Japan in October: Weather by Region, Autumn Festivals and Where to Go

In Ikebukuro, October means dancers in bright happi coats spinning through the streets to taiko drums, while in the old streets of Takayama festival floats roll past wooden merchants’ houses. Grilled fish smoke drifts over Tokyo’s stalls, Hokkaido’s first leaves turn, and Okinawa’s sea is still warm enough to get into. This is a month for travelers who want comfortable days on foot, autumn food and festivals, and a country that changes a lot from one end to the other.

Mount Fuji and the Japanese countryside in autumn · Illustration

What is the weather like in Japan in October?

October is pleasant across most of the main island of Honshu, cool and crisp in Hokkaido, and still summery in Okinawa. Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and the cities of western Japan sit in comfortable walking weather, Sapporo needs a proper jacket, and Naha keeps its warm, humid air.

Place	Average high (°F)	Average low (°F)	Precipitation (in)	Daylight on the 15th (hours and minutes)
Tokyo	71.6	58.6	9.24	11 h 21 min
Kyoto	74.1	57.9	5.64	11 h 22 min
Osaka	74.7	60.8	5.35	11 h 22 min
Sapporo	61.5	46.4	4.33	11 h 07 min
Okinawa (Naha)	82.6	74.3	7.06	11 h 35 min
Fukuoka	74.7	60.8	3.72	11 h 24 min
Kanazawa	71.2	57.0	6.97	11 h 19 min
Hiroshima	74.7	58.8	4.30	11 h 23 min

Tokyo is the wettest of the big cities this month, with rain on 10.5 days, and the showers can come as a gray, drizzly stretch. Humidity eases through the month, which is why afternoons feel lighter than in summer. Kyoto and Osaka are drier and sunnier, with rain on about eight days each, so a day of temples or a walk through Osaka’s streets rarely needs to be cancelled.

Kanazawa, on the Sea of Japan side, has the most rainy days of the places here at 12.7, so an umbrella belongs in the bag. Fukuoka and Hiroshima see the fewest, with sunshine hours among the highest. Sapporo is the one place where mornings turn properly cold, and a little snow or sleet can fall on a day or two. Naha stays well into the 80s by day, and its nights are warm too.

Where to go in Japan in October

Tokyo and the Kanto region

Tokyo in October is a city for walking. Humidity steadily falls through the month, and the days suit sightseeing and outdoor plans, from the lanes around Senso-ji to the paths of Meiji Jingu. Evenings can feel chilly, so a light jacket is the habit, and the mountainous parts of west Tokyo run cooler than the center.

The month also fills the calendar with neighborhood events. In Ikebukuro the Fukuro Matsuri brings Tokyo Yosakoi, with about 5,000 dancers in around 100 teams from across Japan.

In Jimbocho, the book town, shelves line Yasukuni-dori for the Kanda Used Book Festival, and the Tokyo Antiquarian Book Hall hosts talk shows and special sales. In Meguro, the Pacific Saury Festival serves charcoal-grilled saury from Kesennuma in Miyagi Prefecture for free, with advance registration required.

The maple leaves have not turned in Tokyo yet. They change in the weeks after October ends, so this is a month for the city itself, its festivals and its food rather than for leaf-viewing.

Kyoto, Osaka and the Kansai region

Kyoto and Osaka share almost the same daylight and similar temperatures in October, with afternoons warm enough for a short-sleeved shirt in the sun and evenings that call for a light layer. In Kyoto the days suit moving between Kiyomizu-dera, Fushimi Inari and the lanes of the old districts on foot. Kyoto’s maples change much later, in December, so October is the season of green gardens and clear skies.

Osaka is where the month tastes best, with takoyaki, okonomiyaki and kushikatsu sold around Dotonbori, and evenings mild enough to eat at an outdoor counter. Nara and Kobe fit into the same stay, and Hiroshima, Fukuoka and Kanazawa offer more of the autumn mix of sunshine and the odd showery day. Kanazawa’s Kenrokuen garden is a place to expect rain on some days and carry an umbrella for it.

Hokkaido

Hokkaido is where autumn arrives first. JMA places the start of the maple color change in mid-October in eastern Hokkaido, and in Sapporo the leaves usually turn around the end of the month. The season lags behind in the south, so Hokkaido is the one place in the country where you can see leaves change in October.

Sapporo days are cool enough for a coat, with real cold in the mornings and evenings, and a dusting of snow or sleet is possible. Come for ramen, miso-based soups and seafood, and for the feeling that winter is near. Rain falls on a good number of days, so a waterproof layer helps.

