Japan (Tokyo and Kyoto) have been on my bucket list for years, and I just looked online and found some great flight options.

A friend works in travel and said don't bother "they are on a 3-year backlog--- availability will be low, sites will be maxed with tourists, etc. Better to book next year".

Agree or disagree?

I'm less concerned with all the tourists in the typical tourist attractions and more concerned with getting restaurant reservations and lodging accommodations. Do we have enough time for this if we book now?

Can you push it into September? Weather in August is not the best.

There is no way I would visit Japan in August. It’s hot and miserable in a normal year and recently there have been heat waves with temperatures to 40. Right in the middle of typhoon season too.

IDK why that person thinks next year would be better. Maybe if there was a global recession there might be fewer tourists. Maybe predictions of a stronger yen and/or continued "high" inflation. Or maybe the thought is that the "backlog" will clear up. But, in the years before 2020 Japan tourism was increasing every year. China is back, Korea, Taiwan, the West. No telling about fuel prices. Japan had incentives for Japanese domestic travel, the government providing rebates or payments to Japanese to travel in Japan. I think that ended, but it probably increased the demand over the last ~6 months and affected projections for this year. Whatever demand increase those incentives created it will be gone this year, if not already.

As long as the trip is not during Obon, that time is an off-season (because of weather: heat, a bit more humid, rain). Lowest tourism season is winter, next lowest would be summer. Aug-Sept is typhoon season.

It is not too late or to early to book for end of August. You could compare rates for that time vs sping (April or May) or autumn (end of Oct - Nov). You should find availability and better prices for your travel period. There is no shortage of dining places in Japan.

I nominate this for Understatement of the Year.

Thanks for all the feedback-- I just saw that humidity levels are up to 80, so it sounds like it will be extremely hot.

I'm going to see if we can arrange our year to find another time of year to go.

I've been to Japan several times during the summer and agree with everyone regarding the weather in August. Of course Fall or Spring is better, but if the choice was traveling there in August or not at all I would be jumping on a plane to go. In summer beer gardens open up with pitchers of ice cold draft beer, also kakigori (japanese shaved ice with fruit) is a delicious treat to cool down with.

>> if the choice was traveling there in August or not at all I would be jumping on a plane to go.

Yes. And you get the benefits of off-peak travel. The "great travel options" the OP found might be one of those benefits.

Kyoto, monthly:

Average Relative Humidity:
% 70 65 60 60 65 70 70 70 70 70 70 70
the string of %70s starts in Jun

Average High Temperature
F 46 48 53 66 73 80 87 89 82 71 60 51
the highest is August

its not the humidity, its the heat

and, just for fun:
Average Number of Days With Precipitation
Days 19 17 17 14 13 15 14 11 15 12 12 15
the lowest month being August.

174 days per year with rain

data from weatherbase

Assuming we’re ok with bearing the heat. How concerning are the typhoons? I’ve read mixed things online.

It depends on the category of the Typhoon and where the eye goes and where you are. The storms come up from the South. Normally only affects you significantly for a day or two. If it hits close to you it means you stay in the hotel for the day and you will have a lot of rain and winds before and after it hits for a day or so usually more before it hits. On the positive side, the weather tends to be quite nice and more moderate with no smog after the typhoon clears. You can sometimes see Mt Fuji from Tokyo. The next day after that it’s back to normal summer weather

Well, it is the combination of heat and humidity that get people.

Would you go to Florida at that time of year? It would be hurricane season and hotter and more humid in Miami than Kyoto. I think they would be more serious about air conditioning in Miami, though.

Typhoons in Japan (japan-guide.com)

I have been Japan quite a few times but never during the summer - because of the weather. Nov, May, Apr, Oct, in that order if I could choose when to go.

I have been to Japan three times in August and I would not hesitate to go back. Had a fantastic time. The sun is powerful, so be prepared to have a head cover (some Japanese women carry parasols if they will be outdoors for extended periods). But if you are in the shade, then you are good to go for long stretches. The humidity has never been a problem for me, not at all like Shanghai or, far worse, Hong Kong. Now THAT is oppressive.

One time I went stretching into September, and then we got hit by a monsoon. Still, I would not hesitate to go. Take the opportunity when you can get it. With a monsoon, you have to be prepared to adapt.

I am not sure why anyone needs restaurant reservations in Japan, just go!

I agree, Japan in August is extremely humid. I've never experienced humidity like I did in Japan. BUT... I still had a great time. We took the bullet train from Tokyo to Osaka (so fast and easy!) before popping up to Kyoto. The only thing that might hinder your travel plans is if you're hit with monsoon. At this time of year, it's quite likely, so it's good to be prepared. I say go for it!

It sounds like you have flexibility about when to come. If so, don't come in August or September. The heat and humidity will kill you and there can be a constant barrage of typhoons, especially in September, which will wreck havoc with your flight plans as well as domestic travel. In my opinion, November is the best month to visit, followed by May. After that April or late March (for the cherry blossoms), although February is better weather-wise than March (dryer and sunnier) and the ume trees can fill in for the cherry trees to a certain extent.

My favorite time to visit Honshu is mid October through November and late March through April. Late May was rather warm last year. Golden week in early May also can complicate things. I personally try not to go during Cherry blossom time as it’s a very popular time for foreign visitors

Interesting that you could somehow visit May of last year. Japan was still fully closed then to all foreigners due to covid.

In all fairness, anyone can look up the air temperature in Tokyo last year. Ye olde internet has that covered.

Japan opened its borders since spring of 2022 for foreigners who have family members living in Japan. One just had to get proper papers and apply for entry.

No kidding! lol. Could always try the JMA website. A hotel gave free access to the Japan Times and I signed up last November. The JT still sends me a daily email with healine links and can read the first paragraph or two for free. Very well could have been an article about high temps last May.

Business travelers too, IIRC. Which I assume included tecthnical experts, not just people in business suits. Maybe diplomats, military, medical people.

I wouldn't put off the trip until a year later if I were you. Who knows what's going to be happening a year later? What folks should have learned from the pandemic is to not put things off. And I wouldn't give up with trying to do it when you want to do it. I was in Japan in the summers of 2017, 2018, and 2019 and getting accommodations then was even a bit of a mess. But, I didn't give up and was able to pull it off on Expedia for accommodations.
As for the heat of the summer, it personally doesn't bother me at all. I was there in July and in August and it wasn't any hotter than when I annually spend 6 weeks straight in Southeast Asia in 35-40-plus C weather. The accommodation prices that I personally got in the summer were much lower than after the months of the heat.

Have a great trip!

Happy Travels!