When's the Best Time to go to Japan?
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- Опубліковано 29 лип 2024
- Tips and advice for when's the best time of year to visit Japan: special events and festivals, weather, crowds and prices.
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Really there are good and bad things about all seasons in Japan. In this video I'll talk you through the main things to consider when planning your trip and deciding when's the best time of year to go to Japan: events, the climate in each season (focusing on Tokyo), crowds and prices. Including when the busiest times are (during cherry blossom season and autumn colours), the off-season and when you can get the cheapest air fares and hotel prices.
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My favourite time to visit Japan is summer! 🌞 Many people rule out the summer months due to the rainy season, heat & humidity but visiting during summer does have some advantages. It really doesn't actually rain every day, you get plenty of day light hours, accommodation is much cheaper and many places are pleasantly uncrowded. Some spots which usually get swarmed by tourists during spring or autumn were really quiet and serene. I literally found myself to be the only visitor at some temples or shrines. 🤯 Also I absolutely love the scenery in Japan during summer, especially in rural spots! 🌻 Lush green maple trees and rice fields, the sound of cicadas, gorgeous hydrangea flowers and the most amazing festivals. 🥰 Kamakura is a wonderful place to visit while the ajisai (hydrangea) are in full bloom and there are a few beaches as well. I was also lucky to catch some events of the Gion Matsuri festival while in Kyoto, which were remarkable. Highly recommend to visit during May, June and July if you're not the type of person to melt when it's warm and humid. Plus it's Japan so you're never far from a vending machine to keep you hydrated. 😉 Although I probably would avoid August due to the brutal and dry heat as well as September as you'd really run into the risk of having your travels interrupted by a typhoon. Oh, and don't forget to bring sunscreen and mosquito spray with you! 😅 On another more positive note, you get to pack light for a summer trip as you don't need warm clothes - so you got more space in your bags to bring loads of stuff back home with you. 😁👌🏻
Good points! And thanks for the recommendations! I love the weather at the start of June just before the rainy season - it's like the height of summer here in the UK. I'd love to experience some of the summer festivals and fireworks in the summer, especially Mitama Matsuri in Tokyo in July.
Thank you for comment, i have been wanting to go to Japan in July since it's my birthday month but i was scared it will rain all the time. I'm from India , I'm used to 40 degrees and above, so the temperature doesn't scare me. Thank you for giving hope
@@aweRandomish I've visited Japan twice in July & I really enjoyed it. Rain or shine, you will have an unforgettable experience for sure! 😉 You will defs see a few rainy days but it's really not that bad. The only downsides are that you likely won't be able to catch a clear view of Mount Fuji & the mosquitos are quite annoying. 😅 I do recommend bringing a repellant from a brand that you trust. During my 2nd trip, I made the mistake of purchasing a repellant after arriving in Japan and it had little to no effect on me...which sucked. 🙈 I do hope you have a great trip & a lovely birthday, glad to hear my comment gave you some hope! 😊
Thank you for this We planning to go in summer but we are from Florida so we now how is the summer so is not going ro be any difference❤
I was literally just thinking about this yesterday. Thank you ~
I've heard bits and pieces of advice on when to go (or when not to) from many other Japan vloggers, but never all in one place.
Glad you found it useful! I tried to make it as helpful as possible as there's already some videos about it - but people still ask me when to go!! :-)
Going to Japan next week. Can't wait. Your videos have made Japan planning for much easier. Have watched them all several times. Many thanks.
That's great to hear, thank you! Have an amazing time and let me know how it goes!!
Thank you for all the great info. Btw I love your cute toast necklace.
Thanks! Lots of people think it's my design but it's made by my friend Little Miss Delicious :-)
I just love your fun loving , positive attitude! Great Job!!
Haha, thank you! I try and keep on the bright side and make the best of things! :-)
Also, I need to say - I am LOVE with your hair color. It's SO beautiful!
Thank you!! I always want to change it to a different colour!! :-)
I’ll be heading to Japan this coming spring... this will be my first time seeing the Cherry blossoms in Japan! It will be my fourth trip overall Japan... so excited to head back this coming spring!
Wow exciting! I enjoy it more every time I go back!! :-)
I'm going to japan in October my first time in Asia
same! I am so excited :D
same, the last two weeks
You'll love it!! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces do you know how late the Highway bus run from narita to tokyo station?
@@williehenderson1604 Here's the timetable for the Keisei bus: honyaku.j-server.com/LUCKEISEIB/ns/tl.cgi/www.keiseibus.co.jp/kousoku/timetable.php?id=25&SLANG=ja&TLANG=en&XMODE=0&XCHARSET=utf-8&XJSID=0
I've been to Japan 7 times and none of these were during Hanami, my favourite time is November for the Autumnal leaves, amazing colours. Going back in February 2020 so much more comfortable temperature/weather wise.
I'd like to try November sometime! It's good to experience different times of year. I like warm weather but I did enjoy February - it wasn't as cold as I thought it would be (in Tokyo at least... Hokkaido was a different story!) :-)
I knew it❤ my birthday month that's when I plan on going.
A wealth of your information about Japan is so so excellent! I think you are most worthy of Japan tourism ambassador! Thank you so much from Japan!
Thank you, that's a great honour! I want to share my experiences, and encourage people to visit Japan. And especially to visit areas away from the places tourists always visit.
Good vid Amy, thanks so much for the info.
Thanks, glad you found it helpful! :-)
i just found your channel and i love it so much! i've wanted to go to japan for a long time and your videos are so helpful
Yay, mission accomplished for me! Thanks so much! :-)
We went in mid-June this year. Weather was nearly perfect except for a day of rain. Best vacation ever!
Aww that's great to hear! Glad you escaped the rainy season too! :-)
I can't wait to go to Japan! Just starting the planning process. Great video thanks for the insights.
It's always so exciting planning a trip! Enjoy - there are lots more ideas & tips on my channel! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces Have you ever taken one of the Ferries in Japan?
@@bryceliabraaten1348 I've only taken short-distance ones, like the Miyajima ferry, I've not tried any of the long distance ones (with a rail pass, it's always ended up cheaper and quicker to take the train).
