly if you strip all that out.

Often in restaurants or stores the staff will have a “spiel” that they need to get through. Just let them get through it. If you don’t understand it, it doesn’t matter.

Sometimes using basic conversational Japanese can confuse things because they might think your Japanese is better than it is, and start asking you many questions. If you're learning Japanese don't get discouraged!

Were you turned away from a restaurant for being a foreigner? It’s possible, but probably not. An example: a while ago, I messed up a reservation and showed up at the restaurant without one. The place was very quiet at the time, but the waiter initially seemed ready to turn us away. However, he kindly decided to seat us anyway. He then used a translation app to explain that a very large group was arriving in an hour and they would need all the tables back by then. Sure enough, just as we were leaving, a huge and very loud group showed up and filled the place. So even if a place looks empty, you might be turned away. If you were Japanese, maybe they would give the context, but it’s easier to just say no. Don't assume the worst.

Conclusion

It might sound obvious, but it’s YOUR trip. Just because there are many beautiful temples, doesn’t mean you need to go see them all. A lot of itineraries I read here are very similar. Of course, there’s a reason the popular attractions are popular. But I remember on my first visit to Japan going to Akihabara and about ten minutes in thinking “Why am I here?” Same for temples. When I visit London I don’t visit twenty churches, so why am I doing similar in Japan? If you’ve got limited time, make sure you’re doing things that you like! Me, I love a garden, and I love a tall building, so I’m always going to prioritise that wherever in the world I visit. If I posted my itinerary I’m sure I’d have received a lot of comments saying it’s overkill. But I know myself and what I enjoy! Of course, you should also be open to new experiences, but don’t beat yourself up about prioritising the things you like. 

These were some of the things I have learned over previous trips and from living here. I left out the most common stuff, but hopefully it's useful to people!

One of the most asked questions on this sub are variations of "what is the best time to visit Japan?". Firstly, I'll say that there's a lot of information online (and here on this sub alone) to answer this question quite easily and in a customizable way. Regardless, I decided to make this post in order to summarize and collect as much information as possible in one place.

I collected the information here from some well known Japan tourism websites like Japan Guide; some weather and climate sources; and lastly, of course, from posts on this sub describing personal experiences of people. I also have been to Japan in the Summer (2016) and Autumn (2024) myself, and already booked a flight in the upcoming Winter (2025) which led me to do a lot of research anyway.

Please feel free to add information or correct me!

IMPORTANT: Since I'm trying to cover an entire year here, I am certain that there's a bunch of information that is not written here: festivals and some annual events, for example. It would be impossible to include everything. I also understand that some things are subjective - some people might say that March is cold, others may say it's nice and warm. You should do your own research and only use this as a general guideline.

• In case it's not obvious - low season means relatively small crowds and cheaper accommodation, while high season means the opposite.
• Japan is huge - Hokkaido, Tokyo and Okinawa for example are very different when it comes to weather and climate. This guide is mainly regarding Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and the surrounding touristy areas, with some honorable mentions to Hokkaido and Okinawa.
• There are so many festivals in Japan, it would be a bit ridiculous to include them all. I tried to include some of them, but if you chose a month to travel, you should research its festivals on your own.

Seasons in general:
Winter (Dec-Jan-Feb): Very cold, dry, shortest days, snow in the north.
Spring (Mar-Apr-May): Mild (gets warmer), rainy, longer days, plum & cherry blossoms.
Summer (Jun-Jul-Aug): Very hot, very rainy, longest days, high humidity.
Autumn (Sep-Oct-Nov): Mild (gets colder), infrequent rains, shorter days, fall colors.

January ❄️:
Pros: Low season. Chance to see the snow. Winter illuminations. Snow sports - peak ski season. Very low chance for rain.
Cons: Very cold. Parks are generally grayer. Shorter days.
Note: A bunch of stores and shops are closed due to the new year's celebrations on the first week of January.
Holidays: New Year's Day (1st), Coming of Age Day (2nd Monday).

February ☃️:
Pros: Low season. Chance to see the snow. Snow Festival in Sapporo (early Feb). Plum ('ume') blossoms (mid to late Feb). Snow sports. Low chance for rain.
Cons: Very cold. Parks are generally grayer in some areas (blossoms start in late Feb). Shorter days.
Note: Number of tourists increase dramatically in late February due to plum blossoms, warmer weather, and holidays that connect to March. Crowds and prices are relatively high in Hokkaido.
Holidays: National Foundation Day (11th) and Emperor's Birthday (23th).

