May is Golden Week and then, suddenly, the best fortnight nobody books.
Weather#
| Typical | |
|---|---|
| Days | ~23°C / 73°F, warm, mostly dry |
| Nights | ~15°C / 59°F |
| Rain | Moderate; the rainy season starts around early June |
| Humidity | Still low |
Golden Week, to about 5 May#
Japan's spring holiday. Don't take a shinkansen you haven't reserved, don't expect a hotel bargain, do expect queues at the famous sights. Tokyo is the easiest place to be: residents leave, the neighbourhoods are calm, and the big events (Children's Day on the 5th, carp streamers everywhere) are charming. Tokyo to Kyoto is for after the 6th.
What's on#
- Sumo, May tournament: two weeks from the second Sunday at Ryogoku Kokugikan. Weekday upper seats are easy.
- Kanda Matsuri: mid-May in odd-numbered years (2027), one of Tokyo's three great festivals, processions through Kanda, Nihonbashi and Akihabara.
- Sanja Matsuri: the third weekend, Asakusa. A hundred portable shrines, thousands of carriers, the loudest Tokyo gets. Go Saturday for the neighbourhood shrines, Sunday for the big three.
What to do#
Everything outdoors before the rain: day trips, Hakone, Nikko with fresh green, the neighbourhoods, rooftop beer gardens opening on department stores. Things to do, the 7-day itinerary.
Prices#
High through Golden Week, moderate after. Where to stay, Tokyo on a budget.
Pack#
Shirts, a light jacket, an umbrella for the odd day. What to wear in Tokyo.
Sanja with a local#
Sanja Matsuri makes sense with someone who knows which shrine belongs to which block. Post your dates on Roavi Community and a Local Friend can take you.
Tokyo in May? See Sanja Matsuri with someone who grew up in it.
Meet a Local FriendFrequently Asked Questions
What is the weather like in Tokyo in May?
Warm and mostly pleasant: highs around 23°C (73°F), lows around 15°C (59°F), low humidity, more sun than rain, with the rainy season holding off until around early June. Shirt-sleeve days, light-jacket evenings.Should I avoid Tokyo during Golden Week?
Avoid travelling across Japan during it (29 April to about 5 May): trains and hotels are full and expensive. Tokyo itself is manageable and even a little emptier as residents leave; stay put, see the city, and do day trips after the 6th.What is Sanja Matsuri?
Tokyo's biggest and rowdiest festival, the third weekend of May in Asakusa: a hundred portable shrines carried through the streets by crowds in festival dress, drums, drink, and on the Sunday the three great shrines of Asakusa Shrine. Free, loud, unmissable if you're in town.Is late May a good time to visit Tokyo?
One of the best and least known: after Golden Week, before the rains, warm and green, with moderate crowds and prices. If you can pick two weeks of the year, 10 to 25 May is in the running.
