Ask anyone who lives there about summer in Japan and you’ll hear two different opinions. The first is that June, July, and August are the very best time of year for festivals, beaches, and seasonal food. Others will say that they find summer hot and humid. While that’s true in some parts of Japan, there’s a lot you can do to deal with the heat.
Escaping indoors to shops, museums, or galleries is one option. Another is to embrace the summer beauty of Japan’s amazing gardens, scenic beaches, and cool mountains. Here’s what to expect in summer in Japan.
Heat & Humidity
Tokyo
Summers in Japan can be very hot indeed, with August temperatures in Kyoto or Osaka topping 100°F during heatwaves. However, averages of 82°F are more typical of Tokyo and the rest of central Japan.
Heading north to Aomori, you’ll find cooler August temperatures of 75-82°F. In contrast, Nagasaki in the south of Honshu has temperatures up to 86°F in August.
June is a cooler month—averaging 70°F—but it also brings tsuyu, the rainy season from late June through early July. You can expect sudden rain showers, which are often a welcome relief from the humidity.
Wherever you are, it’s a season for loose, light cotton clothing, sun-hats, shades, and good sunscreen. Rainwear will just make you sweat, so follow the Japanese example by using an umbrella.
Tokyo
Umbrellas are also good against the sun and UV. Why not buy one of the excellent Japanese ones as a nice souvenir?
Like everything else in Japan, there is strong etiquette around using umbrellas or parasols. Be careful using them on narrow sidewalks and look out for the sometimes very sophisticated—and fascinating—holders outside shops.
It’s tempting to wear short sleeves but remember you should cover your bare arms in Japanese temples or shrines. A shawl or light jacket is also good for the sudden chill in air conditioned shops, restaurants, or trains.
You’ll want to drink lots of water and limit your time outside in summer. It’s often wise to do your sightseeing earlier or later in the day, with a long lunchtime break.
Convenience Stores
Convenience store in Japan
In the summer, even more so than the rest of the year, Japanese convenience stores are your best friend. Called konbini—a loan word from the English “convenience”—there are some 55,000, so one is never far away.
Konbini usually belong to large chains, such as Seven-Eleven, Lawson, or Family Mart—and the popular Seicomart in Hokkaido. They sell everything from food and drink to public transport cards and first aid kits.
In summer, you’ll find konbini have plenty of ideas for cooling off. A battery operated fan, a tiny massage gun for tired feet, mint cooling wipes, a handkerchief, sunglasses… the list is long.
Just resting in their air conditioned shade will recharge your batteries. You can also pick up drinks such as ice-cold smoothies, or the famous electrolyte-friendly Pocari Sweat.
Seasonal Foods
Somen
Japan is known for its food, and summer is a time of seasonal specialties to help you cool down. It’s also when fruit is ripening, bringing ice-cold juices from watermelon or refreshing peaches.
Somen, especially popular in western Japan, are ultra-thin noodles served chilled in ice water with mentsuyu dipping sauce. The fun variant nagashi somen involves catching noodles flowing down bamboo tubes.
Unagi
A Japanese dish traditionally eaten to offset summer fatigue is nutrient-rich freshwater eel, or unagi. Charcoal-grilled, it’s served on rice with a sweet-salty sauce.
Zaru soba/udon are cold buckwheat/wheat noodles served on bamboo mats with a dipping sauce. Zaru udon often comes with tempura or grated yam.
Kakigori
A cooling treat is kakigori: shaved ice with fruit syrups, condensed milk, or matcha. More extravagant flavorings include red beans or mochi.
Cold tofu, topped with the likes of ginger, green onion, bonito flakes, or even citrus fruit, is a light, refreshing dish. Called hiyayakko, it’s quick and easy to prepare.
In Kyoto, you’ll find that hamo—pike conger eel—is a popular summer food. It’s served in a clear broth in bite-sized pieces with an ume apricot sauce.
