Kanazawa in May: weather, what to wear and events

Kanazawa weather in May

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Kanazawa station (6 m above sea level).

High: 22.3°C (72°F)
Low: 13.6°C (56°F)
Precipitation: 138.0 mm
Wet days: 10.4 days
Sunshine: 207 hours

Highs rise 5.0°C from April and climb another 3.3°C into June.

That is 3.3°C above Kanazawa's yearly average high of 19.0°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Kanazawa is the 5th coldest in May: 0.6°C cooler than Takayama and 0.5°C warmer than Shirakawa-go.

Of our 15 places, Kanazawa has the 7th lowest precipitation in May: 0.5 mm less than Nara and 1.5 mm more than Osaka.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 10.4 days, and 10 mm or more on 4.6 days.

Rain of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 1.2 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 18.3 days, and 4.5 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

On 15 May 2027 the sun rises at 4:47 and sets at 18:53 in Kanazawa, giving 14 hours 6 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: 17.7°C (64°F)
Humidity: 67%
Days of 25°C or more: 8.0 days

Early, mid and late May

Kanazawa in May by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 May	21.3°C	12.1°C	44.4 mm
11–20 May	21.9°C	13.3°C	50.9 mm
21–31 May	23.5°C	15.2°C	42.8 mm

By the last ten days of May the average high in Kanazawa is 2.2°C higher than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 11–20 May is the wettest (50.9 mm) and 21–31 May the driest (42.8 mm).

What to wear in Kanazawa in May

Mild: highs around 22.3°C

Long sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan.
An umbrella: rain falls on 10.4 days.

Pack

Umbrella

Our clothing rules

May records in Kanazawa

The extremes the JMA has measured in May at its Kanazawa station.

Hottest May day: 33.7°C (93°F) on 13 May 1982 (records since 1882)
Coldest May night: 1.5°C (35°F) on 1 May 1902 (records since 1882); also on 2 May 1894
Wettest May day: 102.0 mm on 7 May 2023 (records since 1882)

Holidays 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

In May 2025, hotels and inns across Ishikawa Prefecture were 62.9% full on average (3rd busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 225,720 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 59.8% in April and 53.2% in June.

What's on in Kanazawa in May

Events in Kanazawa in May: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
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）	Four evenings in the Golden Week holidays (2 to 5 May in 2026)	Kanazawa Castle Park and Kenroku-en. Kanazawa Castle Park (Ishikawa Gate, Gyokusenin-maru Garden, Kahoku Gate, Hishi-yagura, Nezumita Gate and others) is lit up, and at Kenroku-en the Kotoji lantern, the Karasaki pine and the fountain are lit up. Special meal plans and concerts are offered during the period. Entry is free during the light-up hours (daytime entry is paid): 19:00 to 21:00, last entry 20:45; the garden is closed from 18:00 to 19:00 for preparation. Tripods are not to be used in the garden or on the bridges. May be cancelled or changed in bad weather. Official page

Kanazawa before and after May

Kanazawa: April, May and June (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
April	17.3°C (−5.0°C)	8.2°C (−5.4°C)	143.9 mm (+5.9 mm)	12.0 days (+1.6 days)
May	22.3°C	13.6°C	138.0 mm	10.4 days
June	25.6°C (+3.3°C)	18.4°C (+4.8°C)	170.3 mm (+32.3 mm)	10.6 days (+0.2 days)

Other places in May

May: Kanazawa against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Kanazawa	Wet days	Against Kanazawa
Tokyo	23.6°C	+1.3°C	10.1 days	−0.3 days
Kyoto	25.1°C	+2.8°C	9.7 days	−0.7 days
Osaka	24.9°C	+2.6°C	9.5 days	−0.9 days
Sapporo	17.9°C	−4.4°C	8.5 days	−1.9 days
OkinawaNaha	27.0°C	+4.7°C	11.4 days	+1.0 days

All 15 places in May

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Kanazawa in May?

The average high is 22.3°C (72°F) and the average low 13.6°C (56°F). 138.0 mm of rain falls on about 10.4 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Kanazawa in May?

Long sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan. An umbrella: rain falls on 10.4 days.

Is Kanazawa busy in May?

In May 2025, hotels and inns across Ishikawa Prefecture were 62.9% full on average (3rd busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 225,720 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for May in Kanazawa?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Kanazawa in May is 33.7°C (93°F), on 13 May 1982. The lowest is 1.5°C (35°F), on 1 May 1902.

What events are on in Kanazawa in May?

Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en Four Seasons Story: spring light-up (Golden Week): Four evenings in the Golden Week holidays (2 to 5 May in 2026).

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Kanazawa (金沢), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Kanazawa (金沢), rain days, temperature days and snow (詳細)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Ten-day normals for 1991–2020: Kanazawa (金沢) (平年値旬ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Records for May: Kanazawa (金沢) (観測史上1〜10位の値)checked October 2, 2026
National Astronomical Observatory of Japan (NAOJ) Sunrise and sunset by prefectural capital (各地のこよみ)checked October 2, 2026
Cabinet Office National holidays (国民の祝日について)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Tourism Agency Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, 2025 final figures (宿泊旅行統計調査 2025年年の確定値)checked October 2, 2026
Ishikawa Four Seasons Tourism Campaign Executive Committee (Ishikawa Prefecture official tourism site) 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）)checked October 2, 2026

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