Skip to main content

Japan in May: weather, what to wear and what's on

In May, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 17.9°C (64°F) in Sapporo to 27.0°C (81°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 8.5 days in Sapporo to 13.2 days in Hakone.

Updated

27.0°COkinawa
17.9°CSapporo
3.69Mvisitors (2025)

15 places in May

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA station in or nearest each place. Hakone has rain records only.

15 places in May: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
PlaceHighLowWet days
Tokyo23.6°C14.6°C10.1 days
Kyoto25.1°C14.5°C9.7 days
Osaka24.9°C16.0°C9.5 days
Sapporo17.9°C9.0°C8.5 days
OkinawaNaha27.0°C22.1°C11.4 days
Hakonerain only——13.2 days
Fukuoka24.4°C16.1°C8.6 days
Nagoya24.6°C14.9°C9.7 days
Mount FujiKawaguchiko20.6°C8.9°C9.4 days
Hiroshima24.4°C15.1°C8.6 days
Kanazawa22.3°C13.6°C10.4 days
Nara24.9°C13.9°C10.0 days
NikkoImaichi20.7°C10.4°C11.9 days
Takayama22.9°C9.4°C10.6 days
Shirakawa-goShirakawa21.8°C8.6°C11.7 days
Koinobori carp streamers in many colors strung above a river at Jozankei Onsen in Sapporo
Photo: 定山渓温泉渓流 鯉のぼり (Jozankei carp-shaped streamer) - panoramio.jpg by t-konno (CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

What to wear in May

How we choose: from the JMA's average high and low for May, by our own rules.

Our clothing level for each place in May (from the JMA's averages)
LevelAverage highWhat to wearPlaces
Warm25 to 30°CShort sleeves or thin long sleeves, with a light layer for air-conditioning and evenings.Kyoto 25.1°C and Okinawa 27.0°C
Mild20 to 25°CLong sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan.Tokyo 23.6°C, Osaka 24.9°C, Fukuoka 24.4°C, Nagoya 24.6°C, Mount Fuji 20.6°C, Hiroshima 24.4°C, Kanazawa 22.3°C, Nara 24.9°C, Nikko 20.7°C, Takayama 22.9°C and Shirakawa-go 21.8°C
Cool15 to 20°CLong sleeves with a light jacket or sweater.Sapporo 17.9°C

Flowers and autumn colour in May

Flowers and leaves in May: average dates for 1991–2020 and 2026 (JMA sample trees)
PlaceWhatAverage date2026
SapporoCherry blossom1 May18 April

Dates are for one sample tree at or near the JMA observatory, not for every park in the city.

Rainy season and typhoons in May

Rainy season by region: average dates for 1991–2020 and 2026 (JMA)
RegionStarts (average)Ends (average)2026
Okinawa10 May21 June4 May – 29 June

Typhoons in May: on average 1.0 form and 0.7 come within 300 km of Japan (JMA, 1991–2020).

Holidays, visitors and crowds in May

National holidays in May 2027:

  • Mon 3 May — Constitution Memorial Day
  • Tue 4 May — Greenery Day
  • Wed 5 May — Children's Day
  • Sat 1 May to Wed 5 May: 5 days off in a row

3,693,587 visitors arrived in Japan in May 2025. The most came from South Korea (825,883), China (790,089) and Taiwan (538,428) (JNTO).

Visitor arrivals to Japan in 2025, month by month (millions)

Jan3.78
Feb3.26
Mar3.50
Apr3.91
May3.69
Jun3.38
Jul3.44
Aug3.43
Sep3.27
Oct3.90
Nov3.52
Dec3.62

How full hotels were in May 2025, by prefecture (%)

Average room occupancy for all hotels and inns. Japan as a whole: 61.7%.

Osaka Prefecture82.0%
Tokyo77.5%
Fukuoka Prefecture72.9%
Kyoto Prefecture71.3%
Aichi Prefecture69.3%
Hiroshima Prefecture67.5%
Kanagawa Prefecture63.9%
Ishikawa Prefecture62.9%
Nara Prefecture59.1%
Okinawa Prefecture56.2%
Gifu Prefecture55.9%
Tochigi Prefecture55.3%
Hokkaido55.1%
Yamanashi Prefecture43.8%

