June is the rainy season, tsuyu, in most of Japan. It starts around 7 June in Tokyo and Osaka and lasts until about 19 July, and the numbers are clear: Tokyo has rain on 39% of June days, its sunniest-day share drops to 27% (the lowest of the year) and the humidity climbs above 75%. It is warm rather than hot, with a high of 26°C (79°F), and hydrangeas, lower prices and thinner crowds are the rewards for those who come anyway.
One region escapes: Hokkaido has no rainy season and June there is sunny, dry and 22°C. Below is 58 years of Japan Meteorological Agency data for 12 cities, what the rainy season is actually like, what to pack, and a tool to check your dates.
- Tokyo: high 26.1°C (79°F), low 18.5°C (65°F), sunny days 27%, rain days 39%, 30°C days 11%, snow days 0%
- Coldest of the 12 cities: Sapporo (high 21.8°C (71°F)); warmest: Naha (Okinawa) (high 29.8°C (86°F))
- Wettest: Nagasaki (rain on 43% of days); driest: Sapporo (25%)
- Verdict: It is the rainy season (tsuyu) almost everywhere except Hokkaido, so expect grey, humid days and rain on two days in five.
Check the weather odds for your exact dates (58 years of records)
Choose a city, a date and a window, and the tool counts every June day since 1968 at that weather station: how often it was sunny, how often it rained or snowed, how often it hit 30°C, and what the last dozen years actually looked like. It is the same data set the rest of this page is built on, narrowed to your itinerary.
June weather in 12 Japanese cities
Japan stretches 3,000km from Hokkaido to Okinawa, so a single national figure means little. The table runs north to south. “Sunny days” is the share of days whose daytime weather log starts with clear or sunny; “rain days” is days with 1mm or more.
| City | High / low | Rain days (1mm+) | Sunny days | Rainfall | 30°C+ days | Also |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo | 22 / 13°C 71°F / 56°F | 25% | 43% | 60mm | 2% | – |
| Sendai | 23 / 16°C 74°F / 61°F | 35% | 30% | 144mm | 3% | – |
| Kanazawa | 26 / 18°C 78°F / 65°F | 35% | 36% | 170mm | 9% | – |
| Tokyo | 26 / 18°C 79°F / 65°F | 39% | 27% | 168mm | 11% | – |
| Chiba (Tokyo Disney Resort) | 26 / 19°C 78°F / 66°F | 37% | 25% | 151mm | 6% | – |
| Nagoya | 28 / 19°C 82°F / 67°F | 40% | 32% | 187mm | 19% | – |
| Kyoto | 28 / 19°C 83°F / 67°F | 39% | 29% | 200mm | 29% | – |
| Osaka | 28 / 20°C 82°F / 69°F | 38% | 31% | 185mm | 22% | – |
| Hiroshima | 27 / 20°C 81°F / 68°F | 37% | 35% | 227mm | 10% | – |
| Fukuoka | 27 / 20°C 81°F / 69°F | 39% | 32% | 250mm | 14% | – |
| Nagasaki | 26 / 20°C 80°F / 68°F | 43% | 31% | 336mm | 7% | – |
| Naha (Okinawa) | 30 / 25°C 86°F / 77°F | 38% | 42% | 284mm | 48% | tropical nights 51% |
Hokkaido and Tohoku (Sapporo, Sendai)
Sapporo escapes the rainy season entirely and is dry and mild at 22°C. Sapporo 21.8°C (71°F) / 13.4°C (56°F), rain 25%, sunny 43%; Sendai 23.1°C (74°F) / 16.1°C (61°F), rain 35%, sunny 30%.
Sea of Japan coast (Kanazawa)
Kanazawa enters the rainy season around 11 June. Kanazawa 25.6°C (78°F) / 18.4°C (65°F), rain 35%, sunny 36%.
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka
The rainy season starts around 7 June; Tokyo has its fewest sunny days of the year. Tokyo 26.1°C (79°F) / 18.5°C (65°F), rain 39%, sunny 27%; Kyoto 28.1°C (83°F) / 19.2°C (67°F), rain 39%, sunny 29%; Osaka 28.0°C (82°F) / 20.3°C (69°F), rain 38%, sunny 31%.
Western Japan and the south (Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Okinawa)
Kyushu is the wettest part of the mainland (Nagasaki 336mm); Okinawa clears around 21 June. Fukuoka 27.2°C (81°F) / 20.3°C (69°F), rain 39%, sunny 32%; Naha (Okinawa) 29.8°C (86°F) / 25.2°C (77°F), rain 38%, sunny 42%.
What June feels like, and why
A stationary front parks over Honshu. The rainy-season front forms where the warm, humid Pacific high meets the cooler Okhotsk high to the north. It sits over Kyushu and Honshu for about six weeks, drifting north and south with the daily weather. South of the front (Kyushu, Shikoku) the rain can be heavy; north of it (Tokyo) it is often light, grey and persistent. Our rainy season guide has the start and end dates for every region.
Humid, not scorching. Tokyo’s June high of 26.1°C is lower than August’s, and 30°C days occur on only 11% of days. What tires people is the humidity: sweat does not evaporate, and the first heat-related illnesses of the year happen in the sunny breaks of late June when bodies are not yet used to it. Air conditioning is everywhere, so a light layer is useful indoors.
North and south are different worlds. Sapporo has sunny days on 43% of June days with a comfortable 21.8°C high: the best month to be in Hokkaido. Okinawa is already at the end of its rainy season and clears around 21 June, after which it is high summer. Kyushu (Fukuoka, Nagasaki) is the wettest part of the mainland with 250 to 336mm.
