Japan (Kyoto)

Japan (Kyoto) – What you should know

Kyoto lies in a basin enclosed by mountains, which amplifies both extremes: August reaches 33°C with high humidity and counts among the muggiest places in Japan, while January turns sharply cold at 9°C with nights around 2°C. Between them lie two short and exceptionally beautiful transitional seasons.

Rainfall follows a clear pattern. June and July bring the tsuyu, the East Asian rain front — 178 mm in June and 246 mm in July, the wettest month. September adds the tail ends of typhoons at 174 mm. The driest months are January at 46 mm and December at 56 mm, though with only 4.7 hours of sunshine.

The two travel seasons are narrow and correspondingly crowded. Cherry blossom usually reaches Kyoto between late March and early April and lasts barely ten days; the exact date varies by up to two weeks each year and is forecast nationally. Autumn colour falls in mid to late November, at a comfortable 17°C and just 65 mm of rain — for many the finer and more dependable of the two.