Best time to visit Tokyo?

[Maleficent_Hades]

My sister, husband and I are talking about going to tokyo in 2024. i know its still far away, but we like being super prepared lol and we would be doing it then to celebrate a late 35th bday for my sister and an early 40th bday for me and 45th bday for my hubby. my sister is a school teacher so the only times she can really go are either during winter break, spring break, or summer. we are leaning more towards summer since my husband and i wanna do 2 weeks so we can visit other places in tokyo, and if my sister decides to do more than a week she doesn't have to worry about work. that being said what are crowd levels like in early-mid june and what is the weather typically like? how about spring break time which lately for philadelphia seems to be the first week of april.

 

[gelatoni fan]

Mid-June is a time that tends to see low crowds as summer break in Japan is shorter and doesn't start till July. The weather is unpredictable during this time and can be comfortable, rainy or hot depending on the day. I generally wear short sleeves but also sometimes a light jacket for nighttime and poncho for rain.

First week of April is usually good but you need to watch out for the end of March and April. Spring break in Japan is usually the end of March and those days see some of the longest wait times for rides, especially if there are student discount tickets. The last week of April is the start of Golden Week which usually sees the parks hitting capacity. If you hit the sweet spot in between these two times, you should see low crowds. I generally wear long sleeves and bring a jacket in early April but nothing too heavy.

Pre-pandemic, both these times would be during Easter although the end of June is the transition period to Summer. If the schedule looks similar post-pandemic, you may want to make sure your June days are during the event so that you can see the Easter shows and theming.

Between these two times, I would lean towards early April for more stable weather. It may also be possible to see cherry blossoms during this time but the exact time they bloom each year varies.

 

[Maleficent_Hades]

Mid-June is a time that tends to see low crowds as summer break in Japan is shorter and doesn't start till July. The weather is unpredictable during this time and can be comfortable, rainy or hot depending on the day. I generally wear short sleeves but also sometimes a light jacket for nighttime and poncho for rain.

First week of April is usually good but you need to watch out for the end of March and April. Spring break in Japan is usually the end of March and those days see some of the longest wait times for rides, especially if there are student discount tickets. The last week of April is the start of Golden Week which usually sees the parks hitting capacity. If you hit the sweet spot in between these two times, you should see low crowds. I generally wear long sleeves and bring a jacket in early April but nothing too heavy.

Pre-pandemic, both these times would be during Easter although the end of June is the transition period to Summer. If the schedule looks similar post-pandemic, you may want to make sure your June days are during the event so that you can see the Easter shows and theming.

Between these two times, I would lean towards early April for more stable weather. It may also be possible to see cherry blossoms during this time but the exact time they bloom each year varies.

thank you so much! it'll really depend on my sister as she's got the more restricted schedule, but good to know i appreciate it

 

[The_Banking_Scot]

Hi, In 2018 and 2019 I went to Tokyo around the 10th April for 2 weeks ( also did hong kong one year and Osaka the next year) . This was just after easter. Weather was generally warm ( couple of days of overcast and some rain but not too bad) and the queues were manageable ( apart from Toy Story -180mins for most of the day but managed to get on just before park closing)- this was before Soaring opened. Also depending on timings early April could be peak Sakura ( blossom ) season with the main sakura viewing parks in Tokyo ( and elsewhere in Japan)
I have also been in early January ( can be cool and feels cold with the wind chill) . Parks are ok and usually clear blue skies and sunny ( even able to see Mt Fuji from Disneysea). I avoided the parks at weekends.

 

[Maleficent_Hades]

Hi, In 2018 and 2019 I went to Tokyo around the 10th April for 2 weeks ( also did hong kong one year and Osaka the next year) . This was just after easter. Weather was generally warm ( couple of days of overcast and some rain but not too bad) and the queues were manageable ( apart from Toy Story -180mins for most of the day but managed to get on just before park closing)- this was before Soaring opened. Also depending on timings early April could be peak Sakura ( blossom ) season with the main sakura viewing parks in Tokyo ( and elsewhere in Japan)
I have also been in early January ( can be cool and feels cold with the wind chill) . Parks are ok and usually clear blue skies and sunny ( even able to see Mt Fuji from Disneysea). I avoided the parks at weekends.

thanks, its looking more likely that we will be going in June 2024 it's just easier to plan when we know for sure my sister will be done with the school year.

 

[Haley R]

We went in 2019 the end of May to the beginning of June. Going right after golden week worked out really well for us! Just be aware that you may get lots of rain in June. We got lucky and only had 1-2 days with rain

 

[Maleficent_Hades]

We went in 2019 the end of May to the beginning of June. Going right after golden week worked out really well for us! Just be aware that you may get lots of rain in June. We got lucky and only had 1-2 days with rain

thank you hopefully we can go early june.

so i've been reading how tokyo weather is very similar to mid atlantic weather, how true is that? i would be ok with that since i live in south jersey, where rain is usually heavy in June but this year we barley got an rain so guess its hit or miss.

