September is late summer in Japan rather than autumn. Tokyo averages a high of 27.5°C (82°F), 30°C is still reached on 27% of days (mostly in the first half), and it is the wettest month of the year in Tokyo with 225mm of rain on 37% of days. The reason is the combination of the autumn rain front and typhoons: September has more typhoon landfalls on the main islands than any other month.
The second half of the month turns genuinely pleasant, prices fall after the school holidays, and the first autumn colours appear in the Hokkaido mountains. Below: 58 years of Japan Meteorological Agency data for 12 cities, the typhoon risk explained, what to pack, and a tool to check your dates.
- Tokyo: high 27.5°C (82°F), low 20.3°C (69°F), sunny days 35%, rain days 37%, 30°C days 27%, snow days 0%
- Coldest of the 12 cities: Sapporo (high 22.8°C (73°F)); warmest: Naha (Okinawa) (high 30.6°C (87°F))
- Wettest: Kanazawa (rain on 41% of days); driest: Hiroshima (30%)
- Verdict: Early September is still summer and it is the peak month for typhoons; the second half turns pleasant.
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 September 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.
September 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 | 23 / 15°C 73°F / 59°F | 33% | 50% | 142mm | 1% | – |
| Sendai | 25 / 18°C 77°F / 64°F | 38% | 36% | 193mm | 8% | – |
| Kanazawa | 27 / 20°C 81°F / 68°F | 41% | 42% | 232mm | 22% | – |
| Tokyo | 28 / 20°C 82°F / 69°F | 37% | 35% | 225mm | 27% | tropical nights 10% |
| Chiba (Tokyo Disney Resort) | 28 / 21°C 82°F / 70°F | 35% | 36% | 205mm | 25% | tropical nights 11% |
| Nagoya | 29 / 21°C 84°F / 70°F | 36% | 43% | 232mm | 40% | 35°C+ 3% |
| Kyoto | 29 / 21°C 85°F / 69°F | 34% | 39% | 179mm | 40% | 35°C+ 4% |
| Osaka | 30 / 22°C 85°F / 71°F | 33% | 43% | 153mm | 45% | tropical nights 13% |
| Hiroshima | 29 / 21°C 84°F / 70°F | 30% | 47% | 163mm | 35% | – |
| Fukuoka | 29 / 22°C 83°F / 71°F | 33% | 47% | 175mm | 29% | tropical nights 10% |
| Nagasaki | 29 / 22°C 84°F / 71°F | 31% | 53% | 187mm | 34% | tropical nights 11% |
| Naha (Okinawa) | 31 / 26°C 87°F / 78°F | 39% | 64% | 275mm | 67% | tropical nights 69% |
Hokkaido and Tohoku (Sapporo, Sendai)
Sapporo turns crisp at 23°C and the leaves begin in the mountains. Sapporo 22.8°C (73°F) / 14.8°C (59°F), rain 33%, sunny 50%; Sendai 25.0°C (77°F) / 18.0°C (64°F), rain 38%, sunny 36%.
Sea of Japan coast (Kanazawa)
Kanazawa is warm with rain on 41% of days. Kanazawa 27.2°C (81°F) / 19.9°C (68°F), rain 41%, sunny 42%.
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka
Late summer heat in the first half; Tokyo’s wettest month. Tokyo 27.5°C (82°F) / 20.3°C (69°F), rain 37%, sunny 35%; Kyoto 29.2°C (85°F) / 20.7°C (69°F), rain 34%, sunny 39%; Osaka 29.5°C (85°F) / 21.9°C (71°F), rain 33%, sunny 43%.
Western Japan and the south (Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Okinawa)
The peak typhoon month for Kyushu and Okinawa; Naha is still 31°C. Fukuoka 28.6°C (83°F) / 21.6°C (71°F), rain 33%, sunny 47%; Naha (Okinawa) 30.6°C (87°F) / 25.8°C (78°F), rain 39%, sunny 64%.
What September feels like, and why
The autumn rain front replaces the rainy season. As the Pacific high retreats south, a front settles over Honshu much as it did in June, but moving the other way. Tokyo and the Kanto region sit under it more often than Kyoto or Fukuoka, which is why Tokyo’s sunniest-day share drops to 35% and September and October are its wettest months.