Okinawa

Okinawa is the part of Japan that still feels like summer in October. Daylight lasts longest in Naha, and highs stay in the low 80s. The sea near Naha averages 83.2°F, warm enough for a swim, though water conditions vary from day to day.

Rain falls on about nine days, usually in short bursts, and humidity is high. Expect island food such as Okinawa soba, goya champuru and awamori, and the slower pace of a beach stay after the cities of Honshu.

What to do in Japan in October

Autumn matsuri

Matsuri are traditional festive occasions, often celebrated with dance and music, and estimates put their number between 100,000 and 300,000 across Japan. October is a good month for them, since harvest festivals run through autumn.

The Autumn Takayama Festival is held on October 9 and 10. Its spring counterpart is centered on the Hie Shrine, also known as the Sanno Shrine, and is held to pray for a good harvest. Takayama’s old town of dark wooden houses is the setting, and the floats and processions are the draw.

Festivals and food in Tokyo

In Ikebukuro, Tokyo Yosakoi fills the streets with team after team of dancers, each with its own costumes and music. It is easy to stand and watch, then wander off to the shops and food stalls of the district.

At the Meguro Pacific Saury Festival, free grilled saury is served, which makes it a taste of the autumn catch. Bookworms can browse the Kanda Used Book Festival in Jimbocho, where Yasukuni-dori turns into an open-air bookshop. Even without Japanese, the prints, old maps and illustrated books are good to flip through.

Leaves and early snow

JMA defines the maple color change as the first day when most of a sample tree’s leaves have turned red. In October the change starts in eastern Hokkaido, and in Sapporo it usually comes around October 28. Farther south it comes later, from the end of November in the Kanto region to early December in Kinki. Cherry blossoms, wisteria and hydrangeas belong to other seasons.

If leaf color is the reason for the trip, October points to Hokkaido, while a later trip suits Tokyo and Kyoto. Autumn in general makes Japan milder after summer, with moderate temperatures that suit walking.

Is Japan busy in October?

October is a month of events more than of one big seasonal rush, and the busiest moments are festival days. Takayama gathers visitors on the days of its Autumn Festival, and Ikebukuro does the same for Tokyo Yosakoi. In Meguro, registration for the free saury is a sign that demand is high.

That means the main leaf-viewing crowds belong to later weeks, and in October they gather mostly in Hokkaido. Okinawa, with its warm sea, draws beach-goers, and it is a different kind of trip from the cities of Honshu. If you want a calmer rhythm, the places away from the festival sites are a better bet, and a midweek day helps anywhere.

What to pack for Japan in October

Packing changes with the region this month: layers for Honshu, a warm coat for Hokkaido, and summer clothes for Okinawa. Showers can arrive in any of them.

A light jacket for Tokyo and Honshu evenings, which can feel chilly after sunset.
An extra layer if you head into mountain areas, which are cooler than the cities.
A compact umbrella or rain jacket, especially for Tokyo and Kanazawa, where rain falls on many days.
A warm coat, hat and gloves for Sapporo, where a little snow or sleet is possible.
Swimwear and sun protection for Okinawa, where the sea is still warm.
Comfortable walking shoes for the cities, since the weather invites long days on foot.

Good to know before you go

Rain is the main thing to plan around in October. It falls on more days in Tokyo, Kanazawa and Sapporo than in Hiroshima or Fukuoka, and in Tokyo it can come as a long gray spell. Daylight lasts a little over eleven hours across most of the country, so evenings come on earlier than in summer, and in Okinawa the days are a bit longer.

Festival days are the other thing to keep in mind, since streets around them can be closed to traffic. Book a Takayama stay around October 9 and 10 with that in mind. The weather can still change quickly between regions, so check the forecast for the place you are heading to rather than the one you left.

Is October a good time to visit Japan?

Yes, October suits travelers who want comfortable walking weather and autumn events, and Honshu’s cities and Okinawa’s beaches are where it shines most. Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshima and Fukuoka combine mild days with plenty of sunshine, while Hokkaido offers early leaf color for those who want it.

Compared with September, the heat has gone. Tokyo’s September highs sit in the low 80s and Kyoto’s in the mid-80s, so October is much easier on long days outdoors. Compared with November, October is warmer, with Tokyo and Kyoto highs then dropping to the low 60s, and Sapporo reaching the upper 40s, with lows near freezing. What is special about October is the choice it offers: a warm sea in Okinawa, the first leaves in Hokkaido, drumming dancers in Ikebukuro and grilled saury in Meguro, all in the same month.

Sources

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Computed from the date and the latitude of the place (sunrise equation, solar elevation -0.833 degrees), October 11, 2026
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