If you are planing on spending June and July in Tokyo, there is useful information within this article that will help shed light on the weather you can expect during this time of year. As someone who is currently spending 2 months in Tokyo, from the end of May to the end of July, I have experienced Japan’s rainy season first hand and can offer guidance as well as tips on adapting to the heavy rain flow.

Photo by @AloJapan

Rainy season or Tsuyu starts on “June 8th” in Tokyo and lasts until “July 20th (https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2277.html).” According to japan-guide.com, “the probability of rain on a given day in Tokyo is 45% during the peak of rain season.” This is important to understand because almost half of the days you will spend from the beginning of June to the middle of July are going to have a rather high probability of daily rain.

As someone who has lived in Kansas for the past three years and California for over a decade, I can assure you the rain here is more constant and prevalent than anything you will experience in the states. Rainy season in Japan is not the classic midwest, “wait 30 minutes and it will blow over” type of storm. I would describe this rain as slightly similar to the more serious thunderstorms I experienced in northern California, where it could last for several days without letting up.

Tip #1: Always have an umbrella on you! No matter what the weather is showing that day, there is always a chance of rain clouds appearing out of seemingly nowhere.

Tip #2: I would recommend either bringing or purchasing a smaller umbrella rather than a large bulky one. This is due to the chaotic and packed nature of Tokyo’s busy sidewalks. More so, everyone else is carrying an umbrella here and it is much harder to move in and out of crowds with a large and bulky one.

Tip #3: While this is completely dependent on the person and the amount of time you have in Tokyo, I would not recommend traveling on a day that shows a high percentage of rainfall, such as a 70% chance of rain for more than 4 hours. I found the weather application on the Iphone to be much more accurate about predicting rainy days in Tokyo than in the states. For instance, if my phone indicated a high probability of heavy rain in Kansas, I would most likely blow it off and continue about my day without thinking twice. However in Tokyo, there is a good chance your phone is telling you the truth. I do not recommend traveling during a rainy day due to my previous experience traveling from Bunkyo City to Sumida, Tokyo. I found the large puddles, heavy rainfall and high winds to be quite bothersome while navigating a large city and personally prefer to do so in a dryer condition. You will likely not enjoy the attraction you are forcing yourself to see and might as well stay in and watch a movie.

Tip #4: You do not need to pack an excessive amount of jackets to be comfortable during rainy season. For example I only brought my 49ers sweatshirt, my Champion windbreaker hoodie and a small umbrella to navigate the rain. I will say that I prefer the windbreaker hoodie due to the humid weather here and the waterproof nature of the material. I recommend bringing at least two windbreaker type rain hoodies along with you on this trip as you will find them to be very comfortable during this month long drainage.

Although the rainy season may impact your travel plans, I still recommend visiting Tokyo, Japan during this time of year. June is truly a beautiful month to visit this city as the weather has been continuously in the 70s and 80s. The information above should be taken as advice rather than a precaution as the weather is not hazardous or destructive. Your stay is still sure to be as pleasant as ever even through rain may be more prevalent.

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