Is June/July a good time to travel to Japan?

We are really unsure if it is best to avoid Japan at this time of year. Any feedback would be appreciated. It will be our first time in Japan, and will be leaving winter back home so warm weather is fine for us.

It is generally not the best time to visit Japan due to the "rainy season":
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2273.html

You say warm weather is fine, but be sure you know what to actually expect. Ifve had Europeans tell me gIfll be fine! Ifve been to the Mediterranean in summer!h and then they arrive and learn the hard way that Japanese summer is a totally different animal. I say this as someone who likes Japanese summer better than other seasons, itfs not really stereotypical sunny summer holiday weather, though there are a good amount of sunny days. Itfs more like a thick, oppressive heat that is not comfortable for I would guess most people who are not used to it.

If you do genuinely enjoy very hot and humid weather and can put up with a few rainy days, July is generally good.

You are saying that youfll come from the winter. So I guess you are either from AUS/NZ or South America.
There are some other posters here on the channel from AUS/NZ you can probably give you a comparison. For South America, maybe think of summer in Brazil?

The temperature looks deceivingly low (something like 30-32 C) but itfs the humidity that totally kills me. I loved for many years in Spain (Madrid) and up to 35 C itfs totally doable for me (I am not heat resistant). In Japan, essentially from mid June to mid/end August I am confined to my house, office and other indoor ventures. And I really like to be outside, but even the 5 min walk to my local train station mean that I am drenched in sweat.

Everyone is different. So if you have good experience with humid heat, go for it. Probably July better than June because of the rainy season in June.

But if you have any choice go from September to November or May. I would say those are the best months in general.

I've travelled around Japan a bit at different times of the year - and it really depends what you want to get out of it.

For example - visiting Northern Tohoku and Hokkaido during June/July is absolutely glorious. However - visiting Okinawa at this time is too hot for me.

There are reasons to visit Japan in July, so I am not going to say gstay away because itfs the rainy seasonh.

I donft think it matters when you visit Yakushima Island. That is where the lush forrests are, that inspired Miyazaki when making the anime gPrincess Mononokeh. Their slogan is gIt only rains 35 days a monthh.

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4650.html

That said, the Hydrangeas and Lavender are in full bloom in July. For Hydrangeas, I am told Hakone is a good place. For Lavender, Hokkaido would be a good place to visit.

There are some notable festivals in July, too. I am going to list a few:

https://tokyocheapo.com/events/shonan-hiratsuka-tanabata-festival/

https://en.visitwakayama.jp/venues/6AB1FwKuFGWGcU8OmMmoyK/#:~:text=Nac....

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3942.html

https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e4023.html

https://faitaujapon.com/en/articles/2016-07-30/monju-do-defune-dragon-...

https://www.furanotourism.com/en/spot/spot_D.php?id=450

Okc The Belly Button Festival is a little suspect, but may be fun to go to. Itfs also in the middle of the area in Hokkaido where the lavender fields are.

Good Luck, planning your trip.

Hi!

From 2016-2019, I went every late June to early July to Japan and now that Japan is reopened, I am planning my annual Summer trip for 2023. (We went in December too, but I just like Japan lol)

It is hot and humid. I actually like a humidity more than dry heats which irritate my throat and skin. I'm not looking for a long hiking and biking adventure, and I take time to stop and have an iced beverage in a cafe or other breaks.

If you're into hydrangeas late June to early July is hydrangea season and I really love hydrangeas. They look particularly stunning on gloomy gray and rainy days. We've gone to a few hydrangea gardens and one festival.

I'm from the east coast of Australia. Even though I'm used to the humidity and heat, travelling to Japan in June/July is not my preference. As someone already said, Hokkaido is a perfect choice that time of year. It's a gorgeous place and stays mild and comfortable.

If you want to experience summer in Japan, late June to early July would be the best because of the following reasons.

1. The heat and humidity is not as bad as July 20th or later. In Honshu, it's the closest you can get to an European summer.

2. There are less mosquitoes than later days in summer.

3. Although university vacations would have started, and high school students would be out of school by noon, grade school summer vacations don't start until mid July, and there would be less families going out for leisure with their kids.

4. There will be less jellyfish in swimming beaches. Note that most beaches prohibit swimming until the lifeguards come on duty mid-July which is when beaches become crowded, but you can travel by bus to the less crowded yet safer beaches where guards are indeed on duty from mid-July.

5. You can enjoy hydrangea flowers especially if you travel up north or into the mountains where the climate is cooler.

As opposed to that, August would be too hot to walk around, and there would be more storms, bugs and humidity until October which is considered as the best months of a Honshu year.

I hope it helps.

Just a quick add to the topic which hasn't been adressed as far as I see:

Even if you are fine with the hot humidity, prepare to change from enormously air conditioned environments (trains, shops, generally everything indoors) to the heat outside.
This contrast always got to me and gave me a cold every time I went during that time.

At least in the cities be prepared for this, especially if you are not used to that amount of air conditioning.

Re the air conditioning, it has become better after the Tohoku earthquake. I remember in the 90s I had a woolen pullover in my office in the summer as it was so freezing cold inside while outside it was a steam bath.
Now I can happily stay with my summer dress in the office. But yes, sometimes some places can be cold or too windy from the a/c, so a light shawl is good to have in your handbag.

I would like to add that many summer attractions in Japan are so" compelling", I do not usually visit Japan during this hot weather, but my summer visit a few years ago was so rewarding, and it remains one of my most memorable trips to Japan.

Agree with @LikeBike, I didn't find anything over air conditioned in Japan when I was there other than my hotel room where I purposely turned the temperature down low when I went to bed. (And then turned it up/shut it off as soon as I woke up. I only kept it cold for sleeping.)

I did find the Japanese overheated a lot of places this past Winter. It would be chilly outside, but absolutely boiling inside. I do not need my room 75+ in the Winter!

@rkold, maybe thatfs because most homes are cold. In my newly build apartment in the morning in my bed room itfs about 8-10 C, but yes in the office itfs warm.
There is someone here on the forum that always advises for one light layer and one very heavy jacket. That probably works great in winter in Japan unless you are hiking when the gonion technique g is preferable.

Anyway we are going off topic :-)

@LikeBike, ah OK , yeah that is really cold lol I remember it being 10C in my house in NY a few times when the heating broke and I just lay in bed being miserable. All the hotels I stayed in were just so warm!

To get back on topic.... Yes, June and July are hot and humid. If your dream in life is to bike the Shimanami Kaido, it's probably not the best time to go to Japan. But it is completely doable to go in June and July and there are positives depending on your interests and desires. If you have a kid in school in many countries it's either Summer or Winter Break, which has its own issues. I actually like going in late June. I have done it 4 times. I am a little more heat resistant than my tween, so I do need to plan plenty of breaks, but having been to Japan before, I don't mind that.

I do find Kyoto particularly hot and humid if it doesn't rain. I think it's the bowl shape, though again, I am still planning to go to Kyoto, just plan breaks. I really like hydrangea. In New England, I got to see gorgeous leaf viewing just driving around town. In the PNW, I've walked in some neighborhoods that are just sakura trees. But I have never lived somewhere with hundreds of hydrangea, so for me, that is still really special.