Thanks for the info as always, you're so reliable :3
Thanks! I try & be helpful!! :-)
This video is great. This help me a lot.
Thank you! Glad you found it helpful! :-)
Um actually put on my birthday list as the big gift it’s next month and planing going to japan in 2020 with some friends first time ever with out my family.
Really great video, we went beginning of September last year, it was very hot and humid and we got caught up in typhoon Jebi, which was not so bad in Tokyo but scary in Kyoto, Tokyo I think tends to avoid the most extreme weather, and this year we are going in November to catch the autumn colours. As you say, how you experience the weather depends on where you come from, I grew up in both Italy and the UK and the hot weather in Japan I felt was not nice but I managed, my children who have only lived in the UK struggled with the humidity, we were grateful for the zillions of vending machines everywhere with cold drinks and even ice creams.
I never understood why kakigori (shaved ice) is so good until it was really hot and humid in Japan, and it was the BEST THING! I think you should be fine in November, it cools down throughout October so it should be really great! :-)
Taking family to Osaka, Kyoto and Tokyo - June 2020.(First Time) Great Videos- Thank you!!
Fantastic! You'll love it! Enjoy planning your trip!
PS I found a mural in Osaka that looks like your profile pic: instagram.com/p/B5SO28TnokP/
It's in Big Step shopping mall in Amemura :-)
Hi Amy. We met at Comicon in Manchester. I was in Japan in June and early July. It was warm, good English summers day and not too humid. Didn't get much rain at all, drizzle a couple of times and real rain for a couple of hours once. Next time I'm thinking about going in May just to be different!
I've had a lot of comments from people saying rainy season isn't always that bad! I guess the weather is unpredictable.It's good to experience different times of year, different seasonal specialties and different things going on!
Been to Japan 3 times all in October/November time. It was still warm enough to walk about in a t-shirt and shorts durning the day and in all 3 trips I had very little rain, about 3 days out of 40. Going back in early March in a couple years for my honey moon. Hopefully the weather won't be too cold and we will be leaving just before the crowds kick in
Ooh congratulations on your engagement, that's a great plan for a honeymoon! It'll be cooler in March, but still warm enough for picnics under the cherry blossoms by late March so hopefully it should be great!
Thank you! I bought your book and it convinced me to go for cherry blossom season. However I was supposed to go now into early April but tourism is still closed so I couldn't. But this video showed me that I should go late October to early November. The autumn colors would be a nice compensation for the cherry blossoms and I love Halloween so I would love to see the festivals. Hopefully tourism will open by then 🤞
Thanks so much! Sorry about your April trip - but yes, autumn's definitely a great time too! I'd been hoping for warm weather for my rescheduled trip but now it's been so long that I'd be happy with any time of year tbh!!
My girlfriend and I are going for our third trip at the end of this month. We went in February and November 2018. Both times we were there it was still very warm. We were shocked how mild it was from Tokyo to Hiroshima. The day we landed it started to snow in Tokyo and everyone was going crazy taking pictures. We live in Canada and thought it was hilarious that people in Tokyo were so excited over a tiny amount of snow for a few hours. This time we are going while it is warmer and going from Osaka to Kyushu for just under three weeks. We just started watching your channel and you gave us lots of ideas for Kyushu. We share the same obsession. We went first for one week. then two weeks. Now just under three weeks. There is always something to see, taste, do, visit in Japan.
Haha, there's always more to see! I really enjoyed Kyushu, there are some really interesting places! And quite a few that I missed out - must go back and book another trip!! :-)
I'm planning on doing the Shinami Kaido bike ride next year and this Video really helped me plan when I'm, going to go. Your the Best .
Good luck! Did you see it on Abroad in Japan's journey across Japan? It looks like a great thing to do!
@@cakeswithfaces , Thank You , I did see it on Abroad in Japan and then watched Sharla's video . I'm really stoked to go and do it. I plan to do the both ways .
@@franco3584 Good luck! It looked good in the video!
Better go during wintertime in Japan (February). Sapporo snow festival, and you can also see cherry blossoms in Kawazu, Shizuoka prefecture for the Kawazusakura festival. This sakura blooms unlike the common sakuras and it last for about a month.
That sounds great - I'd like to see more of Shizuoka!
We've been to Japan twice - first time in mid-May, which was pretty but already borderline too hot for me, and the second time just at the very end of hanami season. When you're booking everything a couple months in advance, it's hard to time it exactly for seeing sakura, but we were lucky because we got to see a lot of wonderful blossoms and the crowds had already dissipated quite a bit.
Our third trip is coming up in 6 weeks! We're very excited because we're going for 2 months so we'll get to see autumn in Japan for the first time and hopefully a little bit of snow in December too.
Ooh exciting! I think it's good to go at different times of year to experience different things! And you're right about timing your trip when you book in advance - I always book mine really early so I have it to look forward to! :-)
Great video...I went in Janaury 1-10th...bitter cold, kyoto got winter just as I left...needed to attend an even so went then but would love to see Sakura...
Mix it up and go for a warmer trip next time if you go again! :-)
I've been to Japan 3 times, each in December, early March, and mid April. So far I enjoyed the early March one since I can still get both snow and sakura (the Kawazu variety) & plum blossom.
That sounds great! Someone else on here recommended the Kawazu sakura too!
I use to watch hamtaro in Disney channel when I was 12 or 15 . Thanks you reminded me.
Haha, I never had Disney channel but hamsters are my fav! Have you seen that video of all the people doing a circle pit to the Hamtaro theme song?
@@cakeswithfaces I 'll watch
I was there last year in the end of September and the first week of October. It was really good. Beating the crowds was not a problem and the weather was really nice. Warm, but not exhausting. We actually experienced the taifun in Osaka. It was just a lot of rain and super windy, but nothing worse happened. Except for all of the public transport not working for half of the day, even as it wasn't raining that hard yet.
Except for the taifun we only had 3 rainy days and it was not that bad and less crowded
That sounds good - and good to know a typhoon can be not that bad. I think you can live without public transport for half a day, that hopefully wouldn't mess up your plans too much. Glad you enjoyed it! :-)
Thank u so much for this.
