ClimateForecastMayJune >>

Weather in May in Japan

Planning a journey to Japan this May and curious over the weather conditions to await? Your essential details are found on this page, answering your query:

What is the weather like in Japan in May?

The weather in Japan in May can be quite varied, with temperatures that range from cold to warm and precipitation levels ranging from moderate to heavy.

Temperatures

Based on our climate data spanning from 1990-2020, the average maximum temperature is cold in Nemuro at 8°C to warm in Ishigaki Island at 28°C. Nighttime temperatures generally drop to 25°C in Ishigaki Island and 5°C in Nemuro.

Precipitation

In May, precipitation varies across different areas. From moderate rainfall in Kafuka with an average of 74 mm to heavy rainfall in Shizuoka with 236 mm.

Average sunshine

Tokyo enjoys a balanced 180 hours of sunlight. Ensuring it's neither too overcast nor too sunny.

For specific regional insights in Japan for May, refer to the map provided below. For an in-depth overview of the yearly weather conditions, do visit our Japan climate page.

Where to go in Japan in May

Find more information for the most popular destinations in the Japan on the map below. Click on a destination dot for more detailes.

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Legend perfect weather pleasant tolerable unpleasant poor
Perfect weather is subjective. On this map perfect weather has been defined with temperatures between 20°C and 29°C and not too much precipitation (less than 90 mm a month).

Popular destinations

What is the weather like in May for the 5 most popular destinations in Japan?

Tokyo

In May Tokyo generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 23°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 16°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Tokyo
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
19°C 
10°C 
176 hours 
122 mm 
16 days 
23°C 
16°C 
180 hours 
134 mm 
16 days 
June   >> June
>>  
26°C 
19°C 
123 hours 
173 mm 
20 days 
Climate in Tokyo

Kyoto

In May Kyoto generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 24°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 13°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Kyoto
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
19°C 
8°C 
178 hours 
142 mm 
17 days 
24°C 
13°C 
185 hours 
155 mm 
15 days 
June   >> June
>>  
27°C 
18°C 
140 hours 
221 mm 
18 days 
Climate in Kyoto

Osaka

In May Osaka generally has high temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 25°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 15°C and high monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are pleasant that month.

Osaka
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
20°C 
10°C 
188 hours 
126 mm 
16 days 
25°C 
15°C 
202 hours 
141 mm 
15 days 
June   >> June
>>  
28°C 
20°C 
156 hours 
207 mm 
18 days 
Climate in Osaka

Hakuba

In May Hakuba generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 18°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 8°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are poor that month.

Hakuba
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
sun hoursMonthly sun hours sun hoursSun hours
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
11°C 
1°C 
177 hours 
187 mm 
17 days 
poor 
18°C 
8°C 
177 hours 
214 mm 
17 days 
poor 
June   >> June
>>  
22°C 
13°C 
135 hours 
320 mm 
20 days 
poor 
Climate in Hakuba

Hakone

In May Hakone generally has pleasant temperatures with maximum daytime temperatures around 21°C, minimum nighttime temperatures around 14°C and heavy monthly rainfall. So on average the conditions are tolerable that month.

Hakone
minimum temparatureMax temperature minimum temparatureMax temp
maximum temparatureMin temperature maximum temparatureMin temp
precipitationMonthly rainfall precipitationRainfall
rain daysMonthly rainy days rain daysRainy days
conditionsWeather conditions conditionsWeather
<<   April April
<<  
17°C 
9°C 
188 mm 
16 days 
poor 
21°C 
14°C 
190 mm 
15 days 
June   >> June
>>  
24°C 
18°C 
255 mm 
19 days 
Climate in Hakone

Is your destination not in the list? Have a look at other destinations in Japan.

Is May the best time to visit Japan?

We consider May to be one of the best times to travel to Japan. Typically, the climate in Tokyo is pleasant. It's worth noting that weather conditions might differ depending on the location you visit.

Generally speaking, May, June and November provide pleasant weather in Tokyo. On the other hand, the weather in January tends to be poor.

Interested in more climate information?

We have much more information about the climate in Japan. Interested in the weather conditions in a specific month? Select the month below.

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  • Weather and climate has detailed information for every country in the world. Are you going to Japan? Get detailed historical weather averages for many cities in Japan.

    Not sure yet where to go? We now have a tool which recommends destinations that suit your ideal travel conditions. Find out where to go with our weather planner.