Japan is one of the easiest countries in Asia to travel around: trains run to the minute, cities feel safe and orderly, and four distinct seasons change the scenery from snowfields to cherry blossom to red maples. It runs on a single time zone with no daylight saving time, so the hardest part of the clock is the jet lag.
Japan for visitors
Most first trips follow the same line along the main island of Honshu: Tokyo for its scale and neighbourhoods, then west to the temples and gardens of Kyoto and Nara, and on to Osaka for food and nightlife. Hiroshima and the island shrine of Miyajima are a short ride further. That corridor is linked by the shinkansen, the high-speed rail network, and for most visitors the train is faster and simpler than flying or driving.
Beyond the main route
Hokkaido, the northern island, is wide open by Japanese standards: national parks, hot springs, and in winter some of the most reliable powder snow in Asia. The Japanese Alps in central Honshu offer hiking in summer and traditional mountain towns such as Takayama. Kyushu, in the south-west, has volcanoes, hot-spring towns and a warmer climate, and the Okinawa islands far to the south are subtropical, with beaches and coral reefs rather than temples.
Cities are dense and walkable, with excellent metro systems; rural areas are quieter and less English-speaking, and a rental car can make sense there. Accommodation ranges from international hotels to ryokan, traditional inns with tatami rooms and shared baths.
Time in Japan
All of Japan is on one time zone, Asia/Tokyo, known as Japan Standard Time (JST). It is UTC+9 all year: the country does not use daylight saving time, so the clocks never go forward or back, and nothing changes between summer and winter.
What does change is the difference with countries that do use daylight saving time. Right now Tokyo is 9 hours ahead of London, 14 hours ahead of New York and 2 hours behind Sydney. When Europe and North America change their clocks in spring and autumn, those gaps shrink or grow by an hour, while Japan stays put.
For calls home, the overlap with Europe is in the late afternoon and evening in Japan, which is morning in Europe. The overlap with the Americas is awkward: early morning in Japan is the previous afternoon or evening on the US East Coast. Flying in from Europe or the Americas usually means a big jump, so plan an easy first day.
Climate and weather
Japan stretches a long way from north to south, so the same month can feel very different depending on where you are. Most of Honshu, including Tokyo, has a humid subtropical climate with hot, humid summers and cool, dry winters. Hokkaido has a humid continental climate with long, snowy winters and mild summers. Okinawa is subtropical, warm even in winter.
Mountains running down the middle of the country split the weather in winter. Cold winds from the Asian mainland pick up moisture over the Sea of Japan and drop it as heavy snow on the western side of Honshu and Hokkaido, while the Pacific side, where Tokyo is, stays dry and often sunny.
In Tokyo, average highs range from 10°C in January to 31°C in August, and the city gets about 1,598 mm of rain a year. The Tokyo guide has the full month-by-month table.
Two wet periods shape the year for most of the country. The early-summer rainy season, tsuyu, brings weeks of grey, drizzly weather to most of Japan except Hokkaido, starting first in Okinawa and moving north. Typhoons can bring heavy rain and strong winds from late summer into autumn, especially to Okinawa, Kyushu and the Pacific coast.
Best time to visit Japan
Spring and autumn are the classic seasons. Cherry blossom opens in the south first and moves north; in Tokyo it usually peaks in late March or early April. Autumn brings clear, comfortable days and red and gold leaves, which arrive first in Hokkaido and the mountains and reach Kyoto and Tokyo later in the season. Both periods are busy, and spring especially so, so book accommodation early.
Summer is hot and humid on Honshu and Kyushu, and it starts with the rainy season, but it is a good time for Hokkaido, the Japanese Alps and festivals. Winter is cold but bright on the Pacific side, quieter in the cities, and the best season for skiing in Hokkaido and the mountains of Honshu.
Japanese holiday periods fill trains and hotels: the Golden Week holidays around the turn of April and May, the Obon period in mid-August and the New Year break. If your dates are flexible, avoid them.
Practical facts
- Capital: Tokyo.
- Population: about 124 million (UN World Population Prospects 2024, 2023 estimate).
- Currency: Japanese yen (JPY). Cards are accepted in most hotels, chain shops and restaurants in the cities, but cash is still useful in small restaurants, temples and rural areas. Rechargeable transport cards work on trains and buses in the big cities and in many convenience stores.
- Language: Japanese. English is common on signs and announcements in stations and the main tourist areas, less so in the countryside; a translation app helps.
- Calling code: +81.
- Tipping: not part of the culture. Good service is included, and leaving money on the table can cause confusion.
- Driving: on the left.
- Emergency numbers: 110 for the police, 119 for an ambulance or the fire service ([1]).
Plan your trip with hoyoopin
- Tokyo city guide: the four seasons month by month, the rainy season and typhoons, what to pack, and how Tokyo's clock lines up with the rest of the world.
- World Clock: Japan's time next to your own and other cities.
- Weather: live conditions and the forecast for any city in Japan.
- Asia: time zones and key facts for every country on the continent.
- Before you fly: how to pack for any weather.
Frequently asked questions
What time zone is Japan in?
Japan uses one time zone for the whole country, Japan Standard Time, UTC+9, with the IANA identifier Asia/Tokyo.
Does Japan have daylight saving time?
No. Japan's clocks stay the same all year. The time difference with Europe, North America and parts of Australia changes only because those places change their clocks.
When is the rainy season in Japan?
The rainy season comes in early summer for most of the country, arriving first in Okinawa and later further north. Hokkaido largely escapes it. In Tokyo, October is the wettest month of the year.
When is the best time to see cherry blossom?
It depends on the region: the blossom opens first in the south and moves north over several weeks. In Tokyo it usually peaks in late March or early April.
Do you tip in Japan?
No. Tipping is not expected in restaurants, taxis or hotels.
Sources
- Japan Tourism Agency: Safety Information Card: police 110, ambulance and fire 119, 24 hours a day, free of charge.