What's on in May

Events in May in our 15 places: dates from each organizer's official page
EventPlaceWhen
Sanja Matsuri三社祭TokyoFriday to Sunday in mid-May: 14 to 16 May in 2027 (15 to 17 May in 2026) Official page
Aoi Matsuri葵祭Kyoto15 May every year; postponed if it rains (decided around 18:00 the day before) Official page
Nipponbashi Street Festa日本橋ストリートフェスタOsakaOnce a year in mid-May: 17 May in 2026 Official page
Unohana Shinji at Sumiyoshi Taisha住吉大社 卯之葉神事OsakaOn the first Rabbit day (hatsu-u no hi) of May, from 13:00 Official page
Sapporo Lilac FestivalさっぽろライラックまつりSapporoLate May (20 to 31 May in 2026) Official page
Cherry blossoms in Sapporo (Maruyama Park and Nakajima Park)札幌の桜（円山公園・中島公園）SapporoLate April to early May Official page
Jozankei Onsen Stream Carp Streamers定山渓温泉渓流鯉のぼりSapporoEarly April to early May (10 April to 10 May in 2026; early April to early May in 2027) Official page
Hiraoka Plum Festivalひらおか梅まつりSapporoLate April to 10 May (25 April to 10 May in 2026) Official page
Naha Hari (Naha Dragon Boat Races)那覇ハーリーOkinawaEarly May, during Golden Week (3 to 5 May in 2026) Official page
Azalea and Rhododendron Fair at Hotel de Yamaつつじ・しゃくなげフェア（山のホテル）HakoneEvery May. Azaleas bloom from late April to mid-May and rhododendrons from early to late May. Official page
Hakata Dontaku Minato Matsuri博多どんたく港まつりFukuokaEvery year on 3 and 4 May (Golden Week) Official page
Fukuoka Bordeaux Wine Festival福岡ボルドーワイン祭りFukuokaMid-May to mid-June (15 May to 14 June in 2026) Official page
Wakamiya Matsuri at Wakamiya Hachiman-sha若宮まつり（若宮八幡社）Nagoya15 and 16 May: Shigaku-sai on the 15th and the Reitaisai (main festival) on the 16th Official page
Bugaku Shinji (Court Dance Offering) at Atsuta Jingu熱田神宮 舞楽神事NagoyaEvery year on 1 May, from 10:30 Official page
Uma-no-To at Osu Kannon大須観音 馬の塔NagoyaEvery year on 18 May Official page
Fuji Shibazakura Festival富士芝桜まつりMount FujiMid-April to late May, depending on the bloom (11 April to 24 May in 2026) Official page
Hiroshima Flower FestivalひろしまフラワーフェスティバルHiroshimaEarly May (3 to 5 May in 2026) Official page
Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en Four Seasons Story: spring light-up (Golden Week)金沢城・兼六園四季物語 春の段（ライトアップ）KanazawaFour evenings in the Golden Week holidays (2 to 5 May in 2026) Official page
Takigi Onoh at Kofuku-ji薪御能（興福寺）NaraThe third Friday and Saturday of May Official page
Chukoki Bonmo-e and Uchiwa-maki (Fan Scattering) at Toshodai-ji唐招提寺 中興忌梵網会・うちわまきNaraEvery year on 19 May; the fan scattering starts at 15:00 Official page
Memorial Service for Emperor Shomu at Todai-ji東大寺 聖武天皇祭NaraEvery year on 2 May Official page
Toshogu Spring Grand Festival (procession of 1,000 samurai)日光東照宮春季例大祭（百物揃千人武者行列）Nikko17 and 18 May every year (yabusame on the 17th, procession on the 18th) Official page
Hida Takayama Sake Brewery Nombe Festival飛騨高山・酒蔵のん兵衛まつりTakayamaLate May to late June (29 May to 21 June in 2026), 10:00 to 16:00 Official page
Cherry blossoms in Shirakawa-go, including the Ota cherry桜の開花・おおたザクラShirakawa-goMid-April to early May; the Ota cherry in early to mid May Official page
Shirakawa-go Rice Planting Festival白川郷田植え祭りShirakawa-goLate May Official page

Other months

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Japan in May?

In May, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 17.9°C (64°F) in Sapporo to 27.0°C (81°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 8.5 days in Sapporo to 13.2 days in Hakone.

Where is warmest in Japan in May?

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Okinawa is warmest with an average high of 27.0°C (81°F). Next come Kyoto at 25.1°C and Osaka at 24.9°C (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is May a busy month to visit Japan?

3,693,587 visitors arrived in May 2025, the 4th highest month of the year (JNTO). Hotels across Japan were 61.7% full (5th of 12 months, Japan Tourism Agency).

Related items

Sources for this page

Read more

Back to Japan by month

Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026