March 🌸:
Pros: Mild temperatures. Less crowded ski sites. Plum ('ume') blossoms (early March) and cherry ('sakura') blossoms (late March). Hinamatsuri celebrations. Nighttime illuminations (mostly in Kansai). March Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka. Omizutori Festival (in Nara).
Cons: High season. Usually the busiest time for the Disney parks.
Note: Hodare 'Penis' Festival (2nd Sunday).
Holidays: Hinamatsuri (3rd), Northward Equinox (around 20th).

April 🍒:
Pros: Mild temperatures. Cherry ('sakura') blossoms and others (wisteria, tulips, etc). Vibrant and colorful parks. Hirosaki Cherry Blossom Festival. Spring openings in national parks (which are closed in the winter) - like the Alpine Route. Takayama Spring Festival. Strawberry season. Great time to visit Okinawa.
Cons: (Very) high season - most popular time to visit Japan. Higher chances of rain relatively to the winter's months.
Note: Cherry blossoms are short, and with global warming, they recently take place earlier in the year, which makes it difficult to anticipate when they actually happen. Kanamara Matsuri Festival (yet another penis festival).
Holidays: Showa Day (29th) - first holiday of Golden Week.

May 🌷:
Pros: Warm temperatures. Long days. Cherry ('sakura') blossoms (early May, mostly in the north). Wisteria blossoms and floral hotspots. Tokyo May Sumo Tournament. Sanja Matsuri Festival in Asakusa (3rd week). Fuji Shibazakura Festival. Kurobe Gorge Railway opening in the northern Alps. Great time to visit Okinawa.
Cons: (Very) high season, especially during Golden Week which is considered peak travel - packed trains, restaurants and parks. Some places even close during that time. Higher chances of rain relatively to the winter's month.
Note: You need to book everything well in advanced if you're going to be in Japan during Golden Week.
Holidays: Constitution Memorial Day (3rd), Greenery Day (4th), Children's Day (5th) - that make up the Golden Week together with Showa Day in April.

June 🌧️:
Pros: Hot temperatures. Substantially fewer crowds (& lower prices) than Spring. Hokkaido is generally safe from the rainy season and much less hot.
Cons: High humidity. Rainy season ('tsuyu') sets in. It gets very hot towards the end of the month.
Note: Mount Fuji is still close for climbing.
Holidays: No national holidays.

July ⛱️:
Pros: Long days. Rainy season ('tsuyu') is over in most areas by the end of the month. Great time for hikes. Great time for beaches. Mount Fuji opens for climbing. Milder temperatures in the mountain ranges. Beer gardens openings. Gion Matsuri Festival (in Kyoto) - arguably known as 'the mother' of all Japanese celebrations.
Cons: Very high humidity. Very hot temperatures. Good chances for typhoons.
Note: Japan's summer is no joke, but personally I don't think it's as terrible as people make it out to be. Stay hydrated!
Holidays: Marine Day (3rd Monday).

August ⛈️:
Pros: Long days. Crowds are generally okay. Firework festivals (in major cities). Aomori Nebuta Matsuri Festival (in Aomori).
Cons: Very high humidity. Very hot temperatures. High typhoon activity. By popular opinion, the worst time to visit Japan.
Note: Japan gets very busy and expensive during the Bon holiday period. Stay hydrated!
Holidays: Mountain Day (11th), Bon ('obon') holiday period (usually mid August).

September ☀️:
Pros: Long days. Fewer crowds. Temperatures are not as awfully hot towards the end of the month. Fall colors in Hokkaido. Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri Festival (in Osaka). National sports events.
Cons: Very high humidity. Very hot temperatures. High typhoon activity. Also by popular opinion, not a good time to visit (relatively to other months).
Note: Stay hydrated!
Holidays: Respect for the Aged Day (3rd Monday), Autumnal Equinox Day (around 23th).

October 🍂:
Pros: Nicely warm temperatures. Fewer crowds relatively to the later Autumn. Halloween themed stores and shops. Fall colors in Hokkaido and some of the northern areas (like Nikko). Rains are not as common and much less severe than the Summer's.
Cons: High season. Low chance for typhoons (early Oct).
Note: Still early to see the Fall colors in Tokyo and Kansai. My personal favorite time to visit.
Holidays: Sports Day (2nd Monday). Not a national holiday in Japan but still worth mentioning - Halloween (31st).

