I heard something about typhoons, too!

July 27, 2009 11:47 AM

What will the weather be like in Japan at the beginning of September? I have googled and got an idea – warm and rainy! – but have a few specific questions and would welcome personal experience!

A few sites have suggested that the temperatures in September will be around 22-26 degrees celsius – is this about right? Will t-shirts be enough in the day times? How cool does it get at night?

How sunny is it? Is it generally warm but overcast or is it sunny enough that I will need to bring sunscreen? Is it generally dreary and cloudy or can we expect some clear skies at least?

How rainy is it usually at the beginning of September? Will I need to carry an umbrella and mac with me at all times, or will the heavy rains of the high summer have let off a bit?

Bonus, slightly unrelated question: I will probably wear pumps or sandals while I am there. I don’t wear socks underneath these, will this be a problem when we go places where you have to take your shoes off? Is it normal to take your shoes off and be barefoot?

I will be in Japan from 1st-14th September and we will be staying in Tokyo, Hakone and Kyoto.

Thanks for any help!

posted by schmoo to travel & transportation (12 comments total)

I can only speak for Tokyo. But in September yes, you'll want an umbrella with you quite often. though don't worry too much about it since you can buy a pretty decent one for just a couple hundred yen at any convenience store. (Which are literally every block.)

I'd bring sunscreen as well. Why not? (though again, you can buy it at any convenience store.)

Frankly, in September you need to plan for everything. The weather is definitely unsettled. When a typhoon blows through it's ... well it's like a typhoon blowing through. But after it passes the skys are often amazingly clear and beautiful. It's also the end of summer but the beginning of autumn. Summers are miserably hot and humid in Tokyo. Autumn is brisk. I'd bring an assortment of clothes from shorts and T-shirt to a light jacket or sweater, especially for the nights.

Wear socks or those little footie nylon things. Taking of your shoes does not equal barefoot.
posted by Ookseer at 12:01 PM on July 27

Layers are good: bring a couple of cardigans or a light jacket. You may want it during the day, too.

Weatherwise, it may be rainy, so if you have a mini-umbrella bring it, but don't forget sunscreen also. I ran out there and had trouble finding more.

A day trip to Nikko from Tokyo is a must! Have fun.
posted by vilthuril at 12:01 PM on July 27

September and October are the ONLY times my Mom will go...she flat out refuses to go in the summer or winter. You'll definitely see some rain and high humidity but shouldn't be too hot. We'll be there in October this year.
posted by vito90 at 12:11 PM on July 27

Early September is still summer. It'll be hot, humid and the nights probably won't be cool unless it's just rained, and even then it won't be cold. Skirts, shorts, light trousers are what you're looking for. Having a rain jacket and umbrella handy is useful too. If you need it, sunscreen is a good idea. It is widely available but may be hard to find if you don't know the language.

I like sandals because once shoes are soaked your feet are wet for the rest of the day. In other threads people discounted my sandal advice but I"ll just say that over 3 Japanese summers no one batted an eyelash over my footwear (and if they were doing it privately, well really who cares?). This includes going barefoot in temples after taking off my sandals.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 12:30 PM on July 27

I first landed in Japan at the beginning of September, 1994, and I can tell you that I found it quite hot - I could not stand directly in the sun, and I could not sleep without an air conditioner.

Early to mid- September will be very hot and humid, even at night. Temperatures during the day will average at least 30 degrees Celsius, while temperatures at night will not be much better. The weather only really starts to improve by the end of September.

My parents would usually visit us for the ten years that I lived in Japan (near Kyoto) in late October: it was like summer to them, and they never needed a jacket during the day, so you will be fine in early September.

September is indeed typhoon season. The terrible thing about typhoons is how hot it gets just before the typhoon hits. Then the rain comes crashing down and everything cools off to a bearable temperature.

I don't think you need to buy an umbrella to take to Japan because:

a) you don't want to be outside during a typhoon - it's very very wet, and it can be dangerous; however, the rains abruptly stop, so you don't need an umbrella anyway

b) Japan sells plenty of cheap umbrellas. Why not pick one up while you're here?

As for shoes, you'll be taking your shoes off if you stay at a ryokan or visit someone's house. Socks are fine, but it is better (ie, polite) if you wear the (too small) slippers that are offered to you.