I’ve been to Japan twice; in Sept 2016 it was super duper hot! And in March 2018 rainy, cold. I prefer the cold weather xD
If you prefer the cold you can take advantage of the off-season! Not sure I could cope with September!! :-)
I recently had my Japan trip last August and it was really humid and hot and I'm planning to go back next year during the first week of April. It was fun watching the festival and it was a great experience.
Sounds good! You might catch some cherry blossoms in April, fingers crossed! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces hey sorry for the late response! I wasn't able to go to Japan this year because of the Corona Virus :( but I hope you and your family is safe :)
@@jempatber7927 Sorry to hear that - I had to cancel my trip in May too. But thankfully all still safe and well here, and looking forward to rescheduling for some point in the future!
@@cakeswithfaces yeah all of us are affected but at least we're all safe. Thank you for replying and I will continue to support your channel! 💕❤️
Hello.
Your explain is very understandable and have interest.
IF I'm not Japanese and not live in Japan, I have much wishes of go to Japan !
Thank you for loving to Japan !
I'm looking forward your next video !
Haha thank you!! That's very kind of you! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces
Thank you for comment back.
I'm looking forward you to visit to Japan next time !
Hi Amy!
I just got back from my first visit and solo trip to Japan last week. I had a great time in Tokyo and loved the hospitality of everyone I had encountered there. Yes it was hot and the humidity was extremely high! But I'm not complaining as I escaped the winter in Melbourne 😁
By the way great channel and keep the great work! 😊👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽
Ah so glad you enjoyed it! What were your favs? :-)
@@cakeswithfaces It would have to be all the food, from the onigiri, sushi, creamy chicken ramen to the obanyaki, to name a few! I also visited the Todoroki valley as you suggested in one of your videos and loved it there! The spiritual experience of Naritasan Shinshoji temple was wonderful.
@@Joe_A_Pace Fantastic! So glad you went to Todoroki! I've not been to Narita itself (only the airport) but I'd heard it's beautiful. There's a company that runs tours for people who have a stopover in Tokyo, always fancied it!
I went in Aug-Sept in 2017 and it was brutally hot - 100% humidity with highs of 30-36 celsius. Then I went back in May 2018 and the weather was heavenly with highs around 27. I'm going again next April and didn't realize until it was too late that it'll be during golden week! D'oh!
I went to Tokyo in May of 2018, right after Golden Week, so the weather was lovely and it wasn't as expensive/crowded as it could have been.
Sounds good! I've been the week before Golden Week (calm before the storm!) :-)
I've been in the second half of May and the first half of October and the weather was almost perfect (just a little bit too hot/humid on a few days for my weak British constitution). Braving the crowds in November this year - can't wait!
Sounds great, are you planning to look for autumn leaves? :-) Let me know how it is in November!
@@cakeswithfaces I'm hoping to! I'm travelling between quite a few different cities so hopefully I'll catch them somewhere. I'll let you know what it's like 😊
15 Sep - 4 Oct, and it was burning hot, one typhoon on the north coast and only graced us when we where in Himeji. Temperatures around 33 Celsius so it was way to warm for me. Most of the places i visited wasn't that crowded at the time, well until night time that is, as being out before 7-9 was quite unpleasant. And second typhoon hit right after i left the country.
Can't wait til my next trip, though i think i wanna go back when it's more autumn kind of weather so i can enjoy my self a little more.
That sounds intense! Autumn's always later than I expect in Japan; at that time of year here in the UK the temperature's cooled off already and summer's long gone!
This video has been VERY helpful! Thanks for sharing! I'm actually in the process of choosing my travel dates for Japan (Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka) for 2025. Deciding between May 8-20 or May 29 -Jun 10. First week of Oct seemed like an ok time to go as well but I know it'll still be hot and humid AND still be typhoon season...Ugh...Decisions..lol! 😁
If it helps, all the videos in this playlist were filmed in the first 2 weeks of October, so you can see what it's like: ua-cam.com/play/PL-YXkErUfa4lHnPn_vIoMA2tOGs3WnSiN.html
It's warm (and humid - as you can see from the state of my hair on some days!!) but not too bad. I found it fine, and I'd never go to Japan in the heat of the summer, I couldn't cope with that! There is risk of typhoons - there was one headed for Japan when I was there, but it diverted towards South Korea and it was just rainy for a day. Spring feels fresher in the air though - but in October there's loads of cute Halloween stuff!
May 8-20 will be warm but the least warm of all those times. I've been at the start of June and it's lovely, like the height of summer in the UK.
The rainy season starts mid June - I've always been lucky with those dates but there's a chance it could start early and overlap the end of your trip in June.
@@cakeswithfaces Thanks for your reply. I'll definitely check out some of your other videos for October weather...😎
My first time going to Japan was in December 2019. It was pretty cold but bearable with a few layers on and my friend and I did plenty of walking which also helps! It only rained a little for one or two days out of the 12, and apart from it being cold the weather was so nice! I remember it being busy but not enough to be bothersome. I’m finally going again in September this year for my birthday but I am a bit nervous about the typhoons! I’m prepared for the heat and rain but hopefully I can still enjoy my trip especially after waiting to go again for so long! Next time I’ll probably buy flights for April or November instead 😂
Glad you enjoyed it in December! When I was there at the start of October, there was a typhoon headed for Japan, but it diverted towards South Korea and it was just rainy for a day, but not too bad. The rain increased the humidity though - you can tell by how fluffy my hair got! :-) A birthday trip will be amazing - great way to celebrate!
I went in November last year and thought it was an amazing time to go. However, it was a lot warmer than I expected and only became a little bit chilly when we were heading home, around 27th November. Apparently when we were speaking to people it was a particularly warm year in 2018.
November sounds like a great time! In the UK it's cold by that time but sounds like lovely autumn weather in Japan!
Just found out I'll most likely be going during Fall next year!
