Seasonal travelBy Clever Tourists · Published
April is one of the best months to visit Japan, but only until about 28 April. Daytime highs are mild (about 19°C / 67°F in Tokyo, 20°C / 68°F in Kyoto), the cherry blossom front is still moving north, and the countryside is fresh and green. The trade-off is price and crowds: the first half of the month is the most expensive and busiest period outside New Year, and Golden Week starts on Thursday 29 April 2027 and ruins the last days. We spent most of April 2023 in Japan, from Kyoto on 2 April through Nara, Osaka, Kobe, Himeji and Hiroshima, then back in Tokyo from 15 to 20 April. The averages below come from Japan Meteorological Agency 1991 to 2020 normals, not the weather we had.
• Best weather: the whole month. Highs of 19 to 20°C in Tokyo and Kyoto are comfortable for walking all day, with cool mornings.
• Blossom: Tokyo's average full bloom is about 31 March and Kyoto and Osaka's about 4 April, so in April the south is already finishing and the north is just starting. Check our cherry blossom 2027 forecast for the current dates.
• Fewest crowds: the last two weeks of April outside the 29 April start of Golden Week, and anywhere that is not Kyoto, Tokyo or Osaka.
• Cheapest: mid to late April, once blossom hotel rates fall away. Rates jump again from 29 April.
• Avoid: 29 April to 5 May 2027 unless your dates are fixed. See our Golden Week 2027 guide.
Typical April figures from the Japan Meteorological Agency 1991 to 2020 normals:
• Tokyo: about 10 to 19°C (50 to 67°F), around 134 mm of rain over 11 rain days and about 179 hours of sun. Mornings and evenings are cool enough for a jacket.
• Kyoto and Osaka area: Kyoto averages about 9 to 20°C (49 to 68°F) with roughly 117 mm of rain over 11 rain days and 177 hours of sun. Rain usually comes as a grey day or two rather than a downpour.
• Sapporo and Hokkaido: about 3 to 12°C (38 to 53°F) and roughly 55 mm of rain. Snow is mostly gone in the city, but mountain areas can still hold it.
• Naha, Okinawa: about 19 to 24°C (66 to 76°F) with around 161 mm of rain. It is warm enough for beaches in the sun, though the rainy season arrives in May.
There is a real day-to-night swing, so pack layers rather than a heavy coat. Our Japan packing list and what to wear in Japan cover April layering.
The blossom front moves from south to north and from low ground to high ground. By April the Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka bloom is usually over or in its last days, with petals on the ground in the first week. This is still pretty, but it is not the peak. Higher and colder places are what to aim for later in April: our route reached Takayama in the Alps on 26 March, and the mountain towns bloom later than the big cities. Further north, Tohoku and Hokkaido bloom from late April into May.
Because the dates move by about a week each year, do not fix flights to a bloom date. If blossom is the point of the trip, read our forecast guide and keep hotels cancellable until the forecast firms up in the first weeks of March.
• Takayama Spring Festival, 14 to 15 April: decorated floats are pulled through Takayama's old town. We spent 26 to 29 March 2023 in Takayama, so we were there before the festival; see how many days in Takayama and our Takayama guide.
• Showa Day, Thursday 29 April: the start of Golden Week. The main holiday days follow on 3, 4 and 5 May.
• New fiscal year: companies and schools start on 1 April, so early April trains in Tokyo carry more commuters in new suits.
Public holiday dates for 2027 come from the National Astronomical Observatory of Japan calendar; school and company calendars can add extra days off.
Our April 2023 route ran Kyoto (2 to 6 April), Nara (6 to 8), Osaka (8 to 11), Kobe, Himeji, Hiroshima, then Tokyo (15 to 20). That order works for April because the Kansai region peaks first and Tokyo's later weeks are quieter. See 3 days in Kyoto, how many days in Kyoto, the Kyoto to Nara day trip and how many days in Osaka.
For a first trip in April, Kyoto and Nara are the strongest pair, with Tokyo before or after. Our 10-day itinerary and the full 33-day route show how the stops fit together.
Hotel rates in Kyoto and Tokyo peak in the first two weeks of April, then ease. Weekends in Kyoto stay full: Gion, Fushimi Inari and Kiyomizu-dera are crowded from mid-morning, so go early. Book Kyoto several months ahead if your dates sit in the first half of April. From 2026 Kyoto's accommodation tax rose; see the Kyoto accommodation tax guide.
The cheap window is roughly 10 to 28 April outside weekends. After 29 April, hotels, Shinkansen seats and airport transfers fill up fast. See where to stay in Kyoto and where to stay in Tokyo to choose a base before prices jump.
If you want peak blossom, April is usually late for Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka. Go in the last days of March instead, and see best time to visit Tokyo.
If you are travelling on a budget and flexible, May after Golden Week and October to November are cheaper and still comfortable. See Japan in October and Japan in November.
Allergy note: spring is also pollen season in Japan, which affects many visitors with hay fever. Bring your own medication and check our Japan medicine rules guide first.
Yes, until Golden Week begins on 29 April 2027. Highs are about 19 to 20°C in Tokyo and Kyoto and the countryside is green. It is busy and expensive in the first half of the month.
In Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka usually only in the first week, since average full bloom is about 31 March in Tokyo and 4 April in Kyoto. Mountain towns and the north bloom later in April and May.
Tokyo is about 10 to 19°C, Kyoto about 9 to 20°C and Sapporo about 3 to 12°C, so pack layers for cool mornings.
The first two weeks for blossom and 29 April onwards for Golden Week. In 2027 Golden Week runs from Showa Day on 29 April, with the main days on 3 to 5 May.
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