November 🍁:
Pros: Cool temperatures. Fall colors in the main touristy areas, peaking in the end of the month. Low chance for rain.
Cons: High season. Kyoto gets especially busy towards the end of the month.
Note: In recent years, Japan's Autumn has become as touristy and busy as the Spring, and it's often overlooked by tourists. Book well in advance.
Holidays: Culture Day (3rd), Labor Thanksgiving Day (23rd).

December 🎄:
Pros: Cool to cold temperatures. Fall colors in the main touristy areas (early Dec). Start of ski season. Winter and Christmas illuminations. Christmas themed stores and shops. Low chance for rain.
Cons: High season, especially around Christmas and NYE. Particulary crowded in the Disney parks.
Note: As mentioned under January, its first week is not a particulary good time to visit, so try to avoid it rather than connecting your December holiday to January.
Holidays: Not a national holiday in Japan but still worth mentioning - Christmas (25th).

For the sake of not trying to write Babby's First Japan Itinerary again, I thought I'd make a post of our best and worst travel decisions when we planned and did our trip. This was our first trip to Japan and we'd always said it may well be once in a lifetime for us (...that may now be a lie). I don't think we did anything particularly exceptional in terms of our activities/sightseeing, so rather than just posting a list of everything we did, I wanted instead to highlight what really worked for us to make our experience great that hopefully isn't just deeply obvious.

About our trip:

Trip dates: Left the UK on 22nd March, landed back in the UK on 6th April. Travelled with Korean Air for all flights with changes in Seoul Incheon Airport (we were very happy with Korean Air and would recommend them as an airline!)

Travel split:

• 23rd - 29th March: Tokyo
• 29th March - 1st April: Osaka (mostly used as a base to visit Hiroshima and Himeji)
• 1st - 2nd April: Kinosaki
• 2nd - 5th April: Kyoto

We didn't use any luggage forwarding services, and travelled with a suitcase and large day-rucksack each. This worked well for us and we had no issues with transporting things.

Us: Me (31F) and my partner (30M) from the UK. Our general joint interests/trip priorities were nature, food, cultural sites and history. He's into anime/nerd things. I like fashion. Neither of us are big nightlife people. I've never gone anywhere near that side of the world before. He's been to China.

Best decisions:

