Japan's Climate

Japan has a variety of climates going from humid continental to subtropical and tropical because of how it extends from North to South. Overall, Japan can be divided into six different zones.

©Beck, H.E., Zimmermann, N. E., McVicar, T. R., Vergopolan, N., Berg, A., & Wood, E. F.

In Hokkaidō winters are long and with several precipitations, snow last way into spring. This island is the coldest region of Japan with averages in winter usually between 0°C and -10° C, summer is pretty cool too, making a great place to escape the hot and humid climate of the southern regions.

A winter scenery in Hokkaidō ©Shirota Yuri

A representation of the ‘sea-effect snow’ in Japan. ©ski.com.au

Despite being warmer than Hokkaidō, Tōhoku (東北) – the northern part of Japan’s main island – is widely known for its heavy snowfalls that can reach up to a couple of meters of depth. The reason behind them lies in the region’s geographical position: in winter the cold wind from Siberia clashes with warmer temperatures of the Japanese sea, starting a heavy snow reaction. This phenomenon is called ‘sea-effect snow’.

Going south the climate gets progressively warmer and sunnier until Kyūshū. Winter is quite cold there without being unbearable, but summer can get hot and humid pretty fast and could be described as a constant heatwave that lasts up to a month. Humidity might be the worst enemy for people who plan to visit Japan in summer, as they will be facing a constant feeling of moisture. Heat strokes is something to be quite aware of.

Okinawa and several other southern Pacific islands have subtropical and tropical climates, meaning warm winters and high precipitations. The temperatures can grow significantly, up to the point where special dressing codes have been adopted to preserve workers’ health (and to stimulate the creation of local customs).

Yoshihide Suga, left, presents a certificate of commemoration to Atsushi Sakima during a land return ceremony May 20. Both men are wearing an official okinawan suit.

Lastly, typhoons are common occurrences in Japan. While most of them are quite small, there are times when they can become pretty dangerous. In 2019, Chiba prefecture, nearby Tokyo, was severely hit by typhoons Hagibi and Faxai. The previous year the Kansai region was severely hit by typhoon Jebi, which caused the Kansai International Airport to be closed for several days.

Tragic effects of Typhoon Hagibi’s landfall. ©The Guardian

Written by Marty Borsotti