What to pack for Japan in June
The rule of thumb: dress for Tokyo’s average low in the morning and its average high in the afternoon, then adjust north or south. Indoor spaces are heated hard in winter and cooled hard in summer, so removable layers matter in every month.
| City | Feels like | What to wear | Rain gear |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo | Mild | long sleeves or a T-shirt with a light jacket; evenings need the jacket | folding umbrella |
| Tokyo | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | umbrella essential |
| Kyoto | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | umbrella essential |
| Fukuoka | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | umbrella essential |
| Naha (Okinawa) | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | umbrella essential |
- A compact umbrella, quick-dry clothes and a second pair of shoes make the rainy season painless; it rarely rains all day in Tokyo.
- Plan indoor-heavy days (museums, department stores, onsen) and treat sunny breaks as bonuses.
- Hotel prices are among the lowest of the year in Kyoto in June.
- If you want sunshine, put Hokkaido in the itinerary; it is the one region without a rainy season.
Events and seasonal highlights in June
- Hydrangeas (mid June to early July): Meigetsu-in in Kamakura, Mimurotoji in Uji, temples across Kyoto.
- Sanno Matsuri (mid June, even years) in Tokyo; Yosakoi Soran (early June) in Sapporo.
- Firefly viewing (early to mid June) in rural areas and some Tokyo gardens.
- Rice planting: paddies flooded and mirror-like across the countryside.
- Hokkaido: lavender starts in late June at Furano; Sapporo Festival (14 to 16 June).
- Okinawa: rainy season ends around 21 June; Irei no Hi memorial day on 23 June.
Compare any two cities, month by month
Pick two of the 12 cities to see their highs, lows, rain days, sunny days, hot days and snow days side by side for the whole year. June is highlighted.
How June compares with the rest of the year in Tokyo
| Month | Tokyo high / low | Rain days | Sunny days | 30°C+ days | Snow days | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10 / 1°C | 14% | 70% | 0% | 6% | 60mm |
| February | 11 / 2°C | 20% | 61% | 0% | 10% | 57mm |
| March | 14 / 5°C | 29% | 51% | 0% | 3% | 116mm |
| April | 19 / 10°C | 33% | 48% | 0% | 0% | 134mm |
| May | 24 / 15°C | 32% | 43% | 1% | 0% | 140mm |
| June | 26 / 18°C | 39% | 27% | 11% | 0% | 168mm |
| July | 30 / 22°C | 33% | 34% | 53% | 0% | 156mm |
| August | 31 / 24°C | 27% | 46% | 73% | 0% | 155mm |
| September | 28 / 20°C | 37% | 35% | 27% | 0% | 225mm |
| October | 22 / 15°C | 32% | 43% | 1% | 0% | 235mm |
| November | 17 / 9°C | 22% | 55% | 0% | 0% | 96mm |
| December | 12 / 4°C | 15% | 67% | 0% | 1% | 58mm |
In Tokyo, June ranks 12th of 12 for sunny days and 12th of 12 for fewest rain days. The previous month, May, averages a high of 23.6°C (74°F); the next, July, 29.9°C (86°F).
The rainy-season front moves north and south by a few hundred kilometres day to day. When it slips south of Tokyo the city gets a cool, grey day; when it slips north, a hot sunny one. Watch the front’s position, not just the rain icon.
Frequently asked questions
How cold or hot is Japan in June?
Tokyo averages a high of 26.1°C (79°F) and a low of 18.5°C (65°F) in June. Sapporo in the north averages 21.8°C (71°F) / 13.4°C (56°F), while Naha in Okinawa averages 29.8°C (86°F) / 25.2°C (77°F). Kyoto and Osaka run a degree or two warmer than Tokyo in summer and slightly colder on winter mornings.
Does it rain a lot in Japan in June?
In Tokyo, 39% of June days get 1mm or more of rain (about 12 days), and 39% have a rainy weather log. Kyoto is at 39% of days and Naha at 38%. Sapporo records 25% of days with precipitation, much of it rain.
Is June a good month to visit Japan?
It is the rainy season (tsuyu) almost everywhere except Hokkaido, so expect grey, humid days and rain on two days in five. Hydrangeas and lower prices are the upside; Hokkaido is at its best.
When is the rainy season in Japan?
Average start and end dates: Okinawa 10 May to 21 June; Kyushu, Kansai, Tokyo and Nagoya around 4 to 7 June until about 19 July; northern Tohoku 15 June to 28 July. Hokkaido has no rainy season.
Does it rain every day in June?
No. Tokyo averages rain on 39% of June days, about 12 days, and much of it is light. There are dry, sometimes sunny, days between fronts; the pattern is unpredictable a week ahead, so keep plans flexible.
Is June a bad time to visit Japan?
It is the least popular month for good reason, but it has real advantages: low prices, hydrangeas, few crowds and no risk of typhoons. If sunshine matters most, go to Hokkaido.
- Tokyo averages 26.1°C (79°F) / 18.5°C (65°F); sunny on 27% of days, rain on 39%
- North to south range: Sapporo 21.8°C (71°F) to Naha 29.8°C (86°F)
- It is the rainy season (tsuyu) almost everywhere except Hokkaido, so expect grey, humid days and rain on two days in five.
- Use the date tool above to check the odds for your own dates
Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency climatological normals (1991 to 2020) for temperatures, precipitation and sunshine; JMA daily observations 1968 to 2025 (58 years) compiled by this site for the share of sunny, rainy, snowy, hot and cold days. Written by a certified Japanese weather forecaster (気象予報士). Percentages are the share of days in the month; a 30 percent rain-day figure means roughly 9 days a month.