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

In November, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 8.7°C (48°F) in Sapporo to 25.0°C (77°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 6.1 days in Nagoya to 17.0 days in Kanazawa.

Updated

25.0°COkinawa
8.7°CSapporo
3.52Mvisitors (2025)

15 places in November

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

15 places in November: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
PlaceHighLowWet daysDeepest snow
Tokyo16.7°C8.8°C7.4 days—
Kyoto17.3°C8.4°C6.3 days—
Osaka17.8°C10.2°C6.2 days—
Sapporo8.7°C1.6°C14.6 days15 cm
OkinawaNaha25.0°C20.4°C8.2 days—
Hakonerain only——9.7 days—
Fukuoka18.2°C10.6°C8.5 days—
Nagoya17.3°C8.6°C6.1 days—
Mount FujiKawaguchiko13.8°C2.2°C6.7 days1 cm
Hiroshima17.7°C8.9°C6.1 days—
Kanazawa15.9°C8.1°C17.0 days—
Nara17.1°C7.3°C7.0 days—
NikkoImaichi13.7°C3.6°C6.6 days—
Takayama13.1°C2.9°C10.4 days1 cm
Shirakawa-goShirakawa12.9°C2.8°C15.4 days5 cm
Vivid red and orange autumn leaves along a stone-walled path at Komoro Castle's Kaikoen park
Photo: Komorojyo Kaikoen Koyo.JPG by Mocchy (Public domain, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

What to wear in November

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

Our clothing level for each place in November (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.Okinawa 25.0°C
Cool15 to 20°CLong sleeves with a light jacket or sweater.Tokyo 16.7°C, Kyoto 17.3°C, Osaka 17.8°C, Fukuoka 18.2°C, Nagoya 17.3°C, Hiroshima 17.7°C, Kanazawa 15.9°C and Nara 17.1°C
Chilly10 to 15°CA warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.Mount Fuji 13.8°C, Nikko 13.7°C, Takayama 13.1°C and Shirakawa-go 12.9°C
Cold5 to 10°CA winter coat over layers, and a scarf.Sapporo 8.7°C

Flowers and autumn colour in November

Flowers and leaves in November: average dates for 1991–2020 and 2026 (JMA sample trees)
PlaceWhatAverage date2026
TokyoAutumn leaves (maple)28 November—
TokyoGinkgo turns yellow23 November—
KyotoGinkgo turns yellow24 November—
OsakaGinkgo turns yellow22 November—
SapporoAutumn leaves (maple)28 October—
SapporoGinkgo turns yellow4 November—
FukuokaGinkgo turns yellow20 November—
NagoyaAutumn leaves (maple)28 November—
NagoyaGinkgo turns yellow18 November—
HiroshimaAutumn leaves (maple)22 November—
HiroshimaGinkgo turns yellow15 November—
KanazawaAutumn leaves (maple)24 November—
KanazawaGinkgo turns yellow10 November—
NaraAutumn leaves (maple)21 November—
NaraGinkgo turns yellow18 November—

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

Rainy season and typhoons in November

Typhoons in November: on average 2.2 form and 0.5 come within 300 km of Japan (JMA, 1991–2020).

Holidays, visitors and crowds in November

National holidays in November 2026:

  • Tue 3 November — Culture Day
  • Mon 23 November — Labor Thanksgiving Day
  • Sat 21 November to Mon 23 November: 3 days off in a row

Every Nozomi on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen is reserved-seat only on Sat 21 November – Mon 23 November (JR Central and JR West).

3,517,659 visitors arrived in Japan in November 2025. The most came from South Korea (824,567), China (562,184) and Taiwan (542,389) (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 November 2025, by prefecture (%)

Average room occupancy for all hotels and inns. Japan as a whole: 65.4%.

Tokyo79.8%
Osaka Prefecture79.0%
Fukuoka Prefecture77.8%
Kyoto Prefecture74.3%
Aichi Prefecture74.1%
Hiroshima Prefecture72.3%
Kanagawa Prefecture72.1%
Ishikawa Prefecture67.4%
Tochigi Prefecture63.4%
Okinawa Prefecture61.3%
Gifu Prefecture60.6%
Nara Prefecture57.7%
Hokkaido54.2%
Yamanashi Prefecture45.6%