Typhoons and the front feed each other. A typhoon approaching from the south pushes moisture into the front and can cause heavy rain hundreds of kilometres from the storm itself. Landfalls on Kyushu, Shikoku and the Kii peninsula are most common, but Tokyo gets a direct hit every few years (2019’s Faxai and Hagibis both came in September and October). Plan with our typhoon season guide and the live tracker.
Heat fades after the equinox. The first week is August-like; by the last week Tokyo highs are around 25°C and nights below 20°C. Sapporo is a crisp 22.8°C with the leaves turning in Daisetsuzan from mid month. Okinawa is still full summer at 30.6°C with the sea at its warmest, but also its most typhoon-exposed month.
What to pack for Japan in September
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 | folding umbrella |
| Fukuoka | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | folding umbrella |
| Naha (Okinawa) | Full summer | light, breathable clothes, a hat, sunscreen and a thin layer for over-chilled trains and shops | umbrella essential |
- Buy travel insurance that covers typhoon cancellations and keep a spare day at the end of the trip.
- The first half is summer: heat precautions still apply. The second half wants a light layer for evenings.
- Check the Japan Meteorological Agency typhoon page five days out; airlines cancel a day ahead, and trains are suspended in advance (keikaku unkyu).
- Prices drop from the second week when Japanese school holidays end.
Events and seasonal highlights in September
- Silver Week: Respect for the Aged Day (third Monday) and the Autumn Equinox (around 23 September) sometimes join into a five-day holiday.
- Moon viewing (tsukimi) around the harvest moon; in 2026 it falls on 25 September.
- Kishiwada Danjiri (mid September) near Osaka; Owara Kaze no Bon (1 to 3 September) in Toyama.
- Red spider lilies (mid to late September) at Kinchakuda in Saitama.
- Autumn colours begin in Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, from mid September.
- Sumo autumn tournament in Tokyo for two weeks from mid September.
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. September is highlighted.
How September 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, September ranks 10th of 12 for sunny days and 11th of 12 for fewest rain days. The previous month, August, averages a high of 31.3°C (88°F); the next, October, 22.0°C (72°F).
September is when the autumn front and typhoons interact: a typhoon passing far offshore can still dump 100mm on Tokyo by feeding the front. Look at the rain forecast as well as the storm track.
Frequently asked questions
How cold or hot is Japan in September?
Tokyo averages a high of 27.5°C (82°F) and a low of 20.3°C (69°F) in September. Sapporo in the north averages 22.8°C (73°F) / 14.8°C (59°F), while Naha in Okinawa averages 30.6°C (87°F) / 25.8°C (78°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 September?
In Tokyo, 37% of September days get 1mm or more of rain (about 11 days), and 37% have a rainy weather log. Kyoto is at 34% of days and Naha at 39%. Sapporo records 33% of days with precipitation, much of it rain.
Is September a good month to visit Japan?
Early September is still summer and it is the peak month for typhoons; the second half turns pleasant. Prices drop after the school holidays. Keep plans flexible.
Is September typhoon season in Japan?
Yes, together with August. September has the most landfalls on the main islands; the average is about three typhoons approaching Japan in the month. Okinawa, Kyushu and Shikoku are most exposed, and Tokyo sees a direct hit every few years.
Is September still hot in Japan?
The first half is: Tokyo averages 30°C on 27% of September days, mostly early in the month, and Osaka on 45%. After the equinox (around 23 September) highs settle around 25°C and evenings are comfortable.
Why is September Tokyo’s wettest month?
The autumn rain front sits over the Kanto region while typhoons pump moisture in from the south. Tokyo averages 225mm in September and 235mm in October, against 60mm in January.
- Tokyo averages 27.5°C (82°F) / 20.3°C (69°F); sunny on 35% of days, rain on 37%
- North to south range: Sapporo 22.8°C (73°F) to Naha 30.6°C (87°F)
- Early September is still summer and it is the peak month for typhoons; the second half turns pleasant.
- 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.