When’s the Best Time to Visit Tokyo? Avoid the Crowds

Tokyo can be visited throughout the year, but it is at its best in the spring and autumn. The weather is much better for sightseeing, especially if you’re looking at the natural scenery. Summers can be humid, and winters cold.

Let us explain in more detail some of the good points and bad points for different times of the year. So, you can choose the best time to visit and get the most out of your time in Tokyo.

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What’s The Best Time Of Year To Visit Tokyo?

This very much depends upon your preferences, but most people agree that the top seasons for visiting Tokyo are spring and autumn.

Planning visit Tokyo seasons — Visiting Tokyo

Both of these seasons enjoy temperate, comfortable weather, and they are perfect for seeing seasonal changes in this beautiful city.

Let’s learn more about each of them!

What’s Tokyo Like In Spring?

In spring, you can go for hanami (flower viewing), and in autumn, you can go for momijigari (leaf viewing).

Both of these are wonderful activities that Tokyo is particularly famous for, and you’ll see the spectacular colors of the natural world.

The weather is ideal for being outdoors, whichever of these two seasons you choose.

Visit Tokyo spring cherry blossoms — Visiting Tokyo, Spring

In the spring (March, April, and May):

Temperatures in Tokyo are often between 5 and 23 degrees, with the earlier months being cooler than the later ones.

Early spring can be pretty frigid, so be aware of this. You may need warm gear if you’re going to be outdoors a lot, especially in March and April, but this is still considered fairly comfortable.

If you want to see the famous cherry blossoms, you’ll need to go at this time of year.

There are lots of outdoor picnics and parties, and there’s a wonderful community feel as everybody gathers to appreciate the flowers.

Golden Week – Also known as Ogon Shukan, takes place from the 29th of April to early May, and this week spans many important Japanese holidays. This can be an extremely busy time in Japan, but if you’re interested in seeing Tokyo at the height of its vibrancy, it may be a good idea to time your visit to coincide with this week!

It is worth noting that May as a whole can be a pretty busy month, so you’ll be dealing with more crowds and higher prices than if you go during a quiet period.

However, some people find this worthwhile to see Japan in all its glory.

The end of May heralds the start of “plum rains” (torrential rains that last for weeks), but there are still lots of good activities to do in Tokyo, such as:

Visiting an onsen (hot springs).
Or going to the city’s many museums and art galleries so you can learn more about its culture.

These can get pretty crowded, but they’re still worth considering if you’re going to be in Tokyo when the wet weather hits!

What’s Tokyo Like In Autumn?

In autumn (late September to November), the temperatures are warmer, and usually range between 9 and 27 degrees (getting cooler in the later months).

That again means you can be outdoors, watching the leaves and enjoying the beauty of the city without needing heavy coats and gloves.

The leaf colors are often at their best in November, and there are still many festivals going on at this time of year, although they tend to be quieter, calmer affairs.

October sees a lot of street parties, with the Ikebukuro Halloween Street Party being one of the biggest cosplaying events in all of Japan.

There’s also the Tokyo International Film Festival, as well as many smaller events and activities.

Overall, these two seasons, therefore, offer a whole wealth of things to do, and you should certainly consider checking out Tokyo during one or the other time.

Is Tokyo Still Nice In The Summer?

Tokyo is a beautiful city at any time of the year, but visiting it in the summer can be a bad idea because it’s crowded and very hot and rainy.

A lot of people go to Tokyo in the summer because that’s when they have holidays, even though this isn’t its best season.

Visiting Tokyo in summer season — Visiting Tokyo in the summer

You’ll find that the city ends up swamped with tourists, and things are often more expensive.

Public transport, hotels, and activities can all get very busy in the summer months.

You’ll also have to deal with the heat and the rain, which can be an uncomfortable combination.

June and July are the wettest months in Tokyo, but temperatures are still high – often between 23 and 31 degrees C. With the wet weather, that makes for unpleasant humidity levels.

Of course, there are still significant attractions, such as:

the Sumida River Fireworks (near the end of July)
and the Asakusa Samba Festival (near the end of August)

So it’s worth a trip if this is your only option for visiting.

It’s just important to be aware that Tokyo isn’t at its finest during these months, and you will need to bring gear suitable for both wet and hot weather.

Is Tokyo Still Nice In The Winter?

Tokyo can get surprisingly cold in the winter, and things tend to slow down.

Despite this, hotels still tend to be fairly expensive, as they don’t go down a lot at any time of the year. You might see some deals, but it’s not significantly cheaper in most cases.

The temperature is often as low as 5 degrees C, which some people find surprising.

It frequently drops below freezing at night, so make sure you carry warm gear. Christmas is often pretty low-key, although there are Christmas markets and light displays.

It does sometimes snow in Tokyo, but it’s rare for snow to accumulate.

On Average – It only snows for about a week to ten days each year. If you’re hoping to spend a white Christmas here, you’re likely to be disappointed.

Overall, therefore, there aren’t many reasons to visit Tokyo in the winter instead of the other seasons.

It’s certainly still pleasant, but it lacks any specific advantages compared with the other seasons.

Conclusion

The best seasons for seeing Tokyo are spring and autumn. These are the most temperate, and they offer some great activities, such as festivals, nature-watching, and street parties. You can enjoy Tokyo in the summer, but it tends to be pretty hot, while winters are cold and quiet.