Japan in April
Blossom across the whole country, on different dates from south to north. Kyoto and Tokyo fill months ahead, and Golden Week takes over from April 29. The best of the year, and the most expensive. Peak bloom in the first week. Golden Week starts April 29 and everything sells out at once.
In Tokyo, 19°C (66°F) in the afternoon and 10°C (50°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 12°C (54°F) and Naha at 24°C (75°F). Across the cities we track, this is one of the four months when hotels are fullest.
Japan weather in April, north to south
| City | Afternoon / night | Rain or snow |
|---|---|---|
| Sapporo north (Hokkaido) | 12°C (54°F) / 3°C (37°F) | little rain 55 mm, one day in 3 |
| Tokyo central (Kanto) | 19°C (66°F) / 10°C (50°F) | about average 134 mm, one day in 3 |
| Kyoto central (Kansai) | 20°C (68°F) / 9°C (48°F) | about average 117 mm, one day in 3 |
| Osaka central (Kansai) | 20°C (68°F) / 11°C (52°F) | little rain 102 mm, one day in 3 |
| Naha far south (Okinawa) | 24°C (75°F) / 19°C (66°F) | very wet 161 mm, one day in 3 |
Thirty-year averages (1991-2020) recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which tell you the month's usual climate and not the weather you will actually get on the dates you have chosen. Last checked August 8, 2026.
Roughly what it costs
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The dates in April
April 2027 has one public holiday and one date when something is happening, and the night before that holiday is the most expensive of the month: ryokan charge their Saturday rate for it.
Decorated floats parade through the old town of Takayama, some of them carrying mechanical puppets.
The first day of Golden Week. The whole country starts moving.
If your dates can move: shift by a day to miss the nights before a holiday, once booking opens.
If they are fixed: those nights will be the first to go on the day booking opens. The rest of the month can wait.
Where to start
The order matters more than how early you get to it.
Kyoto and the small stops first
Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, and any night in a ryokan: few rooms, and the whole of Japan is aiming at the same dates, so this is where it is decided first, not in Tokyo.
Tokyo and Osaka can wait
Tens of thousands of rooms. These cities are never really full. The simplest approach is still to book it all in one go, on free cancellation rates for whatever might still move.
Three questions about April
What is the weather like in April? In Tokyo, 19°C (66°F) in the afternoon and 10°C (50°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 12°C (54°F) and Naha at 24°C (75°F).
Is April cheaper? Across the cities we track, this is one of the four months when hotels are fullest. The price range for the month is in the budget block, city by city.
Should you avoid Golden Week in April? Golden Week only starts on April 29. The first three weeks are peak bloom, the finest stretch of the year. It is the last week that turns over all at once.
Going further
When is cherry blossom season in Japan?
Somebody counts the flowers by hand. First bloom is 5 or 6 flowers open on one marked tree, full bloom is 4 buds in 5, and they sit 5 to 10 days apart.
CalendarThe worst time to visit Japan, week by week
Three weeks carry almost all of the pressure, and one of them is not even a public holiday. The other 49 are far more open than the month-level lists suggest.
CalendarHow to book hotels in Japan: when sales open
The costly mistake is reading an empty calendar as a full one. Inns open about 6 months out, train seats 1 month out, and nothing exists before that.
Which site to book on
Every site holds a different slice of Japan. We tell you which one holds what.
See who gives access to what →What a ryokan rate includes
It counts people rather than rooms, and dinner is nearly always inside it, served at a fixed time that you pick when you book rather than on the evening itself.
Read the ryokan page →Bookings for your dates open on a fixed date. We write that day.
Say you're after the cherry blossoms in April 2027: ryokan inns open around October. On the day, you get an email, you book, and it's done.
Temperature and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Occupancy from Japan's official tourism statistics, public holidays from the official calendar. Tanuki Trip never books on your behalf. You book it yourself, wherever you want.