It's a great time to go! Enjoy your Japlanning! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces sure will! Good thing I just started working, gives me plenty of time to save up for figure hunting 😁
@@rubio6754 That's the best thing about working! :-)
I think Japan is wonderful to visit anytime of year honestly. Its one of those countries where there's always something to do no matter what the season.
Maybe Okinawa would be best to visit during the summer if you really want to truly enjoy the beaches and enjoy that real tropical heat but other wise, there's always something to do in Japan.
I think you're right! :-) I'd like to visit Okinawa one day - I'm not much of a beach person but I'd like to experience the culture and see how it's different from the rest of Japan.
I am thinking about going around mid March.
Are you hoping to catch the cherry blossoms? :-)
You are just the best !
Haha thank you! :-)
We went for the last 2 weeks of May 2019. The weather was nice and mostly cool with a range of 60 to 75 F. It only rained on a couple of days, which wasn't bad at all. I expected more rain. Japan was mostly a great experience, and I'd recommend anyone who's interested to check it out.
Absolutely! And yes - even though Japan can be rainy at any time, I've only had a few days of rain in all the time I've been there. And it'd take more than that to spoil it! :-)
First trip to Japan and flew in half way through golden week. Osaka and Nagoya were not too busy. Still mad dash to Tokyo to see Kolme, Jpop group on an early Shinkansen. Early start from Osaka at 5:30am to get a seat, which I did. Arrived in time to get to hostel and draw a Temple before the concert. Long day but not as horrorendous as expected.
One bonus was staying at Hotal Atami, I did onsen on my own. The hotel manager said everyone had come for golden week, which was why it was so quiet. End up eating Sashimi and drinking shochu, need paracetmol in the morning.......
Sounds like a good time! :-) So did Golden Week mean people weren't in the onsen - because they were out doing other things?
My first trip to Japan was August so I could attend Summersonic in Osaka. It was hot and humid! I lost weight with all the walking. I think that's the last time I'll go during the summertime.
I'd love to go to Summersonic! But yes the summer's a problem!! :-)
I know I am late to this video, but I just wanted to come by and say thank you for putting these types of videos to make us know about these stuff before visiting Japan! For me I have to Japan once, that was in November last year and was traveling solo for the first time! I really liked the weather, it wasn’t too cold. You can only wear 1 shirt and bring light jacket with you and you are safe 😆. Couple of my friends were planning to visit Japan in spring this year, but because of the current situation with the pandemic they canceled the trip. If this pandemic is over by next year and we can travel safely, I might comeback again to Japan with my friends, but not sure if spring would be optimal. I was thinking of May, but I am afraid that it might be hot and humid, Is May that hot? Specially in Tokyo, Kyoto areas.
My cancelled trip was going to be at the start of May. It's a great time to visit - lovely warm weather but not too hot yet. I've been several times at the start of June and that like the height of summer in the UK, so I think May would be warm but more comfortable, especially for walking around. Fingers crossed we can all reschedule and travel safely!
Love your hair! Almost pastels
Thanks! The best hair colours are the ones that turn pastel as they fade! :-)
great video
Thank you! 🎶
In Japan on holiday right now and let me say this time is the worst if you're prone to sweat a lot when it's humid. 😅
It's soooooo hot and sweaty right now but I am loving it here!
Augh!! I am going to Japan for the first time next week. I've been following the weather. I already suffer from bad hot sweats because of the time of life. Oh well. I will make the most anyway and just bring a sweat rag which is what I already have to do!!
Good luck!! A good excuse to have lots of konbini ice creams!! Have fun! :-)
Who else is gonna be in japan for cherry blossom season 2020. I’m pretty excited.
Ooh, enjoy! I hope you manage to catch them & get loads of great pics! :-)
Ooo this aged poorly
@@aadityamehar 2023 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
@@Sillytillyx same here! Enjoy your trip!
Thank you for the heads up about the olympics! I completely forgot about them and now discovered that they bang in the middle of the trip i‘m hoping to take 😂
Oh no I hope that doesn't mess up your plans too much!!
Cakes with Faces I think it’s great that you always take time to reply to your followers :) thanks for being so awesome! I don’t think it will be too bad - hopefully we can see the torch parade as a holiday highlight. I do worry about hotel availability and prices though if there is a large sporting event going on. Can’t do anything about that now though- have to wait until feb./mar to book hotels anyway.
It’s a little complicated - I got married this September but due to university we couldn’t take a honeymoon. So we decided to take our honeymoon next year and because we met at karate training we always said we’d love to honeymoon on Okinawa / Japan. My husband is bound to the days that his work is closed ( he’s a teacher so he can’t just take time off whenever he fancies). Now we’ve been told that he has 3 weeks off in August next year. That killed the Okinawa idea for a start because we think it will be over run and swelteringly hot. We do think we might be able to get away with Honshu - especially as we love hiking so the cooler mountainous regions sound more appealing to us.
(Just realised you’re probably bored ridged reading all my personal stuff) but your videos are so helpful and make us feel braver about actually going. What’s stressing my husband out it Hotels and food. I’ve researched that we have to plan with about 100€/ night for a double room in a business hotel- do you think that’s realistic? And I’ve seen so many things about how cheap food is (including your great how much does Tokyo cost video - FYI it is tokio, so the same in German, you asked that in a video once). But it is still so hard to figure out how much we have to budget for breakfast, lunch and dinner for 2 people. Do you have any advice on how to budget meals?
Thank you very much for bearing with me through this long comment and thank you for your amazing content.
@@phanterleo There are lots of interesting places north of Tokyo in Tohoku that won't be so hot in August, and Hokkaido is more bearable in the summer I think. There's amazing countryside in Hokkaido - look up Sounkyo Valley and Noboribetsu. Look out for summer festivals and fireworks and make the most of special things going on at that time of year!
For two people I'd usually budget £10 for breakfast, £10 for lunch (light meal / bakery / convenience store / Coco Curry (!) for both), and £30 for dinner. It could be more or less, depending on what you're into, but as a rough guide. Meals in a restaurant will be around 1000 - 1500 yen, sometimes even less! You don't have to go to expensive places to get great food - I've hardly been anywhere that's not good at least! Hope that helps!
