jetsetmom

Hello!

I am planning a trip to Japan in early June 2019 to celebrate my son's high school graduation. We would like to visit Tokyo and stay for 8 days. I am a bit concerned because we have been told that this is the rainy season and that rain fall could potentially be extremely heavy in June. With this being our first visit, I want to visit during a season that will allow us to get out and really take in the city. Can anyone share thoughts on and perhaps suggest an itinerary. If you have recommendations on where to stay that would also be great! I don't want to allow the rain to stop us, but if is excessive we may have to find an alternative.

Thank you in advance! Any suggestions are greatly appreciated!

kja

For historic climate data, I recommend timeanddate.com

For a wealth of information on Japan (including Tokyo), consult japan-guide.com

With 8 days, you might consider splitting your time between Tokyo and Kyoto, but of course, that really depends on your interests.

If you decide to do that, consider flying "open jaw"-- into one city and out of another (and for Kyoto, you could fly into / out of Kansai) -- all of this information is described in detail on japan-guide.com

Nice gift -- enjoy!

Strolling_Adventures

We were in Japan two years ago at the start of June. We had some days with drizzly rain but just took an umbrella out and it was fine. We had one day with terrible weather which was when we were at Tokyo Disneyland, it rained and was windy all day.
The weather is quite unpredictable so you will never know how much rain there will be. It can also be hot and humid which may affect your time.
Over 8 days plan some indoor activities and be willing to be flexible with day to day plans.

curiousgeo

You’ll notice when it rains many Japanese use clear umbrellas. These can be acquired at your hotel or easily purchased at convenience stores like 7-11’s, Lawson’s or at department stores and are very reasonable. Most shops and restaurants will also have umbrella racks at the entrance so you don’t have to worry about tracking in wet umbrellas.

Guenmai

* I just got back from 19 days in Japan. As for the weather in Tokyo, it's unpredictable. It was the same last summer as some days it rained like crazy. The other day, I got up and it was gorgeous outside and then some hours later it was pouring rain, like last summer. I wouldn't let that type of weather keep me from planning a trip to Japan.

* I was in both Tokyo and Kyoto for a total of 9 nights in Tokyo ( 5 nights upon arrival and 4 nights before my departure home) and 10 nights straight in Kyoto. Last summer, I was in Kyoto 9 nights straight and in Tokyo 5 nights at the end of my trip.

* I haven't been to Japan in June, as I'm there in late July and August. But, I have been there in both pouring rain and a typhoon as a typhoon/rain passed through Kyoto last summer-2017 that I got caught up in, but then cleared up and the rest of the day was fine. It's like the tropical kind of rain in S.E. Asia. I find Malaysia much more rainy and that rain hasn't stopped me from vacationing there. At least it's warm rain and cold rain like when I spend summers in Denmark.

*One can get out of the rain as it's pretty easy to walk from some areas to other areas underground. The other day when I was out, I left and it was gorgeous out and then a couple hours later I walked back to Marunouchi from Ginza and was underground the whole way and didn't even know that it was raining until I came up to street level. Then, I had a 5-minute walk back to my hotel and that was the only day that I had left my umbrella at the hotel as prior to that I never left the hotel without an umbrella.

* In July when I went to Disney Sea, it looked like it was going to rain, but didn't. It was in the 90s and humid that day and there were black clouds, but the rain didn't come down. Had it rained, there were plenty of covered areas where one could sit and get out of it until it stopped.

Happy Travels!

Boveney

I wouldn't worry about rain - the odd outdoor event might be cancelled in the event of heavy rain but everyone is used to carrying on as normal and Tokyo, as other posters have said, is easy to navigate via underground passages as well as connecting (covered) bridges to buildings. And the Japanese have a different attitude towards rain - this past June I was in Tokyo and very disgruntled by the 'bad weather' when a friend in Kamakura rang me to say this was the perfect day to visit Meigetsuin, the hydrangea temple, as the flowers are best viewed in the rain.

If this is a graduation trip for your son, I assume he has chosen your destination for certain aspects of Tokyo - maybe tech or pop culture? If it's anime, look into booking Ghibli Museum tickets before you arrive. June tickets will go on sale March lst on the JTB site, and on May 10 on the Lawson site. Advance planning definitely required! The official site of Ghibli Museum, Mitaka in Japan - TICKETS

jetsetmom

Thank you! I will definitely check out the site that you shared. I appreciate you taking the time to help!

jetsetmom

Thank you Strolling_Adventures. I appreciate the feedback! My son is excited about the opportunity to visit, so fingers-crossed for good weather!

jetsetmom

Thank you curiousgeo! I appreciate your response. It sounds like we should be fine.

lindygirl

My husband and I went to Japan a few years ago in Jan (very cold and it rained a few times) but I put together an itinerary based on our interests. We had about 10 days and split it up between Tokyo and Kyoto. I wrote a trip report with our itinerary, photos, and some costs:
http://fanofblank.blogspot.com/2014/...and-kyoto.html

It might help you get some ideas. Enjoy trip planning!

Rana25

I highly recommend you visit Kyoto, it'll show you the traditional side of Japan. I was in Japan last December and went to Kyoto, Tokyo, and Osaka. Tokyo was my least favorite, just because it resembled many big cities like New York and London (in terms of Architecture).

For Tokyo, I would recommend you research the location well and try to stay near public transportation. We stayed at a hotel, which although great, was in a very quiet area and the hotel staff told us to avoid a certain route at night because it wasn't very safe. But we had booked the night before so there weren't many options left.

mjs

Rainy season for Tokyo tends to start around the second week or occasionally little later although it can be quite variable. The rain is warm as it is quite humid but generally not quite s heavy as SE Asia Monsoons unless you hit a typhoon which would be rare in June. Quite different than Guenmai's Denmark summer rains which in my youth tended to be rather chilly with daytime temps often in the 60's. Go as early as you can. I should note that I found it difficult to get Ghibli tickets as they tend to get snatched up very fast when they go on sale. You son might enjoy exploring Ahkihabara if he is into anime.