Kyoto in October: weather, what to wear and events

Kyoto weather in October

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Kyoto station (41 m above sea level).

High: 23.4°C (74°F)
Low: 14.4°C (58°F)
Precipitation: 143.2 mm
Wet days: 8.2 days
Sunshine: 156 hours

Highs fall 5.8°C from September and drop another 6.1°C into November.

That is 2.3°C above Kyoto's yearly average high of 21.1°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Kyoto is the 5th warmest in October: 0.3°C cooler than Hiroshima and 0.1°C warmer than Nagoya.

October is Kyoto's 6th wettest month (143.2 mm).

Of our 15 places, Kyoto has the 6th lowest precipitation in October: 12.3 mm less than Takayama and 7.2 mm more than Osaka.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 8.2 days, and 10 mm or more on 4.1 days.

Rain of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 1.5 days, and 50 mm or more on 0.6 days.

0.5 days reach 30°C or more.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 17.4 days, and 5.1 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

On 15 October 2026 the sun rises at 6:02 and sets at 17:23 in Kyoto, giving 11 hours 21 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: 18.4°C (65°F)
Humidity: 68%
Days of 25°C or more: 9.7 days

Early, mid and late October

Kyoto in October by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 October	25.3°C	16.7°C	49.2 mm
11–20 October	23.6°C	14.5°C	50.7 mm
21–31 October	21.4°C	12.2°C	43.3 mm

By the last ten days of October the average high in Kyoto is 3.9°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 11–20 October is the wettest (50.7 mm) and 21–31 October the driest (43.3 mm).

What to wear in Kyoto in October

Mild: highs around 23.4°C

Long sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan.
A folding umbrella: rain falls on 8.2 days.

Pack

Folding umbrella

Our clothing rules

Rainy season and typhoons

In an average October, 0.7 typhoons come within 300 km of the Kinki region; across Japan, 1.7 come within 300 km and 0.3 make landfall (JMA, 1991–2020).

October records in Kyoto

The extremes the JMA has measured in October at its Kyoto station.

Hottest October day: 33.6°C (92°F) on 1 October 2019 (records since 1881)
Coldest October night: 0.2°C (32°F) on 24 October 1899 (records since 1881)
Wettest October day: 155.5 mm on 15 October 1998 (records since 1881)

Holidays and crowds in October

National holidays in October 2026:

Mon 12 October — Sports Day

Sat 10 October to Mon 12 October: 3 days off in a row

In October 2025, hotels and inns across Kyoto Prefecture were 76.8% full on average (the busiest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 1.83 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 70.1% in September and 74.3% in November.

What's on in Kyoto in October

Events in Kyoto in October: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Arashiyama Tsukitouro (Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up)嵐山月灯路	Evenings from late September to early November: 30 September to 8 November in 2026	Bamboo path area (Chikurin no Komichi), Sagatenryuji Tateishicho, Ukyo Ward, Kyoto. About 10 minutes on foot from Saga-Arashiyama Station. Bamboo lanterns light the bamboo path and about 1 km of walkway in the evening. Some of the lanterns were made by local residents in workshops. Open 18:00 to 21:00 (last entry 20:30), every day; cancelled in bad weather. Tickets on the day: 1,500 yen (free for ages 12 and under), cash only, sold on site from 17:50. Online advance tickets at 2,000 yen guarantee entry. Official page
Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages)時代祭	22 October every year; postponed if it rains	Heian Jingu and central Kyoto. The rites use a temporary shrine site (Anzaisho) in front of Kenreimon Gate at the Kyoto Imperial Palace. Festival of Heian Jingu. A procession of about 2,000 people over about 2 km, in costumes of eight historical periods from the Meiji Restoration back to the Enryaku era, leaves at 12:00. If 22 October is rainy, the rites from the Shinko-sai onward are postponed. Paid seats are handled by the Kyoto City Tourism Association. Drones are prohibited. Official page
Kurama Fire Festival (Kurama no Himatsuri)鞍馬の火祭	22 October every year, from 18:00 until after midnight	Yuki Shrine and the Kurama Kaido road through the village of Kurama, Kyoto. Six minutes on foot from Kurama Station on the Eizan Electric Railway. One of Kyoto's three odd festivals. Torches fill the village with fire to the shouts of 'Saireya, Sairyo'. From 15:00 on the day, general vehicles cannot pass between Kibuneguchi and Kurama Onsen and all car parks are closed; the organizers ask visitors to use public transport. Official page

Kyoto before and after October

Kyoto: September, October and November (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
September	29.2°C (+5.8°C)	20.7°C (+6.3°C)	178.5 mm (+35.3 mm)	9.8 days (+1.6 days)
October	23.4°C	14.4°C	143.2 mm	8.2 days
November	17.3°C (−6.1°C)	8.4°C (−6.0°C)	73.9 mm (−69.3 mm)	6.3 days (−1.9 days)

Other places in October

October: Kyoto against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Kyoto	Wet days	Against Kyoto
Tokyo	22.0°C	−1.4°C	10.5 days	+2.3 days
Osaka	23.7°C	+0.3°C	8.3 days	+0.1 days
Sapporo	16.4°C	−7.0°C	11.6 days	+3.4 days
OkinawaNaha	28.1°C	+4.7°C	8.8 days	+0.6 days
Fukuoka	23.7°C	+0.3°C	6.8 days	−1.4 days

All 15 places in October

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Kyoto in October?

The average high is 23.4°C (74°F) and the average low 14.4°C (58°F). 143.2 mm of rain falls on about 8.2 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Kyoto in October?

Long sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan. A folding umbrella: rain falls on 8.2 days.

Is Kyoto busy in October?

In October 2025, hotels and inns across Kyoto Prefecture were 76.8% full on average (the busiest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 1.83 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for October in Kyoto?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Kyoto in October is 33.6°C (92°F), on 1 October 2019. The lowest is 0.2°C (32°F), on 24 October 1899.

What events are on in Kyoto in October?

Arashiyama Tsukitouro (Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up): Evenings from late September to early November: 30 September to 8 November in 2026. Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages): 22 October every year; postponed if it rains. Kurama Fire Festival (Kurama no Himatsuri): 22 October every year, from 18:00 until after midnight.

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Kyoto (京都), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Kyoto (京都), rain days, temperature days and snow (詳細)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Ten-day normals for 1991–2020: Kyoto (京都) (平年値旬ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Records for October: Kyoto (京都) (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
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Typhoon averages, 1991–2020 (台風の平年値)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
Kyoto City Tourism Association (organizer: Arashiyama Tsukitouro Executive Committee) Arashiyama Tsukitouro (Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up) (嵐山月灯路)checked October 2, 2026
Heian Jingu Jidai Matsuri (Festival of the Ages) (時代祭)checked October 2, 2026
Kyoto City Tourism Association (Kyoto Travel official site) Kurama Fire Festival (Kurama no Himatsuri) (鞍馬の火祭)checked October 2, 2026

Kyoto in October: weather, what to wear and what's on