@@phanterleo hi! I am planning a trip to Japan in July and I've found that airbnb has better rates(especially if you are staying longer), space, kitchen and comfort than hotels, sometimes. Check them out. Find ones near where you want to be (food, transportation, and sights). There's a lot out there.
I love all the seasons, hence we moved there. Some events I love, but some I can leave. I must admit, I am coming home when the olympics are on as it fills me with dread. The problem with Festivals is they can get so packed that you cannot move. They had a food festival at uneo park and it was awesome but mad at the same time.
Probably a sensible idea about the Olympics! Yes - when I was at the Kawagoe festival there was a point when we were trapped in a crows and couldn't move 😬 Thought we might have to crowd-surf out of there! 😝
It's got to be March/April or October/November for the best time to visit just for the warm pleasant weather and clear blue skies. It's just too ridiculously hot during the Summer especially in August but I wanted to go to Comiket so that's why I did it. The humidity is brutal and I had to change t-shirts 3 times a day as I was sweating so much during the day. It wasn't nice at all to be walking around. Winter is OK if you can stand the cold evenings.
Not sure I could stand that in the summer! It's difficult at there are summer festivals I'd like to visit - but overall I think it'd be too much!! :-)
We went early October last year and had to move our flight a day early to avoid the typhoon that rolled through Osaka, still had an amazing time though, the weather was perfect and we attended the Takayama Autumn festival which was one of the highlights of our trip.
😬😬 I booked early October because I was told there would be the least chance of typhoons in that period. :’)
@@kellyv4595 it was very out of the ordinary I think it was the last typhoon of the season, literally the only flight from Amsterdam to Osaka that got cancelled was the one that we had booked for, the one the night before and the one 6 hours after both ran on schedule, if it looks like a typhoon might interfere with your flight a few days before call your airline and they will probably move you onto and earlier one at no extra cost. but tbh I think we were just super unlucky.
Luke Watts my flight is actually also from Amsterdam to Osaka lol, good to know it was a one off though!
Glad it turned out okay! (Must have been worrying at the time!!) :-) The autumn festival must have been great!
@@cakeswithfaces yeah it was, instead of spending the week leading up to the holiday being excited I was just stressing about that, yeah the festival was incredible, I highly recommend a visit, the town of Takayama is also wonderful
May I supplement it a little ? The world famous diving spot Ogasawara Islands are located further south than Okinawa, but interestingly enough, the Islands are also Tokyo. So you can watch the Christmas parade in Tokyo Disneyland, then enjoy swimming and diving in Ogasawara. But you must go on a cruise from Takeshiba pier for approximately 24 hours. lol
Wow that's a long trip!! Just looked them up on Google Maps, they look so lonely out there on their own!
was in japan end may early june. it was hot but i could walk around without much difficulty. however during the day in japan it was hot enough for me to get vesicular rash on my arms. the vesicular rash didn't come out in the morning and subsided in the evening
Oh no, it can be uncomfortable when it's hot. Especially when you're out and about all day.
Love your videos - so helpful and informative. Off to Shinjuku in October - 7 of us - better to get sims or shared mobile wifi??
It depends how much you'll be doing together. If you'll mainly be together r in grousp, get a wifi or two/three to share. But if you'll all be going off individually, sim cards might be more convenient. Personally I find it easiest to get a wifi between the two of us.
@@cakeswithfaces thank you - appreciate your reply
If you can resist the cold end of February to early March would be great not a lot of tourists yet...
Good plan! It' wouldn't be toooo freezing cold either, especially if you're walking around all day.
You missed Corona. My Japan trip dropped out because of it 😅 hope to go soon. Thanks for the info
Sorry to hear that :-( Hope you can reschedule your trip. It'll be worth the wait!
I love your hair and thanks for the video!! I wanted to know how is Tokyo in October? I seen some websites saying it is the rainest month of the year, some say typhoon season and some say nice calm weather...Heat is not a problem for my family and I but I wanted to know if it would be rainy or typhoon weather...thank you!!
October's a great time to go! All the videos in this playlist were filmed in the first two weeks of October: ua-cam.com/play/PL-YXkErUfa4lHnPn_vIoMA2tOGs3WnSiN.html
It's still typhoon season, but the worst months for typhoons are August and September. There was a typhoon forecast when I was there, but it diverted towards Korea so we just got a bit of rain. It can rain any time of year in Japan (less in the winter) so just be prepared, with shoes that are ok in the rain. There were only 2 days when it rained during the trip, so it really wasn't that bad. Coming from the UK, it was lovely and warm in October - t-shirt weather, and as you can see in the videos, the start of the month is quite hot! It was a bit humid in Kyoto because of the rain but nowhere near as bad as it gets in Japan in the summertime. And the bonus in October is there's lots of cute Halloween stuff! Enjoy planning your trip!
@@cakeswithfaces thank you for responding! Okay great I'll keep the date I'll just be prepared...and it's gonna be amazing to see their costumes!! Thank you!!
@@Christina-po7ez Not sure if you saw this video already - here's what you have to look forward to! ua-cam.com/video/IkYZn51J2eE/v-deo.html
I went to Japan this year, 24th of June till 25th of July, didn't have that much rain so I guess I got lucky
Btw I love your hair colour
Ah that's lucky! The weather can be so unpredictable in Japan! :-) Thank you!! (I'm always changing my hair colour!!)
Wow, the increase in tourist numbers since I last went in 2011 is staggering- I hope that when I go next, hopefully next year, I won't find a completely different Japan from the one I know and love...
I'm sure it will be different - but I hope you'll find lots to enjoy. If you go to less well-known places, beyond the "Top 10 Tokyo & Kyoto" that the guide books tell everyone to go to, it won't be so bad.
