November is the driest, calmest month of the autumn and the peak of the autumn-leaf season in Kyoto and Tokyo. Tokyo averages a high of 16.7°C (62°F) and a low of 8.8°C, rain falls on only 22% of days and the sunny-day share jumps to 55%. Kyoto’s temples peak in the second half of the month; Sapporo sees its first snow and drops to a 9°C high; Okinawa is a pleasant 25°C.
This guide has 58 years of Japan Meteorological Agency data for 12 cities, the leaf calendar, what to pack for cold mornings and mild afternoons, and a tool to check the weather odds for your dates.
- Tokyo: high 16.7°C (62°F), low 8.8°C (48°F), sunny days 55%, rain days 22%, 30°C days 0%, snow days 0%
- Coldest of the 12 cities: Sapporo (high 8.7°C (48°F)); warmest: Naha (Okinawa) (high 25.0°C (77°F))
- Wettest: Kanazawa (rain on 56% of days); driest: Hiroshima (19%)
- Verdict: Superb: the sunniest, driest comfortable month in Tokyo, and the autumn leaf peak in Kyoto in the second half.
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 November 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.
November 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 | 9 / 2°C 48°F / 35°F | 46% | 37% | 114mm | 0% | snow 36% |
| Sendai | 14 / 6°C 57°F / 42°F | 20% | 56% | 59mm | 0% | – |
| Kanazawa | 16 / 8°C 61°F / 47°F | 56% | 36% | 251mm | 0% | – |
| Tokyo | 17 / 9°C 62°F / 48°F | 22% | 55% | 96mm | 0% | – |
| Chiba (Tokyo Disney Resort) | 17 / 10°C 63°F / 50°F | 24% | 50% | 94mm | 0% | – |
| Nagoya | 17 / 9°C 63°F / 47°F | 20% | 61% | 79mm | 0% | – |
| Kyoto | 17 / 8°C 63°F / 47°F | 21% | 52% | 74mm | 0% | – |
| Osaka | 18 / 10°C 64°F / 50°F | 21% | 58% | 73mm | 0% | – |
| Hiroshima | 18 / 9°C 64°F / 48°F | 19% | 58% | 69mm | 0% | – |
| Fukuoka | 18 / 11°C 65°F / 51°F | 27% | 50% | 91mm | 0% | – |
| Nagasaki | 18 / 11°C 65°F / 52°F | 26% | 55% | 101mm | 0% | – |
| Naha (Okinawa) | 25 / 20°C 77°F / 69°F | 28% | 46% | 119mm | 1% | – |
Hokkaido and Tohoku (Sapporo, Sendai)
Sapporo sees its first snow around 1 November and drops to a 9°C high. Sapporo 8.7°C (48°F) / 1.6°C (35°F), rain 46%, sunny 37%; Sendai 14.1°C (57°F) / 5.6°C (42°F), rain 20%, sunny 56%.
Sea of Japan coast (Kanazawa)
Kanazawa begins its winter pattern with rain on 56% of days. Kanazawa 15.9°C (61°F) / 8.1°C (47°F), rain 56%, sunny 36%.
Tokyo, Nagoya, Kyoto and Osaka
The driest comfortable month; autumn leaves peak in Kyoto in the second half. Tokyo 16.7°C (62°F) / 8.8°C (48°F), rain 22%, sunny 55%; Kyoto 17.3°C (63°F) / 8.4°C (47°F), rain 21%, sunny 52%; Osaka 17.8°C (64°F) / 10.2°C (50°F), rain 21%, sunny 58%.
Western Japan and the south (Hiroshima, Fukuoka, Nagasaki, Okinawa)
Fukuoka is mild and sunny; Okinawa is 25°C and calm. Fukuoka 18.2°C (65°F) / 10.6°C (51°F), rain 27%, sunny 50%; Naha (Okinawa) 25.0°C (77°F) / 20.4°C (69°F), rain 28%, sunny 46%.
What November feels like, and why
The first winter pattern appears. Migrating highs still dominate in early November, but by the second half the Siberian high strengthens and the first north-westerly outbreaks arrive: the kogarashi, the first wintry wind, is announced in Tokyo and Osaka. That wind is what dries the Pacific side and makes November and December Tokyo’s clearest months; on the Sea of Japan side the same wind brings the season’s first sleet and snow.