What's on in November

Events in November in our 15 places: dates from each organizer's official page
EventPlaceWhen
Tori-no-ichi at Washi (Otori) Shrine, Asakusa酉の市（浅草 鷲神社）TokyoNovember, on the Rooster days: 7 and 19 November in 2026. In 2026 there is no third Rooster day. Official page
Arashiyama Tsukitouro (Arashiyama Bamboo Light-up)嵐山月灯路KyotoEvenings from late September to early November: 30 September to 8 November in 2026 Official page
Special Night Viewing at Kiyomizu-dera清水寺 夜間特別拝観KyotoThree periods a year. In 2026: spring 27 March to 5 April, summer 14 to 16 August, autumn 21 to 30 November. Official page
Arashiyama Momiji Matsuri (Autumn Leaves Festival)嵐山もみじ祭りKyotoThe second Sunday of November, with events on the Saturday and Sunday: 7 and 8 November in 2026 Official page
Hitaki-sai (Fire Festival) at Fushimi Inari Taisha伏見稲荷大社 火焚祭KyotoEvery year on 8 November; the rite starts at 13:00 and the kagura at 18:00 Official page
Midosuji Illumination (Osaka Festival of Lights)御堂筋イルミネーション（大阪・光の饗宴）OsakaEarly November to the end of December: 3 November to 31 December in 2026 Official page
OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance (Osaka Festival of Lights)OSAKA光のルネサンス（大阪・光の饗宴）Osaka11 to 25 December in 2026. Some contents run from 3 November to 31 December. Official page
Sapporo White IlluminationさっぽろホワイトイルミネーションSapporoLate November to mid-March; each site has its own end date (20 November 2026 to 14 March 2027) Official page
Munich Christmas Market in Sapporoミュンヘン・クリスマス市 in SapporoSapporoLate November to Christmas Day (20 November to 25 December in 2026) Official page
Shurijo Castle Restoration Festival首里城復興祭OkinawaEarly November, three days (1 to 3 November in 2026) Official page
Shuri Castle Main Hall Completion Ceremony and Opening to the Public (one-time)首里城正殿の完成式・供用開始Okinawa22 and 23 November 2026 (one-time event) Official page
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field仙石原すすき草原HakoneOctober to November Official page
Hakone Daimyo Gyoretsu (Daimyo Procession)箱根大名行列Hakone3 November (Tuesday, a national holiday, in 2026) Official page
Fukuoka Marathon福岡マラソンFukuokaEarly November (8 November in 2026) Official page
Grand Sumo November Tournament (Kyushu Basho)大相撲十一月場所（福岡）FukuokaMid-November, 15 days from a Sunday to a Sunday (8 to 22 November in 2026; 14 to 28 November in 2027) Official page
teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins: Festival of Light (one-time run)チームラボ 福岡城跡 光ノ祭Fukuoka30 October 2026 to 11 January 2027 (not held every year) Official page
Nagoya Castle Chrysanthemum Exhibition名古屋城菊花大会NagoyaLate October to late November Official page
Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival富士河口湖紅葉まつりMount FujiNovember (7 to 29 November in 2026), with a light-up from sunset to 21:00 Official page
Hiroshima Castle Chrysanthemum Exhibition広島城大菊花展HiroshimaLate October to mid-November Official page
Ebisu-ko Autumn Festival (Ebisu Shrine)胡子講（えびす講）HiroshimaEvery year from 18 to 20 November Official page
Fire-walking ritual, Daishoin Temple大聖院 火渡り式HiroshimaEvery year on 15 April (spring grand festival) and 15 November (autumn grand festival), from 11:00 Official page
Yukitsuri (snow ropes) at Kenroku-en兼六園雪吊り作業KanazawaWork starts on 1 November every year and continues to about mid-December; the ropes can be seen until mid-March Official page
Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en Four Seasons Story: autumn light-up金沢城・兼六園四季物語 秋の段（ライトアップ）KanazawaFour days in September and weekend evenings in November (19 to 22 September, then 7, 14, 15, 21, 22, 28 and 29 November in 2026) Official page
The 78th Shosoin Exhibition第78回 正倉院展NaraLate October to early November: 24 October to 9 November in 2026 Official page
Shika no Tsunokiri (Deer Antler Cutting)鹿の角きりNaraTwo days in early November: 7 and 8 November in 2026. The event moved from October to November from 2025. Official page
Light-up NIKKO 2026ライトアップNIKKO 2026NikkoThree evenings in early November (6 to 8 November in 2026) Official page
Autumn Illumination at Hida-no-Sato (Hida Folk Village)飛騨の里紅葉ライトアップTakayamaSaturdays, Sundays and holidays from mid-October to early November (10 October to 8 November in 2026), 17:30 to 20:30 Official page
Autumn colours in Shirakawa-go白川郷の紅葉Shirakawa-goFrom early to mid October; the mountain roads close for winter, so colour there can be seen until around the end of October Official page
All-at-once water discharge fire drill一斉放水Shirakawa-goAround early November (the village calendar gives no exact date) Official page

Other months

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Japan in November?

In November, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 8.7°C (48°F) in Sapporo to 25.0°C (77°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 6.1 days in Nagoya to 17.0 days in Kanazawa.

Where is warmest in Japan in November?

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Okinawa is warmest with an average high of 25.0°C (77°F). Next come Fukuoka at 18.2°C and Osaka at 17.8°C (JMA, 1991–2020).

Where can I see snow in Japan in November?

Snow lies on the ground for 5 days or more in an average November in Sapporo (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is November a busy month to visit Japan?

3,517,659 visitors arrived in November 2025, the 6th highest month of the year (JNTO). Hotels across Japan were 65.4% full (3rd of 12 months, Japan Tourism Agency).

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