 

[Haley R]

thank you hopefully we can go early june.

so i've been reading how tokyo weather is very similar to mid atlantic weather, how true is that? i would be ok with that since i live in south jersey, where rain is usually heavy in June but this year we barley got an rain so guess its hit or miss.

I believe June is the start of the rainy season. It can be humid and rainy but July should be worse than June. We stayed until around June 14 and we were pretty comfortable. It did get pretty hot some days in Kyoto but I thought Tokyo wasn’t too bad. We live in Florida though lol

 

[Maleficent_Hades]

I believe June is the start of the rainy season. It can be humid and rainy but July should be worse than June. We stayed until around June 14 and we were pretty comfortable. It did get pretty hot some days in Kyoto but I thought Tokyo wasn’t too bad. We live in Florida though lol

yeah around the 1st or 2nd week is probably when we'd go so that would be good

 

[Haley R]

yeah around the 1st or 2nd week is probably when we'd go so that would be good

Just pack some umbrellas and shoes you don’t mind walking in the rain in and you’ll be good!

 

[Version 6]

Just hijacking this thread, because I don't feel like my post deserves a new one of its own.

Our family trip (originally scheduled for 2020 - then postponed to 2021) is now postponed again to 2022.

All going well, we will be in Japan from 23 September - 12 October.

Just wondering what the crowds in the parks are like at those times, and whether it would be best (purely crowd wise) to have the Disney portion be at the start of the trip or the end of the trip?

We will stick to weekdays.

Thanks in advance

 

[gelatoni fan]

Just hijacking this thread, because I don't feel like my post deserves a new one of its own.

Our family trip (originally scheduled for 2020 - then postponed to 2021) is now postponed again to 2022.

All going well, we will be in Japan from 23 September - 12 October.

Just wondering what the crowds in the parks are like at those times, and whether it would be best (purely crowd wise) to have the Disney portion be at the start of the trip or the end of the trip?

We will stick to weekdays.

Thanks in advance

Historically, September has had lower crowds than October so I recommend at the start.

 

[condorthb]

thanks, its looking more likely that we will be going in June 2024 it's just easier to plan when we know for sure my sister will be done with the school year.

We're planning June 2024 as well. My wife is a teacher, and the day after her last in-service day we plan on flying out. Our school district in GA, ends in May.

 

[starlite_]

Hijacking thread to ask, any warnings or things I should know about planning for August? My friend and I are hoping to finally make it to Japan in 2023.

(Assuming Japan opens borders of course)

 

[gelatoni fan]

Hijacking thread to ask, any warnings or things I should know about planning for August? My friend and I are hoping to finally make it to Japan in 2023.

(Assuming Japan opens borders of course)

You'll be hitting Japan during summer vacation. Many places will be a bit more crowded than usual, especially if your trip happens to overlap with Obon festivals. The summer shows in TDR will blast a lot of water at the audience so bring plastic bags to cover your stuff and get a poncho. I've ruined a lot of electronics by not properly putting them away during Pirates Summer Battle Get Wet at Disneysea.

Despite slightly elevated crowds, I like visiting Japan during late July/early August because of all the Stamp Rallies. Shopping malls and other places will have stamp stations set up so if you grab their free stamp sheets and collect all the stamps, you'll get a small gift. In Tokyo Area, the JR Pokemon stamp rally is the most popular one. Visit 6 of the JR stations on their list and you can get a prize. They also have a bigger prize for visiting all the stations on their list but it wouldn't be a good use of time as a tourist to try to finish that.

 

[starlite_]

You'll be hitting Japan during summer vacation. Many places will be a bit more crowded than usual, especially if your trip happens to overlap with Obon festivals. The summer shows in TDR will blast a lot of water at the audience so bring plastic bags to cover your stuff and get a poncho. I've ruined a lot of electronics by not properly putting them away during Pirates Summer Battle Get Wet at Disneysea.

Despite slightly elevated crowds, I like visiting Japan during late July/early August because of all the Stamp Rallies. Shopping malls and other places will have stamp stations set up so if you grab their free stamp sheets and collect all the stamps, you'll get a small gift. In Tokyo Area, the JR Pokemon stamp rally is the most popular one. Visit 6 of the JR stations on their list and you can get a prize. They also have a bigger prize for visiting all the stations on their list but it wouldn't be a good use of time as a tourist to try to finish that.

this is perfect! I'll talk to my friend, maybe he will rather go in sept. Thank you for your help

 

[LovesTimone]

Just hijacking this thread, because I don't feel like my post deserves a new one of its own.

Our family trip (originally scheduled for 2020 - then postponed to 2021) is now postponed again to 2022.

All going well, we will be in Japan from 23 September - 12 October.

Just wondering what the crowds in the parks are like at those times, and whether it would be best (purely crowd wise) to have the Disney portion be at the start of the trip or the end of the trip?

We will stick to weekdays.

Thanks in advance

Hi asking a couple of questions..

