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.
Temperature
17°C (63°F) / 9°C (48°F)
in Tokyo, afternoon and night
Crowds
very busy
across the cities we track (checked Oct 16)
Ryokan booking
already open
traditional inns · don't wait for a discount
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
Occupancy (official statistics, 2023-2025)
busy
67%
Price range per night
per night, two people
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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 most expensive of the month: ryokan charge their Saturday rate for them.
Day before a holiday
ryokan rates go up
Public holiday: Culture Day
Museums and cultural sites often offer free or reduced entry on this day.
everything fills up
November sumo tournament (Kyushu-basho), Fukuoka
Fifteen days at the Fukuoka Kokusai Center. Tickets go a month ahead, the weekend dates first.
Fukuoka fills up
Public holiday: Labor Thanksgiving Day
It closes the autumn run of public holidays.
everything fills up
quiet
nothing to plan around
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 rooms run out 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
Calendar
How to book hotels in Japan: when sales open
The costly mistake is reading an empty calendar as a full one.
Calendar
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.
Calendar
Cherry blossom season in Japan, and fall foliage
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.
The next step
Which site to book on
Every site holds a different slice of Japan. See which site holds what.
Before you book: what a ryokan rate includes. It counts people rather than rooms, and dinner is nearly always part of 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.