• Keeping a planning spreadsheet. A shared document where we threw everything from flight info to tickets/hotels we booked to things we thought sounded interesting to links to useful Users threads. Given it was a longer trip than we typically take, it really helped us organise things before we arrived and served as a really useful reference that we kept looking back on to see what we wanted to do in each city. (We are both neurodivergent - if that wasn't obvious already by this point in the post, us going "yay, spreadsheets" should seal the deal).
• Limiting out number of non-negotiable activities when planning. We decided that each of us could have two non-negotiable things as part of our itinerary to plan around. His were to see Mt. Fuji and Himeji Castle. Mine were an onsen of some sort and Nara. We knew we’d never be able to do everything, but having a clear idea of our truly “once in a lifetime” experiences helped us plan travel, dates and where to prioritise our time.
• Going during sakura season. Yes, it was crowded, and probably more expensive than if we'd gone another time of year. I was prepared for the crowds, and almost everywhere, they were perfectly manageable (when they weren't, it was more due to crowd behaviour than numbers). As we planned as if this would be our only ever trip to Japan and it was expensive enough already, we were prepared to meet the extra expenses. It was so incredibly beautiful. I felt so at peace among the trees. It was on a scale unlike anything I've seen in the UK and I feel so privileged that I got to experience it.
• Booking hotels with public baths. This was more a bonus as we didn't really plan for this specifically, but both our hotels in Tokyo and Kyoto had public baths available, and our Ryokan in Kinosaki also had a bookable private bath. I got into the habit of heading to these pretty much every night as soon as we got back to the hotel and it was so welcome just to decompress and relax. I have a few small/medium tattoos and had no issue with these. I'm not recommending the hotel we stayed at in Tokyo generally (enough has been said here about why APA is not a great chain and unfortunately I found this out too late to be able to change the booking) but I was very happy with our stay at ABiz Hotel Kyoto.
• Selective tours/audio guides. We accidentally ended up tagging along on a tour at the Imperial Palace Gardens in Tokyo and had a wonderful time with a really lovely guide who was knowledgeable, friendly and really enhanced our experience. We saw Miyako Odori and found it beautiful, but I really regret not getting the audio guide here to know more about the context/history to each of the dances. We tried the free audio guide at Himeji Castle and found it didn't give us any more than all the signs around the castle did. I'd say they're not essential, and probably not worth it if you just want to see pretty things, but worth looking into if you do want more information in certain places.
• Seeing all of Himeji Castle. The route map provided showed routes in the main castle and a longer route which also included the Long Corridor wing. We did the full route and not only was the long corridor much less crowded, but it also had much more information about the life of the castle and the people involved with it. Seeing this not only helped me to appreciate the main castle more, but also were just generally more informative. Additionally, the gardens attached to the castle (on the combined ticket) might have been my favourite gardens we visited - and we visited a lot of gardens. Diverse, varied, beautiful and peaceful. I'd highly recommend them.
• Splurge meals. We splurged on two meals during the trip. The first was Prince Park Tower on our last night in Tokyo. 33rd floor restaurant and absolutely stunning views over the city. I genuinely cried a little bit when I looked out of the window for the first time. The food was good (you're definitely paying a premium for the view, but it was very tasty). The drinks were very good too (and as a non-drinker, they had a good number of non-alcoholic cocktails so I didn't feel left out!). The second was Gion Mikaku in Kyoto on our last night in Japan. Probably the most I have ever spent on a meal and it was spectacular. Views right onto the cherry blossoms outside the window. Beautiful teppanyaki food. One of the members of staff saw how damp we were when arriving (we'd just returned from Fushimi Inari, see below) and gave me blankets. I've never had a restaurant experience like it and it was really special.
• Other places we had particularly great meals at: Kousagi in Tokyo, Yaesu Food Court in Tokyo, Time Out Market in Osaka, Mare in Kyoto
• Wearing eye-catching things (if you want to talk to people!). Also not intentional, but it sure worked. I'm already going to stand out like a sore thumb - I'm a red-haired white girl. I also have a bit of an distinctive fashion/style sense. I had a few things with me that are a bit unusual/eyecatching- a fancy rain coat, an adorable handbag, an embroidered jacket, dresses with slightly unusual prints, and I cannot tell you how many conversations I ended up having with both locals and other travellers because someone approached me and told me they liked something I was wearing. It was lovely. One of my most treasured memories is the half an hour I spent in a park just off Kappabashi Street talking to a woman on a bench under the cherry blossoms in the afternoon sunshine.

Worst decisions:

• Going too hard at the start of the trip. Both of us are fit, active people but we burnt ourselves out pretty hard and by the 5th day of our trip, both our bodies had given up a bit after lots of early starts, walking a lot, and needing to decompress longer after days so not getting as much sleep as we needed. Possibly also just generally a bit of culture shock that I didn't realise. I wasted most of the day with a migraine, he had an allergic reaction (thankfully mild), and we had to rest. Thankfully we recovered in time to enjoy the afternoon/evening, but feeling like we were wasting the morning was not fun. 
• Being a little too blasé on food allergies. My partner has a mild peanut allergy, and while we made a couple of allergy cards before leaving, both getting into the habit of using them and not really feeling the need to meant we were eating in restaurants without checking if we didn't expect any risk in the dishes. This bit us on the arse when we ate at a wonderful little ramen shop and had a great meal, and not long after, allergic reaction started. Thankfully he was fine by the next day, lesson learned. No issues for the rest of the trip.
• Climbing to the top of Fushimi Inari in the dark and rain. We left Fushimi Inari to our last full day in Japan and with so many places we wanted to see closing much earlier, it was left late in the day. This meant that despite it having rained hard all day, and it rapidly getting dark, we ended up pushing all the way to the top of Fushimi Inari anyway. We were absolutely soaked by the end of it, and probably completed it primarily for sunk cost fallacy, and I would really have liked to have taken it more slowly, seen more along the way, and not just trying to get to the top for the sake of it. Am I glad we did it anyway? Absolutely. But maybe drier. We also saw a wild boar on the way down, which was incredibly cool.
• Not reapplying insect repellent after the above rain. My ankles are still suffering. That being said, I'm usually an absolute magnet for insects and only had issues on that one day, so I can really recommend Skin Vape as an insect repellent generally! Grab a bottle and carry it with you so you can reapply!
• Not spending much time in Osaka itself. After a friend who had lived in Japan for many years told us Osaka wasn't worth a visit, we decided just to use it as a base for day trips. It worked really well for this, but after returning from Himeji, we did spend a few hours around the Osaka station area and I liked it a lot. I wish we'd seen more of Osaka generally and will be sure to do this if we return.
• Not getting better at Japanese. This is probably a personal hang up of mine and it wasn't for lack of trying (I started learning at the beginning of January). If we ever go back, I'm putting more time into it - I was just getting my head around some of the characters by the time we left as all the languages I've learnt before have been Latin alphabet. My partner had an old-school phrase book with us and this came in handy a fair few times. I think getting my head around it more would both help reduce culture shock and also just stop me feeling like a lemon.
• A few places I wish we'd spent more time: Asakusa, Shimokitazawa, Osaka, maybe Miyajima

