Japan in September
Still hot, with clustered public holidays around the autumn equinox in mid-September. Wait for the last week. The wettest month in Tokyo, in the middle of typhoon season.
In Tokyo, 28°C (82°F) in the afternoon and 20°C (68°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 23°C (73°F) and Naha at 31°C (88°F). Across the cities we track, this is one of the four months when hotels are fullest.
Japan weather in September, north to south
| City | Afternoon / night | Rain or snow |
|---|---|---|
| Sapporo north (Hokkaido) | 23°C (73°F) / 15°C (59°F) | about average 142 mm, one day in 3 |
| Tokyo central (Kanto) | 28°C (82°F) / 20°C (68°F) | very wet 225 mm, one day in 3 |
| Kyoto central (Kansai) | 29°C (84°F) / 21°C (70°F) | very wet 179 mm, one day in 3 |
| Osaka central (Kansai) | 30°C (86°F) / 22°C (72°F) | very wet 153 mm, one day in 3 |
| Naha far south (Okinawa) | 31°C (88°F) / 26°C (79°F) | very wet 275 mm, one day in 3 |
August and September are the two months when typhoons come closest to Japan: 3.3 on average, against 0.8 in June. See The rain comes in two waves on the pillar page
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 September
September 2026 has 3 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.
Fifteen days at the Ryogoku Kokugikan. Tickets go a month ahead, the weekend dates first.
Often joined to the autumn equinox to make a bridge of several days.
As in spring, many Japanese visit the family grave on this day.
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 September
What is the weather like in September? In Tokyo, 28°C (82°F) in the afternoon and 20°C (68°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 23°C (73°F) and Naha at 31°C (88°F). August and September are the two months when typhoons come closest to Japan: 3.3 on average, against 0.8 in June.
Is September 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 September still summer? It is, and it is the wettest month in Tokyo, at the peak of typhoon season. Aim for the last week, once the equinox has passed.
Going further
Climbing Mt Fuji: four trails, two rulebooks
Four trails reach the summit, under two rulebooks. The one you reach from Tokyo shuts at 4,000 climbers a day; the other three demand a briefing first.
CalendarSumo 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.
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.