Love your videos. We are planning to go to Tokyo next October for our honeymoon. Hoping for one week in a hotel and the second week in an Air B&B. Any advice on these? Aiming for Asakusa
Thanks! Great plan! I think you should get fairly good prices for hotels in the Asakusa area. Just remember it can take a while to get all the way across the city (Tokyo's huge!!). Be careful with AirBnB - I don't know if you heard about Japan's laws limiting AirBnB rentals - a year or so ago a lot of rentals got cancelled. But I know lots of people who've stayed in them and enjoyed it (you get to experience more everyday life, where people live) - so just check reviews and make sure you pick somewhere reliable.
@@cakeswithfaces Thank you for the advice! Very much appreciated. Will be aiming for somewhere with airport shuttles, cause there is no way we will be taking the trains with suitcases XD Have you ever posted back a box before whilst in Japan, so you didn't have to put the stuff in your luggage?
@@VixenNinetails No, I've never bought quite that much :-) But my friends did once - they went to the post office and they sorted it out for them. I just pack light on the way there. Check if your airline allows two cases each - if they do, take any large back or holdall with you, empty, in case you need it for the way back!
@@cakeswithfaces Will look out for that with flights! Would you know if it was expensive to ship a box back?
@@VixenNinetails I don't know about prices, sorry! I guess you'd need to compare with how much it is to check in an extra suitcase.
Hmm Japan falls and springs seems to be similar to Louisiana and Texas by the feel of the weather and months. Texas and Louisiana still wearing Sandles and sundresses in October.
I'd love to go to Texas one day! Yes, in the first half of October it was still sooo warm in Japan - it's not like that here in England at all! Grey and gloomy right now!! 😝🌧️
man wished i had the money to go to japan bqck when it was 2011 and before..now its just so crowded..
I'd love to go to Harajuku 20 years ago when it was less touristy and there were more people dressed up :-)
Japan and most the cities in Japan (especially Tokyo, Yokohama, Osaka, Kyoto) are always going to be crowded. If you want to go places in Japan that aren't so crowded, then you'd be better off traveling to the country sides of Japan or going to smaller scale cities like Sapporo.
@@danzena4059 Yes! I think one of the reasons these places are so crowded is because they're the only places that foreign visitors know about. When they have limited time on their trip, they want to hit up all the main areas. But you can have a much better experience in smaller, less well known places.
I'm going to try to go in december. If at all possible
All the Christmas stuff!! :-)
Im going in febrerary. I wanna go to Hokkakdo and Nagano
Pack lots of warm clothes!! And have an amazing trip!! :-)
Hi, really enjoyed your video. We are looking at either 10th March - 26th or the start/mid of October. Living in Manchester, I'm use to the rain, but I don't fancy it raining every day! Do you know if March has a lot more rain compared to October? We're doing Kyoto - Hiroshima - Kanazawa - Takayama and Tokyo. What time of the year would you pick?
Sounds like a great plan! Maybe I've been lucky, but I've only had a few days of rain in Japan. It can rain any time of year and like in the UK, it's unpredictable (there's no pattern to it like in some countries). But as neither of those times are the rainy season, it's unlikely to rain every day. October's more rainy on the graph, because it's the tail end of typhoon season. When I was there in October (first half of the month) there was a typhoon that diverted towards Korea, and it was just rainy for most of a day, and humid, but still very warm.
October will be much warmer than March - unlike the UK, it's still t-shirt weather. At the start of the month I was wearing summer dresses in the evening without a jacket, although it cools down towards the end of October. The videos in this playlist were all filmed during the first half of October: ua-cam.com/play/PL-YXkErUfa4lHnPn_vIoMA2tOGs3WnSiN.html
March will probably still be quite chilly - although I expect it'll feel milder compared to the UK! You might catch cherry blossoms at the end of your trip - although as cherry blossom season's popular it'll also get busier with tourists towards the end of the month. Whereas in October there'll be lots of cute Halloween stuff!
Hope that helps!
@@cakeswithfaces thanks for the reply. It was very helpful. I think we're going for March, waiting another 13 months feels way too long! We've seen that we can go a week later, so flying to Osaka on the 18th, then out of Tokyo on the 3rd would give us a good chance of seeing the cherry blossom. It worked out about £800 more to do this when we priced up flights and hotels. So, I think £800 may be worth the extra to possibly see them. I'll be watching all your videos once we've booked it!
@@wanderdutts4584 Excellent - that should be bang on cherry blossom season! I hope you manage to catch them!!
I have a question about the typhoons? How wouldnt you know if you get a dangerous one while visiting japan. Obviously the weather would be bad but would it be posted anywhere or announced for people who dont speak well Japanese.
You can sometimes get an English-language TV channel with news & weather on TVs in hotels. But you'll be checking the weather on your phone (to prepare for the weather that day) so you'd know if there was a typhoon coming.
this is a very overdocumented topic, but you managed to do it in such a fashion that it's my favorite coverage of it I've seen so far :)
Thank you! I've heard/read/watched a lot about it too, but people still ask me about it! I appreciate your kind words! :-)
We're going to start seriously planning a winter 2021 trip soon, one of the things I was curious about, would it be cheaper to stay outside of Sapporo like in Noboribetsu and travel in for the festival itself?
Yay, that sounds great! I booked my Sapporo Snow Festival trip in August (when there was a heatwave in the UK, it just seemed so appealing!!). It would be cheaper to stay outside Sapporo - however Noboribetsu is quite a long way (about 1 hour 20 mins) so you'd be spending a long time on the train. And during the snow festival that train was extremely busy. But slightly outside Sapporo is an idea. I stayed in Sapporo, by Nakajima Park and got an affordable (but expensive) hotel by booking early. It's only a couple of stops on the subway to the main festival area.
Thank you so much! We don't mind a bit of travel but you're right, 1.5 hours by train is a bit much. There IS a fantastic looking onsen ryokan in Otaru-shi though 🤔 ooh so excited!
@@gidgetvonrocketbutz1328 Otaru was the highlight of my time in Hokkaido! It's only half an hour train from Sapporo, so staying there would totally be do-able!
I want to go to Japan the Last Week of October- First week of November for Halloween and hopefully catch the Autumn colors. But I also kind of want to go in January for Fukubukuro season.... but I fear it may be too cold to do some nature/shrine attractions. I think Japan is beautiful and I don't want to spend /all/ my time doing otaku stuff.
