August is Japan’s hottest month and its busiest for domestic travel. Tokyo averages a high of 31.3°C (88°F) and a low of 23.5°C (74°F); 30°C is reached on 73% of days and the temperature stays above 25°C all night on 47% of nights. Kyoto and Osaka are hotter still. It is also the peak month for typhoons and the week of Obon (around 13 to 16 August) when the whole country is on the move.
The upside is a country in full festival mode: fireworks almost every weekend, the Awa Odori and Nebuta festivals, and Hokkaido at a comfortable 26°C. Below: 58 years of Japan Meteorological Agency data for 12 cities, how to handle the heat, the typhoon risk, and a date checker for your trip.
- Tokyo: high 31.3°C (88°F), low 23.5°C (74°F), sunny days 46%, rain days 27%, 30°C days 73%, snow days 0%
- Coldest of the 12 cities: Sapporo (high 26.4°C (80°F)); warmest: Kyoto (high 33.7°C (93°F))
- Wettest: Naha (Okinawa) (rain on 41% of days); driest: Hiroshima (24%)
- Verdict: The hottest month, with 30°C days three days in four in Tokyo and tropical nights.
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 August 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.
August 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 | 26 / 19°C 80°F / 66°F | 30% | 42% | 127mm | 16% | – |
| Sendai | 28 / 22°C 83°F / 71°F | 36% | 36% | 158mm | 37% | – |
| Kanazawa | 31 / 24°C 88°F / 75°F | 30% | 54% | 179mm | 69% | 35°C+ 7% |
| Tokyo | 31 / 24°C 88°F / 74°F | 27% | 46% | 155mm | 73% | 35°C+ 9% |
| Chiba (Tokyo Disney Resort) | 31 / 24°C 88°F / 76°F | 25% | 46% | 116mm | 68% | 35°C+ 3% |
| Nagoya | 33 / 25°C 92°F / 76°F | 28% | 51% | 140mm | 84% | 35°C+ 23% |
| Kyoto | 34 / 25°C 93°F / 76°F | 29% | 48% | 154mm | 87% | 35°C+ 32% |
| Osaka | 34 / 26°C 93°F / 78°F | 25% | 54% | 113mm | 90% | 35°C+ 26% |
| Hiroshima | 33 / 25°C 91°F / 77°F | 24% | 57% | 131mm | 81% | 35°C+ 14% |
| Fukuoka | 32 / 25°C 90°F / 78°F | 30% | 56% | 210mm | 79% | 35°C+ 15% |
| Nagasaki | 32 / 25°C 89°F / 78°F | 31% | 59% | 218mm | 78% | 35°C+ 6% |
| Naha (Okinawa) | 32 / 27°C 89°F / 80°F | 41% | 66% | 240mm | 86% | tropical nights 89% |
Hokkaido and Tohoku (Sapporo, Sendai)
Sapporo is the coolest big city at 26°C; the Tohoku festivals happen in the first week. Sapporo 26.4°C (80°F) / 19.1°C (66°F), rain 30%, sunny 42%; Sendai 28.2°C (83°F) / 21.6°C (71°F), rain 36%, sunny 36%.
Sea of Japan coast (Kanazawa)
Kanazawa is hot and can spike above 38°C in foehn winds. Kanazawa 31.3°C (88°F) / 24.1°C (75°F), rain 30%, sunny 54%.
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka
The hottest month: 30°C on three days in four in Tokyo, tropical nights common in Osaka. Tokyo 31.3°C (88°F) / 23.5°C (74°F), rain 27%, sunny 46%; Kyoto 33.7°C (93°F) / 24.7°C (76°F), rain 29%, sunny 48%; Osaka 33.7°C (93°F) / 25.8°C (78°F), rain 25%, sunny 54%.
Western Japan and the south (Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Okinawa)
Kyushu and Okinawa are hot and the most typhoon-exposed regions. Fukuoka 32.5°C (90°F) / 25.4°C (78°F), rain 30%, sunny 56%; Naha (Okinawa) 31.8°C (89°F) / 26.8°C (80°F), rain 41%, sunny 66%.
What August feels like, and why
The Pacific high sits on top of Japan. Clear mornings, building heat, and afternoon thunderstorms over the mountains and inland Kanto are the daily rhythm. Tokyo gets 27% of days with rain, mostly short evening downpours. Humidity stays around 75%, so the heat index is routinely 35°C or more in the cities; Kumagaya, an hour north of Tokyo, holds the national record of 41.1°C (2018).
