Catharina Klein
Research expert covering Japan
Weather in Japan - statistics & facts
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Japan hosts wildly contrasting climate regions, varying from a humid continental climate in the north to a subtropical climate in the south. Weather conditions differ between the Pacific side and the Sea of Japan side. While northern Japan has warm summers and cold winters with snowfall occurring in mountainous areas on the Sea of Japan side, the southern areas tend to have very hot and humid summers and moderately cold to mild winters. Additionally, Japan's weather conditions are influenced by natural disasters such as typhoons which often cause heavy rainfall.
The average annual rainfall stood at around 1.5 thousand millimeters in recent years. Most of the rain usually falls during the rainy season, which in Japan, lasts from early June to mid-July. In Okinawa, it roughly starts a month earlier, but northern regions such as Hokkaido are less influenced. Furthermore, typhoons regularly approach the archipelago between July and October, causing heavy rain and floods. Typhoons develop over the Pacific Ocean and are likely to approach Japan's southern prefectures, while Hokkaido is the least affected area.
Global warming already affected the archipelago in recent years, leading to an increase in average temperatures and a higher frequency in extreme weather situations such as typhoons, heavy rainfall, and temperatures above 35 degrees. This resulted in increased health problems of citizens such as heat strokes as well as higher damage costs due to natural disasters.
Due to its geography, Japan hosts diverse climate regions. The contrast between the Pacific coast and the Sea of Japan coast is particularly pronounced in terms of temperatures, rainfall, and even the number of typhoons that reach these regions. The impact of global warming is becoming increasingly noticeable through rising temperatures and is leading to an intensified extreme weather conditions such as heat waves and natural disasters such as typhoons.
Seasonal weather in Japan
Due to tropical airflows from the Pacific Ocean and Southeast Asia, Japanese summers are characterized by high temperatures and humidity. The monthly mean air temperature in the capital Tokyo usually peaks in August. January tends to be the coldest month on the archipelago. Heavy snowfall mostly occurs in mountainous regions on Hokkaido as well as northern parts of Honshu which face the Sea of Japan. In contrast, the southern prefectures rarely experience snow.The average annual rainfall stood at around 1.5 thousand millimeters in recent years. Most of the rain usually falls during the rainy season, which in Japan, lasts from early June to mid-July. In Okinawa, it roughly starts a month earlier, but northern regions such as Hokkaido are less influenced. Furthermore, typhoons regularly approach the archipelago between July and October, causing heavy rain and floods. Typhoons develop over the Pacific Ocean and are likely to approach Japan's southern prefectures, while Hokkaido is the least affected area.
Natural disasters and global warming influences
Since Japan is situated along the Ring of Fire, an area where several tectonic plates meet, it is vulnerable to natural disasters such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Additionally, typhoons regularly cause heavy rainfall and flooding, causing damage to residential buildings.Global warming already affected the archipelago in recent years, leading to an increase in average temperatures and a higher frequency in extreme weather situations such as typhoons, heavy rainfall, and temperatures above 35 degrees. This resulted in increased health problems of citizens such as heat strokes as well as higher damage costs due to natural disasters.
Due to its geography, Japan hosts diverse climate regions. The contrast between the Pacific coast and the Sea of Japan coast is particularly pronounced in terms of temperatures, rainfall, and even the number of typhoons that reach these regions. The impact of global warming is becoming increasingly noticeable through rising temperatures and is leading to an intensified extreme weather conditions such as heat waves and natural disasters such as typhoons.