I think it's good to have balance and do a mixture of things! Sometimes you can be surprised at what's the highlight of the trip! :-) I'd love to go for Halloween itself!
I’m thinking about going the end of April to early MaY. Will there still be any more cherry blossom? And what event is going on around those time?
That's a great time to go for the lovely warm weather :-) There might be cherry blossoms in Hokkaido but it'll be too late for the Tokyo area. It's wisteria season though - at certain places there are tunnels of hanging purple flowers: www.kyuhoshi.com/2019/03/best-places-to-see-wisteria-in-japan/
Does anyone have experience of travelling to japan in july? I would love to visit the festivals but don‘t know because of the weather :)
I've been at the start of June and it was hot and sunny, just like the height of summer in the UK. In July and August it does get very hot and humid, so consider whether you can cope with that! I've heard it's the humidity that can make it uncomfortable. (Although it depends on the climate in your home country and what you're used to). I'd love to go to Mitama Matsuri in July with all the glowing lanterns, but personally for me I think it'd be too hot to walk around all day and enjoy it. There are festivals all year round - including lots of smaller, local ones - although the summer festivals do look amazing, with tanabata and all the fireworks. I think Princess Peachie's Japan vlogs were from July if you want to see what it's like: ua-cam.com/channels/iYEm65MQAsD7qDBOxKZwzw.html Hope that helps!
Hi Amie..(is that how your name spell it right?) thanks for the tips...I'll be in Japan next month so I hope not to catch any typhoon in the Hiroshima area for mid October...I checked accuweather and it says that's going to be cloudy but you never know...hope not to catch any rainy day because I'll do the cycle route in the seto inland... :/ hope to see you guys someday in Tokyo :0)
It's Amy :-) Fingers crossed for good weather for your trip! You must be in training for the cycling!
@@cakeswithfaces actually cycling is my primary way of mobility day by day si I used to ride a bike every day however I have an injury in my lower back and i'm in treatment but nothing serious..i'm still cycling on weekends so i'm ready 😎🚴🚴
I plan to go to Japan 1st week of November, do you have any place where to catch snow? Hokkaido maybe? Glad to hear your thought
The first snow usually falls in Hokkaido in the first week of November. Tohoku and mountainous areas like the Japanese alps and Takayama are also snowy, but they might not start until mid or late November.
Hi from Italy! before you go to japan , when do you exchange currency and where?
Hi there! You can exchange money at a Bureau de Change. They have them at banks and some shops, like supermarkets or department stores, or you can get the yen delivered to you. All the details are in this video: ua-cam.com/video/6E9CYocmhGs/v-deo.html Hope that helps!
Hello! Going to Tokyo second week of March, is it going to be cold? 🤔 Arigato 🙂
Hi! March is between 14°C & 5°C at night. This year's been quite mild, but I'd think you'd need a jacket in the daytime and a coat at night - it'll still get chilly in the evenings! Have a great time! Fingers crossed for early cherry blossoms for you :-)
What DO you call hot? For me, 30+ degrees with high humidity isn't really pleasant (which is what we get in the Netherlands these days)...
It's all subjective isn't it! For me from the UK, I'd say about the same - although when you're walking around all day, even temperatures in the mid 20s can get uncomfortable.
I have an opertunity to go to Japan in mid/late June this year. Is it worth it durring the rainy season or should I wait for a Fall/spring opening another year?
It depends how much the rain will bother you. Personally I've always avoided it because I prefer drier weather - I've been during the first half of June and it was lovely, just like the height of summer in the UK. However I've heard from people who've been during the rainy season and enjoyed it. They say there isn't a set pattern to the weather like in some countries - it doesn't rain every day, and it can be either light or heavy rain. Hope that helps you decide!
I can't decide between February and November
In November you might still get some t-shirt weather in Tokyo, especially at the start of the month. February is a lot more wintery (like in my videos from February - they're all in a playlist). In February there are snow festivals, and in November you'll see the colourful autumn leaves. February would probably be less crowded at touristy places as it's more the off-season.
I saved a lot on airfare by flying to Seoul and taking a connecting flight.
Good tip! I'd love to stop-over and explore Seoul too one day!
Can you still see mt fuiji from far distance during July and August? Or is it invisible by the clouds?
It depends on the weather and how clear it is. It's more common to have clearer skies during the winter, but you can still see it in the summertime! It's quite difficult to see from Tokyo mostly - it'd be lucky to get a very good view.
I’m going to Japan for the first time next 2020 October, we are bringing our 3 yo, any advice anyone?
Some of my friends have been to Japan with their children - and the children have loved it! They got lots of attention in small restaurants, with everyone saying "kawaii!!!". :-) I'd say take it slow on the trains/metro and avoid travelling at rush hour so it's not so busy!
Vilvoorde is jumilated with Komatsu, so they gave us 5 streets full of cherry blossems trees, so every year we have cherry blossems in our street
That sounds beautiful! 😍
@@cakeswithfaces it is 👍
What do you think about going in August.Everything is so expensive in April-May😢
Personally I don't think I could handle the heat in August. It's very hot and humid. But if you can take it, there are lots of fireworks and festivals.
Helloo ,, im planning to visit Japan November 25 to December 10 , is it good time to catch autumn colours around tokyo and kyoto ,, pls advise 🙏🏼
That's a perfect time to see them! Enjoy - and I hope you get some great photos!
@@cakeswithfaces ahhh that's great .. thankyou ❤️
June 2018 It was hot and humid, but Floridian... Just like home and I loved it. I could survive in a land covered in fire, so it was perfect for me.
Haha you are stronger than me!! :-)
Great video. Our whole family just went to Japan at the end of June, first of July. We spent 13 days in total there. We flew to Nagoya from the US and took the Shenkinsen to Kyoto. It basically rained every single day of the entire trip. It really hurt our time in Kyoto most. Then we took the Shenkinsen to Tokyo where we stayed (Ueno) the next week. But the rain wasn’t horrible but one or two days. It was mostly slight misty, sometimes a kind of drizzle occasionally but never really heavy. We had the best time ever! Especially since my kids are into Pokémon and some other anime. We filmed our entire trip but so far we have only put up two videos. If you have a chance, check them out on our channel. Love watching all your Japan videos. Keep up the awesome fun and work!