Cold mornings, mild days. Tokyo’s range of 8.8°C to 16.7°C means a coat at 7am and a sweater at 2pm. Kyoto’s mornings drop toward 5°C by the end of the month, which is exactly the cold that brings the maple colours to their peak; the classic viewing window is about 15 to 30 November.
Winter has arrived in the north. Sapporo’s first snow falls on average around 1 November, with snow recorded on 36% of November days and daily highs of 8.7°C. Ski areas open in late November. Kanazawa switches to its winter pattern of rain on more than half of days, while Okinawa offers 25°C and its calmest sea of the autumn.
What to pack for Japan in November
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 | Cold | a winter coat or down jacket, scarf and gloves; indoor heating is strong so layer up | umbrella essential |
| Tokyo | Cool | a jacket or light coat, a sweater for mornings and evenings | folding umbrella |
| Kyoto | Cool | a jacket or light coat, a sweater for mornings and evenings | rain gear optional |
| Fukuoka | Cool | a jacket or light coat, a sweater for mornings and evenings | folding umbrella |
| Naha (Okinawa) | Early summer | short sleeves by day, a light long sleeve for evenings | folding umbrella |
- A mid-weight coat, scarf and layers; Kyoto temple gardens at dawn are near 5°C and worth it.
- Kyoto hotels sell out for the second half of November; book by summer or stay in Osaka and commute.
- Sunset is at 4:30pm in Tokyo by late November; illuminated leaf viewings extend the day.
- Umbrellas can stay in the bag most days: this is the driest comfortable month of the year.
Events and seasonal highlights in November
- Autumn leaves: Kyoto peaks 15 to 30 November (Tofuku-ji, Arashiyama, Eikan-do night illuminations); Tokyo late November to early December (Rikugien, Meiji Jingu Gaien ginkgo).
- Shichi-Go-San (15 November): children in kimono at shrines.
- Tori no Ichi fairs at Otori shrines in Tokyo on the days of the rooster.
- Illuminations switch on in mid November in Tokyo, Kobe (Luminarie in December) and Osaka.
- Sapporo: first snow around 1 November; White Illumination from late November.
- Sumo Kyushu tournament in Fukuoka for two weeks from mid November.
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. November is highlighted.
How November 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, November ranks 4th of 12 for sunny days and 4th of 12 for fewest rain days. The previous month, October, averages a high of 22.0°C (72°F); the next, December, 12.0°C (54°F).
The first strong north-westerly of the season, the kogarashi, is a switch: after it, Tokyo gets its clearest air of the year and the Sea of Japan coast gets its first snow. It usually happens in the second half of November.
Frequently asked questions
How cold or hot is Japan in November?
Tokyo averages a high of 16.7°C (62°F) and a low of 8.8°C (48°F) in November. Sapporo in the north averages 8.7°C (48°F) / 1.6°C (35°F), while Naha in Okinawa averages 25.0°C (77°F) / 20.4°C (69°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 November?
In Tokyo, 22% of November days get 1mm or more of rain (about 7 days), and 22% have a rainy weather log. Kyoto is at 21% of days and Naha at 28%. Sapporo records 46% of days with precipitation, much of it snow.
Is November a good month to visit Japan?
Superb: the sunniest, driest comfortable month in Tokyo, and the autumn leaf peak in Kyoto in the second half. Cold arrives in Hokkaido with the first snow.
When do autumn leaves peak in Kyoto?
From about 15 to 30 November in most years, with the mountain temples (Takao, Ohara) a week earlier and the city gardens a few days later. A cold snap in early November brings it forward; a warm autumn delays it.
Is November cold in Japan?
Cool rather than cold: Tokyo 17°C by day, 9°C at night; Kyoto 17°C / 8°C; Fukuoka 18°C / 11°C. Sapporo is winter at 9°C / 2°C with snow. A coat is needed everywhere except Okinawa.
Does it rain in November?
Tokyo has rain on 22% of days (about 7), the lowest share of the autumn. Kanazawa and the Sea of Japan coast are the exception with rain on 56% of days.
- Tokyo averages 16.7°C (62°F) / 8.8°C (48°F); sunny on 55% of days, rain on 22%
- North to south range: Sapporo 8.7°C (48°F) to Naha 25.0°C (77°F)
- Superb: the sunniest, driest comfortable month in Tokyo, and the autumn leaf peak in Kyoto in the second half.
- 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.