Nights do not cool down. The tropical-night count is the number to watch: Osaka 63% of August nights above 25°C, Tokyo 47%, Kyoto 42%. Concrete and asphalt store the heat, and a hotel without good air conditioning becomes a problem. Sapporo, by contrast, has essentially zero tropical nights, and the mountain resorts of Nagano and Nikko are 6 to 8 degrees cooler than Tokyo.
Typhoons peak. August has the highest number of typhoons approaching Japan (about 3.5 per year on average), with Okinawa and Kyushu most exposed and the Tokyo area hit every few years. A typhoon means a day or two of cancelled trains and flights; keep the itinerary flexible and follow our live tracker.
What to pack for Japan in August
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 | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | folding umbrella |
| Tokyo | Full summer | light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunscreen and a thin layer for over-chilled trains and shops | folding umbrella |
| Kyoto | Full summer | light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunscreen and a thin layer for over-chilled trains and shops | folding umbrella |
| Fukuoka | Full summer | light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunscreen and a thin layer for over-chilled trains and shops | folding umbrella |
| Naha (Okinawa) | Full summer | light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunscreen and a thin layer for over-chilled trains and shops | umbrella essential |
- Build the day around the heat: early starts, indoor afternoons, evening walks. Carry water, a hand towel and a folding fan; locals use all three.
- Avoid travelling on 13 to 16 August if you can; book shinkansen seats weeks ahead if you cannot.
- Keep two days of slack in the itinerary for a typhoon, especially in Okinawa and Kyushu, and buy travel insurance that covers weather cancellations.
- Hokkaido, Nikko and the Japan Alps are the comfortable August destinations.
Events and seasonal highlights in August
- Obon (around 13 to 16 August): family homecoming week; trains and expressways at capacity, many small businesses closed, Bon Odori dances everywhere.
- Nebuta Matsuri (2 to 7 August) in Aomori; Kanto Matsuri (3 to 6 August) in Akita; Sendai Tanabata (6 to 8 August).
- Awa Odori (12 to 15 August) in Tokushima; Gozan no Okuribi (16 August), the bonfires on the hills of Kyoto.
- Fireworks: Nagaoka (2 to 3 August), Lake Biwa (8 August), Miyajima and many more.
- Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony (6 August) at 8am, in the heat.
- Mt Fuji: peak climbing month; Comiket (mid August) in Tokyo.
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. August is highlighted.
How August 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, August ranks 7th of 12 for sunny days and 5th of 12 for fewest rain days. The previous month, July, averages a high of 29.9°C (86°F); the next, September, 27.5°C (82°F).
In August the forecast that matters is the five-day typhoon track. A storm 1,000km south can already bring heavy rain and cancelled ferries to Okinawa; Honshu usually gets two days of notice, and trains are suspended in advance.
Frequently asked questions
How cold or hot is Japan in August?
Tokyo averages a high of 31.3°C (88°F) and a low of 23.5°C (74°F) in August. Sapporo in the north averages 26.4°C (80°F) / 19.1°C (66°F), while Naha in Okinawa averages 31.8°C (89°F) / 26.8°C (80°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 August?
In Tokyo, 27% of August days get 1mm or more of rain (about 8 days), and 27% have a rainy weather log. Kyoto is at 29% of days and Naha at 41%. Sapporo records 30% of days with precipitation, much of it rain.
Is August a good month to visit Japan?
The hottest month, with 30°C days three days in four in Tokyo and tropical nights. It is festival and fireworks season and Obon travel week is crowded. Great for Hokkaido and mountains.
How hot is Tokyo in August?
The average high is 31.3°C (88°F) and the average low 23.5°C (74°F). 30°C is reached on 73% of days, 35°C on 9%, and the night stays above 25°C on 47% of nights. With 75% humidity the heat index is often 35 to 40°C.
Is August a bad time to visit Japan?
It is the hardest month for heat and crowds, but not a bad one if you plan for it: festivals and fireworks are at their peak, Hokkaido is superb, and mountain areas are cool. Avoid the Obon week for travel.
What are the chances of a typhoon in August?
About 3.5 typhoons approach Japan in an average August. For any given week in Tokyo the chance of direct disruption is low (perhaps one in eight), higher in Okinawa (one in four). Our typhoon season guide has the numbers by month and region.
- Tokyo averages 31.3°C (88°F) / 23.5°C (74°F); sunny on 46% of days, rain on 27%
- North to south range: Sapporo 26.4°C (80°F) to Naha 31.8°C (89°F)
- The hottest month, with 30°C days three days in four in Tokyo and tropical nights.
- 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.