Japan in November
The maples. One of the most in-demand months of the year for accommodation in Japan. As good as April, and it sells out just as fast. Peak autumn colors in Kyoto in the last week, with temples opening at night.
In Tokyo, 17°C (63°F) in the afternoon and 9°C (48°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 9°C (48°F) and Naha at 25°C (77°F). Across the cities we track, this is one of the four months when hotels are fullest.
Japan weather in November, north to south
| City | Afternoon / night | Rain or snow |
|---|---|---|
| Sapporo north (Hokkaido) | 9°C (48°F) / 2°C (36°F) | about average 114 mm, one day in 2 |
| Tokyo central (Kanto) | 17°C (63°F) / 9°C (48°F) | little rain 96 mm, one day in 4 |
| Kyoto central (Kansai) | 17°C (63°F) / 8°C (46°F) | little rain 74 mm, one day in 5 |
| Osaka central (Kansai) | 18°C (64°F) / 10°C (50°F) | little rain 73 mm, one day in 5 |
| Naha far south (Okinawa) | 25°C (77°F) / 20°C (68°F) | about average 119 mm, one day in 4 |
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 November
November 2026 has 2 public holidays and one date when something is happening, and the nights before those holidays are the dearest of the month: ryokan charge their Saturday rate for them.
Museums and cultural sites often offer free or reduced entry on this day.
Fifteen days at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Tickets go a month ahead, the weekend dates first.
It closes the run of clustered autumn public holidays.
If your dates can move: shift by a day to miss the nights before a holiday.
If they are fixed: book those nights first, they are the ones that go fastest. 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 November
What is the weather like in November? In Tokyo, 17°C (63°F) in the afternoon and 9°C (48°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 9°C (48°F) and Naha at 25°C (77°F).
Is November 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.
Is November as busy as April? Yes. The maples peak in Kyoto in the last week, with temples opening at night, and hotels fill just as fast as they do in April.
Going further
Sumo tickets: six tournaments, six sale dates
Six 15-day tournaments a year. Three sit in Tokyo. Each has its own sale date, and the gap between that sale and the first bout runs from 29 to 57 days.
CalendarWhen 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.
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.