Fair enough, mrwunrfl. Thanks for clarifying - for me and the OP and anyone else who is following this thread.

May is moving into the hot & humid season. November has nice weather, Koyo viewing, and has a couple of holidays. It is nearly as popular for sightseeing as cherry blossom season in spring. We used to like to travel in October and early to mid-May because, for decades, that's when hotels (and airfare) were typically less expensive. Also, some inns don't like to book too far in advance, so places will show limited availability if you are trying to book more than a few months out..