We were in the same boat, planned for Japan then covid struck... what a mess... So now we are looking for mid April of next year for our 20th anniversary trip. Without individual travel being allowed right now... and not a hint when you can travel without being in tour group... We are giving October of this year as our deadline to decide on what our plan is going to be...

Are you going the tour guide route?

How are your handling air fare? or have you booked yet?

I think we most likely are going go the route we sorta had a rough draft of... If they don't open travel for individual travel, we have 2 other options either Paris or Hawaii... I would love to add South Korea into the list...

 

[gelatoni fan]

Hi asking a couple of questions..

We were in the same boat, planned for Japan then covid struck... what a mess... So now we are looking for mid April of next year for our 20th anniversary trip. Without individual travel being allowed right now... and not a hint when you can travel without being in tour group... We are giving October of this year as our deadline to decide on what our plan is going to be...

Are you going the tour guide route?

How are your handling air fare? or have you booked yet?

I think we most likely are going go the route we sorta had a rough draft of... If they don't open travel for individual travel, we have 2 other options either Paris or Hawaii... I would love to add South Korea into the list...

I've done tour guides for TDR in the past but absolutely do not recommend it if your main reason to go to Japan is Disney. They'll usually arrive late and leave early. The advantage is that you can get transport to harder to reach places such as parts of Hakone and Mt. Fuji.

There really isn't a good reason to book airfare right now. Flights to Japan aren't cheap right now. Pre-panedemic, I'd try to get under $900 for San Francisco to Tokyo round trip and would even occasionally see under $700. Now, it's over $1K and flights on ANA which is what I usually fly are often close to $2K.

Paris and Hawaii are actually good options. Right now, hotels and rental cars can be hit or miss for Hawaii but hopefully that'll sort itself out by next year. I think we're soon approaching another period of good deals for airfare to these two destinations as revenge travel burns itself out and recession fears lead to cancelled vacations.

I find Seoul kinda boring so I mostly recommend Korea as a stopover on the way to another Asian country if flying from the US. Historically, Bangkok, Manila and Hong Kong were the sweet spots for airfare with stopovers in Seoul. But hotels in Korea are becoming cheaper for Americans due to the strengthening dollar so this could be a good time for international trips.

 

[LovesTimone]

I've done tour guides for TDR in the past but absolutely do not recommend it if your main reason to go to Japan is Disney. They'll usually arrive late and leave early. The advantage is that you can get transport to harder to reach places such as parts of Hakone and Mt. Fuji.

There really isn't a good reason to book airfare right now. Flights to Japan aren't cheap right now. Pre-panedemic, I'd try to get under $900 for San Francisco to Tokyo round trip and would even occasionally see under $700. Now, it's over $1K and flights on ANA which is what I usually fly are often close to $2K.

Paris and Hawaii are actually good options. Right now, hotels and rental cars can be hit or miss for Hawaii but hopefully that'll sort itself out by next year. I think we're soon approaching another period of good deals for airfare to these two destinations as revenge travel burns itself out and recession fears lead to cancelled vacations.

I find Seoul kinda boring so I mostly recommend Korea as a stopover on the way to another Asian country if flying from the US. Historically, Bangkok, Manila and Hong Kong were the sweet spots for airfare with stopovers in Seoul. But hotels in Korea are becoming cheaper for Americans due to the strengthening dollar so this could be a good time for international trips.

Hi Gelatoni,

I finally found all my old notes on Japan...

Our original plans went something like this...

Arrival day travel to Hilton hotel at TDL... sleep, and try to get rid of the jet lag..
Total 3 nights at TDL - We had planned to use a private car service because after a 14 hour flight easy peasy is the way to go...

Spend 2 days- 1 in each park...

Then move to Tokyo for 5 or 6 nights...

Staying at the Hilton Odaiba --- we are Hilton members... we must have a king size bed... my DH is 6'4" and big guy...

We planned on using the concierge at the hotel for some private tours and such..

Day trip to Kyoto by bullet train... Our friends used a private guide who met them in Tokyo, and rode with them, spent the day with them showed them sights, then got them back on the train to Tokyo at the end of the day... I managed contacting the woman who did the tour.. and she said she is undecided on whether she is going continue, and is waiting to see when they open up individual vacationers... So that's kinda up in the air...

I have written down... Rail Pass, hop on hop off buses.. with a bunch of question marks...

I have a Giant question mark - ? phones and electronic usage with more question marks...

I can not find the list of restaurants and other sites we had decided on we wanted to try in Tokyo... So here I guess I will have to start over...

Yet all this is just wait and see, due to the fact we don't know or have any hint of when Japan will allow individual travelers in...

So I am planning 3 trips at once we are going to decided in October were we are going... I really really am hoping for Japan...

Suggestions, thoughts, and info is always appreciated...

 

[Douglas Dubh]

A day trip to Kyoto is going to be a long day. We did an overnight and I felt rushed. If I ever go again I want to do at least two nights in the Kyoto area.