Kibinago sashimi
Of course, every region has its specialties, such as Nagasaki’s Portuguese-inspired Castella ice cream. One of Kagoshima’s is kibinago sashimi, a dish of silver-stripe herring served with citrus.
At festivals, grilled ayu and beer make up the taste of summer. Ayu are sweetfish, cooked whole on a skewer, and celebrated wherever there is a river nearby to catch them.
You might find you have no appetite at all on hotter days. Edamame beans make a great nibble to keep you going, perfect with a little salt and a cold beer.
Read: An Insider’s Guide to Japanese Food Culture
Blooming Hydrangea
Mimuroto-ji, Kyoto
Late May through July, depending on the region, is when hydrangea—ajisai—blooms across Japan. The best time to see the spectacle is during the rainy season from mid-June through early July.
Mimuroto-ji in Kyoto is known as the “Temple of Hydrangeas” for its 20,000 bushes in 50 varieties. They spill down a hillside to make a rainbow of blue, purple, pink, and white blossoms.
June in Tokyo brings thousands of colorful hydrangeas to Hakusan Shrine and its park, where the week-long Bunkyo Hydrangea Festival is held to celebrate.
Tozan Railway, Hakone
In Hakone, the Tozan Railway passes through clouds of hydrangea along its tracks. The Hakone Museum of Art also has a beautiful garden filled with these beautiful flowers.
Kagoshima’s Shinonome no Sato Hydrangea Garden boasts an awesome 100,000 hydrangeas in 200 colorful varieties. The garden is also popular for its restaurants serving cooling soba noodles.
In Huis Ten Bosch theme park, Nagasaki, you can enjoy hydrangea in a European setting. Stroll along the canal, walk in shaded woodland, or enjoy the air conditioned Flower Passage.
Picturesque Festivals
Yosakoi Festival, Kochi
The summer is a time for festivals, or matsuri, in Japan. These fill the streets of towns and villages with colorful costumes, spectacle, and lots of food and drink.
In June, preparations begin for Kochi’s Yosakoi Festival, and Kumamoto’s Ueki Gion Festival. By mid July, Kagoshima is ready for its Rokugatsudo Festival, rich with traditional costume, food and cultural events.
Hakata Gion Yamakasa in Fukuoka involves running floats at high speed before sunrise. If you can’t make it that early, the kakiyama floats are on display for the first two weeks of July.
Gion Matsuri, Kyoto
Also during July, some major festivals include the month-long Gion Matsuri in Kyoto, with its massive yamaboko floats. Osaka’s Tenjin Matsuri takes over the Kawa River with a boat procession.
In Nagasaki, Shoronagashi is a very popular light festival held on August 15, the start of the three-day Bon Festival. Illuminated craft are floated on the river in memory of those who have died.
Bon, or Obon, is a time when the spirits of the ancestors visit this world. It’s traditional to tend graves, paying respect to these visitors so they can find peace. Coming after the rains have reduced the fire risk, many of the Bon festivities involve lanterns and fireworks. These include Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial Ceremony on August 6.
The most beautiful may be the Yamaga Lantern Festival in Kumamoto, where dancers carry exquisite lanterns on their heads. Only a small handful of artisans still make them.
Nebuta Matsuri, Aomori
August highlights include Aomori’s Nebuta Matsuri and Hakodate Port Festival, with its famous Squid Dance. Yosakoi Festival in Kochi is in full flow from August 9 to 12, with thousands of costumed dance groups banging wooden clappers.
Staying Cool Indoors
Imperial Palace, Tokyo
One way to escape the summer heat is to stay indoors. Malls or department stores are a haven, with staff accepting you might have just come in to enjoy the air conditioning.
Museums and other public buildings are another refuge. In Tokyo, you’ll want to visit places such as the Imperial Palace.
The Tokyo Sky Tree has impressive views from its two observation decks, the highest at 1,476 ft. At its foot is the Solamachi mall, with hundreds of shops.
