Takayama in May: weather, what to wear and events

Takayama weather in May

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Takayama station (560 m above sea level).

High: 22.9°C (73°F)
Low: 9.4°C (49°F)
Precipitation: 125.2 mm
Wet days: 10.6 days
Sunshine: 189 hours

Highs rise 5.9°C from April and climb another 3.2°C into June.

That is 5.4°C above Takayama's yearly average high of 17.5°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Takayama is the 6th coldest in May: 0.7°C cooler than Tokyo and 0.6°C warmer than Kanazawa.

May is Takayama's 6th wettest month (125.2 mm).

Of our 15 places, Takayama has the 3rd lowest precipitation in May: 3.6 mm less than Shirakawa-go and 2.0 mm more than Kawaguchiko.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 10.6 days, and 10 mm or more on 4.3 days.

Rain of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 0.8 days.

1.1 days reach 30°C or more.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 17.1 days, and 4.2 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

Average temperature: 15.6°C (60°F)
Humidity: 68%
Days of 25°C or more: 10.5 days

Early, mid and late May

Takayama in May by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 May	21.7°C	7.9°C	38.9 mm
11–20 May	22.6°C	9.1°C	45.8 mm
21–31 May	24.3°C	10.9°C	40.5 mm

By the last ten days of May the average high in Takayama is 2.6°C higher than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 11–20 May is the wettest (45.8 mm) and 1–10 May the driest (38.9 mm).

What to wear in Takayama in May

Mild: highs around 22.9°C

Long sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan.
Layers you can take off: afternoons are 13.5°C warmer than early mornings on average.
An umbrella: rain falls on 10.6 days.

Pack

Umbrella

Our clothing rules

Rainy season and typhoons

In an average May, 0.1 typhoons come within 300 km of the Tokai region; across Japan, 0.7 come within 300 km (JMA, 1991–2020).

May records in Takayama

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

Hottest May day: 33.2°C (92°F) on 26 May 2019 (records since 1899)
Coldest May night: −3.1°C (26°F) on 1 May 1908 (records since 1899)
Wettest May day: 171.5 mm on 28 May 2024 (records since 1899)

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 Gifu Prefecture were 55.9% full on average (6th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 182,330 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 59.5% in April and 49.5% in June.

What's on in Takayama in May

Events in Takayama in May: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Hida Takayama Sake Brewery Nombe Festival飛騨高山・酒蔵のん兵衛まつり	Late May to late June (29 May to 21 June in 2026), 10:00 to 16:00	Six sake breweries in the old town: Hirase, Futaki, Hirata, Harada, Funasaka and Oida. A stamp rally in which visitors taste sake at six historic sake breweries. Each brewery offers two kinds of tasting, and collecting all six stamps earns a souvenir. The tasting booklet (Hida Takayama Osake-nomicho) costs 3,000 yen. If a brewery is closed, the tasting and the stamp are handled at the Nakabashi tourist information office. Official page

Takayama before and after May

Takayama: April, May and June (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
April	17.0°C (−5.9°C)	3.4°C (−6.0°C)	123.9 mm (−1.3 mm)	11.0 days (+0.4 days)
May	22.9°C	9.4°C	125.2 mm	10.6 days
June	26.1°C (+3.2°C)	14.9°C (+5.5°C)	170.4 mm (+45.2 mm)	11.7 days (+1.1 days)

Other places in May

May: Takayama against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Takayama	Wet days	Against Takayama
Tokyo	23.6°C	+0.7°C	10.1 days	−0.5 days
Kyoto	25.1°C	+2.2°C	9.7 days	−0.9 days
Osaka	24.9°C	+2.0°C	9.5 days	−1.1 days
Sapporo	17.9°C	−5.0°C	8.5 days	−2.1 days
OkinawaNaha	27.0°C	+4.1°C	11.4 days	+0.8 days

All 15 places in May

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Takayama in May?

The average high is 22.9°C (73°F) and the average low 9.4°C (49°F). 125.2 mm of rain falls on about 10.6 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Takayama in May?

Long sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan. Layers you can take off: afternoons are 13.5°C warmer than early mornings on average. An umbrella: rain falls on 10.6 days.

Is Takayama busy in May?

In May 2025, hotels and inns across Gifu Prefecture were 55.9% full on average (6th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 182,330 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for May in Takayama?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Takayama in May is 33.2°C (92°F), on 26 May 2019. The lowest is −3.1°C (26°F), on 1 May 1908.

What events are on in Takayama in May?

Hida Takayama Sake Brewery Nombe Festival: Late May to late June (29 May to 21 June in 2026), 10:00 to 16:00.

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Takayama (高山), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Takayama (高山), rain days, temperature days and snow (詳細)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Ten-day normals for 1991–2020: Takayama (高山) (平年値旬ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Records for May: Takayama (高山) (観測史上1〜10位の値)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
Hida Takayama Tourism and Convention Association (Hida Takayama official tourism guide) Hida Takayama Sake Brewery Nombe Festival (飛騨高山・酒蔵のん兵衛まつり)checked October 2, 2026

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