What to Wear in Tokyo
Japan · 10 monthly packing guides
Tokyo dresses with precision. Clean lines, considered layers, and an appetite for detail you would miss anywhere else. Neighborhood codes shift block to block — the Daikanyama uniform is not the Harajuku uniform — so dressing for where you are going matters here more than in most cities.
Choose your month below to match your layers and shoes to the weather. Across the months covered, average daily lows reach 1°C / 34°F in January; average highs reach 32°C / 90°F in August.
Compare Tokyo by month
Monthly averages help compare packing needs; check the forecast before departure. Only months with published guides are listed. See the source notes below for station and measurement differences. Scroll across the table to see all weather details on a small screen.
| Month | Average low | Average high | Rain days | Daylight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| January packing guide | 1°C / 34°F | 10°C / 50°F | 5 | 10h |
| February packing guide | 3°C / 37°F | 11°C / 52°F | 7 | 10h 50m |
| May packing guide | 16°C / 61°F | 24°C / 75°F | 10 | 13h 40m |
| June packing guide | 20°C / 68°F | 27°C / 81°F | 12 | 14h 30m |
| July packing guide | 24°C / 75°F | 31°C / 88°F | 11 | 14h |
| August packing guide | 25°C / 77°F | 32°C / 90°F | 15 | 13h 30m |
| September packing guide | 21°C / 70°F | 28°C / 82°F | 12 | 12h 20m |
| October packing guide | 15°C / 59°F | 22°C / 72°F | 12 | 11h 15m |
| November packing guide | 10°C / 50°F | 17°C / 63°F | 9 | 10h 20m |
| December packing guide | 4°C / 39°F | 12°C / 54°F | 5 | 9h 45m |
Choose your Tokyo packing list
Tokyo in January: 10°C / 50°F afternoons, 1°C / 34°F mornings, 192.6 hours of sun and only 4.5 wet days, with frost on 8.1 mornings.
In this capsule: Navy single-breasted wool coat, notch lapel, below the knee; Cream quilted down jacket, stand collar, hip length; Cream fitted long-sleeve base layer.
Tokyo in February: 11°C / 52°F afternoons, 3°C / 37°F mornings, about 7 wet days and snow or sleet on 2.3, more than any other month.
In this capsule: Olive hooded padded coat, mid-thigh length; Ink fine-gauge merino roll-neck; Dusty plum-pink knit cardigan, brown buttons.
Tokyo in May: 24°C / 75°F afternoons, 16°C / 61°F mornings, 10 rain days — the quiet window between cherry blossoms and June's tsuyu.
In this capsule: Light cotton overshirt or unstructured blazer; Crew-neck white tee; Wide-leg cotton or linen trousers.
Tokyo in June is tsuyu (plum rain): 27°C / 81°F afternoons, 20°C / 68°F mornings, 12 rain days, 75-80% humidity.
In this capsule: Dark navy everyday rain jacket; Fitted white quick-dry tee; Charcoal cropped wide-leg trousers.
Tokyo in July: 31°C / 88°F afternoons, 24°C / 75°F mornings, 75-80% humidity — 31°C / 88°F feels 38°C / 100°F+ in peak afternoon.
In this capsule: Cream linen midi shirtdress; Light cropped cotton top; Natural tailored linen shorts.
Tokyo in August: 32°C / 90°F afternoons, 25°C / 77°F mornings, 72% humidity, 15 rain days — tsuyu remnants meet typhoon season.
In this capsule: Powder-blue linen midi dress with spaghetti straps; Fitted white short-sleeve quick-dry tee; Ivory quick-dry tank.
Tokyo in September: 27.6°C / 82°F afternoons, 20.8°C / 69°F nights, 225mm of rain — August with typhoons, not autumn.
In this capsule: Loose linen or technical short-sleeve shirt; Wide-leg lightweight trousers; Second full change of clothes.
Tokyo in October: 22°C / 72°F afternoons, 15°C / 60°F mornings, 235mm of rain across 12 days — the wettest month of the year.
In this capsule: Packable rain shell, hip length; Dark quick-drying trousers, tapered; Water-resistant flat leather shoes.
Tokyo in November: 17°C / 63°F afternoons, 10°C / 50°F nights, 9 rain days — less than half of October's rainfall.
In this capsule: Charcoal wool coat, single-breasted, knee length; Camel fine-gauge crew knit; Fine grey-on-white stripe cotton button-down.
Tokyo in December: 12°C / 54°F afternoons, 4°C / 39°F nights, about 5 wet days and 174.4 hours of sun, with dark at half past four.
In this capsule: Beige single-breasted wool overcoat, notch lapel, knee length; Rust lambswool crew-neck sweater; Cream cotton button-down, chest pocket.
Climate sources by month
These credits follow the source recorded on each monthly guide. Climate figures inform the packing advice; outfit combinations and illustrations are editorial suggestions.
- January: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- February: NOAA NCEI · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normalsJMA operates the station; NOAA NCEI computed this month's figures from its 47662099999 global-summary-of-the-day record, 29 complete Februaries (2005 is missing), with rain days counted at 0.01 in or more. On the same record January reads 10.0°C and 2.1°C against JMA's own normals of 9.8°C and 1.2°C, so this record runs about 0.9°C warmer at night. Recorded per month because the rest of this city's pages are sourced differently.
- May: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- June: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- July: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- August: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- September: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- October: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
- November: NOAA NCEI · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normalsJMA operates the station; NOAA NCEI computed this month's figures from its 47662099999 global-summary-of-the-day record. Recorded per month because the rest of this city's pages are sourced differently.
- December: Japan Meteorological Agency · Tokyo · 1991–2020 normals
Frequently asked questions
Start with your travel month. The 10 published guides cover January, February, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. Compare the average low as well as the high: among these months, January has the lowest average low at 1°C / 34°F, while August has the highest average high at 32°C / 90°F. For a trip spanning two months, read both lists before deciding which layers to bring.
No. They are monthly climate averages for planning, not temperatures promised for a particular day or hour. Check the local forecast close to departure and adjust your layers and rain protection. The source, station and averaging period are listed for each month where recorded; different stations or rain-day definitions can affect comparisons.
No. Treat the capsule as a set of clothing functions: walking shoes, a base outfit, weather protection and any change for dinner or a venue's dress code. Start with equivalents you own. Adjust quantities to your trip length and laundry access; the illustrations are outfit suggestions, not a shopping requirement.