August - Weather and crowds

Hi there,

I have been told that August is not the one of the best months to visit Japan.

So...my questions are quite simple:

Is it worth visiting Japan in August?
Is the weather ok?
Is it really to crowded? I have read the during the obon things may get a little bit confusing...
What about international flights? Is it a peak holiday season for foreigners too?

Thanks in advance for your help.

Regards,

João

João, I visited Japan last year from the 21st of July till the 11th of August. You want to know how the weather is? Hot! Extremely hot! I've been to Egypt in the summer and I have to say I found the heat in Japan harder to bear.
Is it worth it? Oh god yes! Every minute of it! I would go back there in a heart beat, heat or no heat. However, if you have the chance to visit Japan in some other time of the year, then by all means do that and avoid the summer heat.Then again, if you're from the south of Portugal you might not find it as unbearable as I did (I live in Porto).

I must say I didn't find Japan too crowded but I left just before the Obon so I probably escaped the flood of tourists.

As for international flights, well in the summer flights are always crowded no matter where you go.

Se por acaso quiseres informação mais detalhada avisa. Eu aprendi muito com as 3 semanas que lá passei até porque fui eu que organizei toda a viagem, por isso tenho muita informação para partilhar (onde comprar o JR Pass, por exemplo).

We went to Japan in late September into early October.It was very hot and humid in Osaka at the beginning of the trip! Outside Osaka and certainly up in the mountains it was much better and the Autumn crowds hadn't yet hit. I would recommend avoiding August if at all possible.