My personal top 5 favourite things we visited (in the order we visited them):

• Oedo Antiques Market (Tokyo)
• Shimokitazawa
• Miyajima Island
• The gardens at Himeji Castle
• Kinosaki's onsens (particularly Goshono-yu and Ichino-yu)

Anytime is a great time to visit Tokyo.

I’m not too prideful to admit this, but I am sooooooo jealous of all the people who are visiting Japan this month!!! I know Tokyo has always been popular but I feel like a good majority of people I follow on instagram (both influencers and irl friends alike) are in Japan right now. I will be in Tokyo in February 2026 but all these posts are making me so impatient for my own trip lol

Is there something going on in October that I’m not aware of?!

Halloween, Autumn colours, cooling down after a very humid summer, and not being too cold just yet are the main reasons.

There's no autumn colors in Tokyo in October. In November, yes, and it's closer to mid-late November. October can still be hot but not like the height of summer.

Sitting at the gate in Haneda after 16 days in the country, last 6 in Tokyo. It's our first trip so I don't have a huge frame of reference, but it seemed like an excellent time to visit! We don't care too to much for fall foliage or Sakura season (we have both at home) and are not big fans of heat. October seemed like the perfect month to avoid some extra crowds and not die due to heat.

Overall, I would visit this time of year again. The beginning of the trip was warm, last few days cool and rainy. Regardless, we can't wait to return!

you are missing the fact that late March coincides with Japanese spring break, so Disney and USJ will be at absolute max capacity with local students on top of the cherry blossom tourists. July is honestly dangerous for kids due to the extreme heat, so frankly late December is your best bet if you plan the trip before the New Year shutdowns start on the 29th. since a standard taxi cannot fit a family of four with luggage, you really need a charter service to move around stress-free,

We went twice, 10 days and 22 days. We went to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Hiroshima. We visited the standard/common tourist spots.

Going this summer again for 24 days. Current plan: Tokyo -> Sapporo -> Fukuoka -> Himeji -> Osaka -> Kyoto -> Yokohama -> Tokyo.

We've NEVER been to Mt.Fuji, Hakone, Enoshima (went to Kamakura and the train was jam packed), Nikko, etc. We never stayed at a Ryokan.

We are planning to do daytrip to Nikko (from Tokyo) and/or Hakone (from Yokohama).

Our last leg will be a week in Tokyo. We are going to shop like crazy then.

We are not planning to rent a car. We are a family of 4 with two teenagers.

We like Japan a lot, but I think this third time will be our last for a while.

Where would you go, and what would you do there if this were your last trip?

I went mid feb to the end of the month and it was fine. A little on the chilly side but it’s generally considered the least expensive and least tourist heavy part of the year.

I've gone through the FAQs, searching and reading posts so I think I have a grip on the answer but want to validate directly.

We're only able to go to Japan during what everyone says are the worst times. My wife is a teacher so can only go when school is not in session. For us, that's the last two weeks of March, July/August, or last two weeks of December.

We're a family of 4 - two kids under 10 (8 and 9).

We will be doing all the touristy stuff. Disney, USJ, Nintendo museum. Planning on golden triangle and a 2 week trip in total. We're OK with paying for fast passes as needed for Disney/USJ.

It would be for July/August 2026, December 2026, or March 2027. March 2026 is too late now - lots of things already booked full.

From what I'm understanding, out of those three choices last two weeks of March 2027 would be the least bad option. Anything I'm missing that would change that decision? July/August is way too hot and busier, December is colder and busier.

I went to Japan during August, my back would be soaked in sweat within 20mins of walking. I don't think temps drop below 40F in Tokyo and Osaka during winter

I would do the last two weeks of March or the last two weeks of December any time. Who said those are “the worst times”? I wouldn’t be thrilled about summer, but I would like to attend some of the festivals further north, like the nebuta festival in Aomori or Akita Kanto.

i am going to japan as a solo trip and i want to explore the best places of japan please let me know what i can explore that makes my trip worth and memorable.

