Japan in July

What July is like

July starts in the rainy season and ends in full summer. The rains usually end around 19 July in Tokyo, Osaka and Fukuoka, after which highs reach 30–32°C with humid nights around 23–25°C. Early July can bring the heaviest rain of the year in western Japan.

Sapporo is pleasant at 25.4°C. Okinawa, past its rainy season, has long sunny days and calm seas before the peak typhoon months.

Where to go in July

Kyoto's Gion Matsuri fills the whole month, with the great float processions on 17 and 24 July. Fukuoka's Hakata Gion Yamakasa ends with a dawn float race on 15 July, and Osaka's Tenjin Matsuri brings boats and fireworks to the river on 24–25 July.

For cooler air, head to Hokkaido: Furano's lavender fields peak in mid-July. Mount Fuji's climbing season opens in early July and runs to early September.

• Kyoto
• Fukuoka
• Osaka
• Hokkaido
• Yamanashi
• Shizuoka
• Shrines & temples
• Nature

Planning tips for July

Summer school holidays in Japan begin around 20 July, so the second half of the month gets busier. Festival nights in Kyoto and Osaka are very crowded; book hotels months ahead.

Climbing Mount Fuji now costs 4,000 yen per person and needs advance online registration, with daily limits on the Yoshida Trail. Rules change each season, so check the official site before you go.

Festivals and events

• Gion Matsuri祇園祭

  1–31 July · Kyoto

  Float processions (Yamaboko Junko) on 17 and 24 July; evening street festivals on the three nights before each.

• Hakata Gion Yamakasa博多祇園山笠

  1–15 July · Fukuoka

  The Oiyama race starts at 4:59 am on the 15th.

• Tenjin Matsuri天神祭

  24–25 July · Osaka

  Boat procession and fireworks on the Okawa River on the evening of the 25th.

Typical weather in July

Average daily high and low and total rainfall for the month (1991–2020). Tap a city for its 7-day forecast.

Questions travellers ask