Oh no, bad luck with the rain! But glad you enjoyed it anyway! I guess there's more to do indoors in Tokyo than Kyoto. I found it very humid in Kyoto when it rained. But when you're there for a limited time you have to make the best of it!
May I ask, where to visit for Pokemon in Japan? I'm into Pokemon too!! 😆
@@cakeswithfaces holy cow! I can't believe I'm just now seeing your reply 3 years later thanks to the below comment, lol... Happy to see you're back to making Japan vlogs again too.
@@wrdnsr4825 both Tokyo and in Kyoto. Pokemon is literally everywhere you go. In Kyoto, there is the original Pokemon building which was fun to see. There's also Nintendo Headquarters as well but there was nothing for us do other than to see the building itself. Kyoto has a Pokemon Center along with some occasional cardshops but lots of shopping everywhere. Even a Toysrus there was packed with Pokemon. In Tokyo, there's 5 Pokemon centers to visit. The best one, Tokyo DX (Nohonbashi) is the one with the Cafe. You have to reserve ahead of time if you want to eat there, but the Center is open. Also Mega Tokyo (Ikebukuro) is great.. The cafe wasn't open when we were there. And the one at SkyTree is great too. Again, cardshops are a plenty. In Shibuya there are 2 shops near the famous Cross Walk, and there were a couple in Akihabara too. And there's a very famous big store called, Mandrake that is unbelievable and a must see. Hope this helps
@@EpicTubeHD Haha! At last - I never thought it'd be so long but it's been great filming travel vlogs again at long last!
if you avoid the peak season and see cherry blossoms, just go northwards in May.
Why don’t they go to famous sakura places in Tohoku?
Yeah,... I really agree,... Sendai, especially Matsushima,.... but closer to Tokyo you can see blossoms in Chiba park, no foreign tourists! (^_^) ... even better I think are the wisteria blossoms in Tenjinja in Kameido, Koto ward in Tokyo.
I did not know Matsushima has cherry blossoms because I visited in September.
The problem of inbound tourism in japan is that they always want to go to the same places, not only about cherry blossoms.
For example,
There are a lot of onsen all across Japan.
Hakone is not bad but I think not the best.
But nowadays Hakone is always crowded with tourists.
In Kyoto or Nara, they go to the same temples and shrines which are not always the best but feel most Japanish while there are many culturally, aesthetically and historically more worth visitting.
Avoiding the summer because of the climate means avoiding the bests.
The summer is spiritually the most special in Japan like Christmas in the west.
During summer, entire Japan turns most traditional authentically all through a year.
For Japanese people, summer is spiritually very important and as now, every year , in the end of summer, we feel like loss of something.
I agree - it's a problem about tourists all going to the same places. I think it's because guide books tell everyone to go to the same "Top 10 Tokyo" places. There are so many interesting places that most foreigners simply don't know about. And time is often limited on their trip. Anyway, that's part of why I want to show people different places to go in Japan! :-)
Hi,
This is probably a very late response on this video, what actually gave me a lot of information, but still not clear.
I’m planning to visit Japan in 2024, the months me and my wife wanna go are September/October or November. What is the weather gonna be those 3 months, I want some temperatures between 20 to 25 degrees, and where it is dry most of the time…So of those 3 months, which one is the best to go? How are the ticket/ accommodations prices are..If anyone has information regarding this message. Please let me know, thanks!
It can rain any time of year in Japan unfortunately! But none of those months are rainy season. The winter months are more likely to be dry, but it will be cold. September is in typhoon season, so there's chance of a typhoon, and they can still occur in October.
I've been during the first two weeks of October and it was still very warm and quite humid. There was a typhoon that diverted to Korea and it was just rainy for a day. Throughout October it cools down as the month goes on. November will be colder, and it's autumn leaves time so it's a popular time to go to Japan - that means places will be busier.
Hope that helps!
@@cakeswithfaces Thank you so much for your response. It helped me quite a lot. So around begin October is the best time to go? As it still hot and humid…I’ll start preparing my trip!
I think if I had to pick a time in September, October or November, I'd pick early - mid October.
@@cakeswithfaces Mid October. And why is that? What are the pros on those particular days?
@@ParaSF4 Just for the weather - if you want warmer weather, earlier in October is better, but there is the slight typhoon risk, which reduces as you go through October.
..I see you're still sad 'cause of the Hamutaro Cafe being fully booked..don't worry you and Phil will have your chance..👌👍✌
It was a pop-up so it's gone now!! 😭 Phil likes hamsters too but he's not into theme cafes so I don't think he was too bothered!! :-)
@@cakeswithfaces ..I see, a pop-up theme cafe. How 'bout you open your own hamster themed cafe..😸..
@@winterkarasu7560 😍😍😍 With tubes for the hamsters to run around everywhere (although they'd probably be asleep when the cafe's open!) 😝
@@cakeswithfaces ..😆 That would be a nice idea! plus hamster gachapons!..
@@winterkarasu7560 YES! A good excuse to collect them all :-)
日本の雨期は梅雨だけじゃないよ。実際には2つ有って、もう一つは秋雨という。梅雨 isn't the only rainy season in Japan and there are two rainy seasons actually. Another one is called 秋雨.
ja.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%A7%8B%E9%9B%A8
I didn't know about the second one, thank you! :-)
Answer: IN NOVEMBER
Case closed! :-)
We've been twice in Feb, and going in 2025 in Jan. Mainly because you can't ski in summer 🤣
That would be a problem! 😂
Sakura is just a pink tree… there are purple trees everywhere in my city and no one makes a big deal out of it
Kind of funny
I do think sakura is cool but cmon it’s just a pink tree!
This spring I was in London and no one cared about the blossoms there - the same ones in Japan would have been surrounded by people taking photos! 😂 I like how temporary, seasonal things are valued, but yes - there are many beautiful blossoms, not just the sakura!