Sensōji, Tokyo
A short distance away is Asakusa, where the Kannon Temple or Sensōji is one of the best places to visit in summer in Japan. The 170 shops in Kappabashi, or “Kitchen Street”, are a delight for any cook looking for new knives or other kitchenware.
In Yokohama, the Museum of Art has a world-class collection in a spacious setting. The Cup Noodles Museum is a fun, interactive insight into the history of instant ramen.
Hirosaki Castle, Aomori
In Aomori, Hirosaki Castle’s impressive walls block out the sun as well as they’ve kept out enemies since 1611. Kochi Castle is a similar age, and the only castle in Japan with its original palace, keep, and inner citadel.
The Peace Memorial Museum in Hiroshima is a place to learn more about the 1945 bombing. Kumamoto’s castle, meanwhile, was damaged by an earthquake, but a faithful reconstruction is well in hand.
Golden Pavilion, Kyoto
The Golden Pavilion is a highlight of any trip to Kyoto. Formally known as Kinkaku-ji, its top two floors are covered in gold leaf. Almost as famous is Kiyomizu-dera, where the vast wooden viewing platform will hopefully catch the breeze. Its woodland setting and waterfalls also offer respite from Kyoto’s summer heat.
Outdoor Beauty
Zushi Beach, near Tokyo
The most obvious place to go in summer is one of Japan’s many glorious beaches. Kochi has some of Japan’s best in Usa and Ikumi beaches.
Near Tokyo, you can escape to the seaside in places such as Zushi Beach, Hamaya, and Onjuku Beach, Chiba. Many of Tokyo’s best beaches are found in Kujukuri and Kamakura.
Atami Beach is only 13 miles from Mt. Hakone, whose forests and mountains make it much cooler than Tokyo. Long a resort area, it has art museums and cruises on Lake Ashi.
Hakkoda Ropeway, Aomori
In Aomori, take the Hakkoda ropeway to find cooling winds at 4,330 feet. On short hikes, you will see the Hakkoda Mountains at their greenest, and great views over Mutsu Bay.
Mount Hakodate is another high spot reached by cable car or taxi. The wooded mountain has spectacular views over Hakodate and the sea.
July through September is when 12,388-feet-high Mt. Fuji opens for its climbing season. You might not want to take on the full challenge but there are many other scenic options in the Fuji Five Lakes region.
Miyajima Island
Enjoy a refreshing boat ride to see the famous floating torii gate of Miyajima Island, near Hiroshima. In Hiroshima itself, the lake garden of Shukkei-en is a memorial to the victims of the atomic bomb.
Kagoshima is famed for its gardens, none more so than Sengan-en. Dating to 1658, it has plenty of shade under mature trees and cooling water features.
Glover Garden, Nagasaki
Glover Garden in Nagasaki has both indoor and outdoor options. The hillside gardens enjoy sea breezes and shaded walking paths.
In Kyoto, besides the many wonderful temple gardens, you will find restaurants with tables and seats actually in a river. This kawadoko style of cool dining, found in areas such as the Kibune, often features ayu and hamo, two popular seasonal foods.
Baseball Season
Baseball game in Japan
The Japanese baseball season runs from March through October, so summer is a great time to see it in full swing. The atmosphere at games, the passion of the fans, and the food and drink make for a memorable experience.
Tickets, even for big covered venues such as Tokyo Dome and Kyocera Dome Osaka, can often be bought at the gate—or in your nearest konbini. Every town also has its high school, college, and other league games that are just as much fun to watch.
Baseball game in Japan
High school baseball is very popular and the season finishes with August finals in the open-air Koshien Stadium, Osaka. You’ll see it widely covered on TV if you’re in a bar.
Professional games are held around 6pm during the week, so fans can attend after work, and around 1pm at weekends. The high school season finals are played morning and afternoon for two weeks.
For professional games, the non-stop singing of fans is often the biggest thrill for visitors. There is a real battle of songs, all good-natured, so try to book home team seats to be in the middle of the excitement.
Read: Best Places to Visit in Japan
Kyoto
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