It depends on where you want to go and what you want to do

July/August is the worst based on weather, it's really not enjoyable. March has the most comfortable weather but it will be more crowded and expensive. December is fine by me imo, it's a good balance but it's winter so you'll have to know if you will enjoy that or not.

Last 2 weeks of December - if it cuts into January then there will be some wasted time as many places close for new year's holiday. If you leave before that, it should be OK. Japan does not celebrate Christmas so it'll just be a normal day not a holiday.

It seems that you're looking for a travel agent.

What have you researched so far? If you have nothing, then you need to start on your own first. You can't ask for specific recommendations if you don't even know where you'll be traveling to.

Use Japan Guide and similar webs, the links here , the search bar here and in /JapanTravel to gather info and look at itineraries. Then make your own with the places and activities you want. Then ask for specific stuff in those places if you haven't already found them.

Any time is a good time for me. But between the three periods, I would pick late March. Temps are more pleasant, daylight hours are longer, and you have a decent chance of seeing cherry blossoms.

If by holiday platform you mean vacation packages, Japan is one of the easiest countries to book everything yourself.

I did mid Oct to early Nov last year and it was perfect! Typhoon season was over, not hot, not too cold yet (long t-shirt and light jacket weather). The fall foliage was amazing in Northern Japan. The plane was rather empty both ways (I flew on weekdays), the FA said it's typical for off-season. Highly recommend.

March will offer the most pleasant weather. You may also be able to watch cherry blossoms.

July and August are very hot and humid, yes. Many people seem to hate it, but I find it manageable (even if not exactly comfortable), and there are many summer festivals everywhere in the country, throughout the period, which make this a very lively time to go.

Despite the heat, international tourist numbers remain about the same (high) and domestic travel is increased, especially during the Obon season.

December is cold, but not too much - the classic route has rather mild winters, uncommonly dipping under 0C. That being said, sunlight hours are short, and vegetation is barren. December is relatively quiet, compared to the rest of the year. During the period around New Year, there is a sharp uptick in long distance transportation, as people travel elsewhere to visit family, but many places may close down. If you are staying the New Year in the country, you can experience Hatsumode, the first visit to a shrine/temple of the year (and a very busy period in such places).

I’m planning my first trip to Japan and would love some tailored advice from folks who’ve been there (or live there). I’ve done my homework and read plenty of first-timer threads, but I’m hoping to get feedback that’s a bit more aligned with my specific interests rather than a greatest-hits checklist.

Timing: currently leaning toward April, but open to suggestions if there’s a better window for what I’m after.

Trip length: ~14–17 days. I’m intentionally building in downtime — not trying to sprint through 10 cities. I’ll be back in the future (especially for winter/ski trips), so this doesn’t need to cover everything.

What I’m prioritizing:

Temples are fine, but they’re not the main event for me.

I’ll be traveling solo (female) and am not particularly worried about safety — just flagging in case it affects recommendations.

Would love thoughts on:

Appreciate any insight — especially from people who like to travel slow and eat well. ✨

Cons: Very high humidity. Very hot temperatures. High typhoon activity. Also by popular opinion, not a good time to visit (relatively to other months).

I went to Japan for 2 weeks in late September from the 17th to 30th and was able to avoid the heat and humidity since I was mostly up in Hokkaido and Tohoku (stayed in Sapporo, Hakodate, and Sendai), so I recommend going to either those regions in September if you want to avoid the high heat and humidity.

I have visited in Spring, Autumn and Winter. No summer, as i live in Malaysia so that's already 365 days of summer.

My so called "off peak" season is mid-May. If i remember correctly, traveled during that month a couple of times.

But there's no definitive answer. It all boils down to what you want to see, every season has their own thing happening.

Hi all! me and my family are going to Japan around november, and i wanna start planning the itinerary. the thing is, i cant decide whether we should go to kyoto or not.. from what i know, it has a lot of temples and historical sites, which we dont really care for..

we also wanna go to theme parks (eg: chiikawa park, sanrio puroland) and we are mainly thinking of just staying in tokyo and osaka. and a few half day trips (which we dont have an exact schedule for; we just go when we want)

im open to any suggestions! currently thinking about doing 4-5 days in osaka and the rest in tokyo ^^'