I'd be more concerned with getting my socks dirty if it rains. It might be a good idea to bring along a pair of running shoes.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:36 PM on July 27

I live in Tokyo. On the dates you're coming, Tokyo will still be hot. Much hotter than 22-26 degrees C, more like 30-35 during the day. The nights will be hot, too, around 25 degrees or so. The weather part is hard to say; the rainfall varies from year to year. The long-term weather forecast says that the weather will change every few days in September, which is vague, I know, but it's like that every year. Hakone is in the mountains, so it'll be a bit cooler but probably not much. But you might need a light jacket if you're going out at night there. I can't speak for Kyoto, but generally Kyoto can be much hotter than Tokyo in the summer, so my guess is that it won't be too different from what it's like here.

Re the socks, many women wear sandals barefoot here so you should be fine, but I haven't been inside any temples recently and don't know the etiquette regarding socks in these situations. Generally the temples here aren't as strict as the ones in say, Thailand, but then, I suppose you could always carry one in your purse if you want to be on the safe side. Also, if you feel icky wearing slippers that other people have worn, then you'll need socks.
posted by misozaki at 6:58 PM on July 27

For the most part, places that expect you to take off your shoes will provide you with slippers. One thing that I wasn't expecting was that nobody in Tokyo wears tank tops...bring things with sleeves or you will stick out like a sore thumb. I heard it would be hot and so I thought, okay, tank top time...but I guess that isn't how they roll in Tokyo. I don't know if I was in extremely poor form, or just drastically unfashionable, but either way it was awkward being the only person anywhere who was baring shoulders. Plus I was white...and blonde. Oof. Talk about feeling like people were gawking at me constantly.

It seems like the general strategy for dealing with sweatiness is to tote around a towel or hankie to mop yourself up periodically. I also noticed that a lot of women had some thin little socks that they wore under their shoes (like, panty hose material, but not covering your whole foot) which I assume was to prevent blistering and aromas due to sweating. I assume you could buy those little socks in one of those insane department stores they have in Tokyo.

Also be prepared for the fact that it's rude to bring an umbrella inside. Typically most establishments will offer either a free rack or a rack where you make a small deposit and get a key to lock up your umbrella. Use it...it's actually really nice not to have to schlep a sopping wet umbrella around indoors.
posted by crinklebat at 9:06 PM on July 27

step 1: walk around crowded area, looking for people handing out stuff (usually wearing a poncho-looking thing)
step 2: accept a fan with some company's logo on it
step 3: fan yourself, and wear as little clothing as possible*

*if you are a foreigner you will be stared at no matter what, so you might as well be comfortable.
posted by mezamashii at 10:47 PM on July 27

One thing that I wasn't expecting was that nobody in Tokyo wears tank tops...bring things with sleeves or you will stick out like a sore thumb. I heard it would be hot and so I thought, okay, tank top time...but I guess that isn't how they roll in Tokyo.

FWIW, this is mainly because most Japanese women have an (at-times irrational) fear of sunlight/UV exposure. You might also notice that they carry parasols, even when very cloudy, and some also wear arm covers, no matter how hot and humid it is outside.

I wouldn't worry too much about the socks issue, though if you are planning to go inside a temple/shrine on a particular day it would be easier if you didn't wear sandals. Although I'm male I've never had a huge problem with going barefoot (though lately I've stuck to wearing shoes).
posted by armage at 11:29 PM on July 27

My wife, who is Japanese, would wear a light linen short-sleeved button-up top over a tank top... she would leave it unbuttoned. Plus sunglasses and a sunhat, and a skirt, dress, or capris pants.
posted by KokuRyu at 1:39 PM on July 29

Thank you all for your responses - sorry it's taken so long for me to update. You were all really helpful sharing your experiences and allaying my fears! As it happened, we were so lucky with the weather - we couldn't believe our luck, as we didn't see a drop of rain for the entire 10 days. When we arrived in Tokyo it was hot and overcast, and as the holiday went on the skies got bluer and the days sunnier - beautiful!
posted by schmoo at 11:39 AM on November 22

Oh, I forgot - for anyone who is reading this for reference re the socks/shoes thing - as it was such beautiful weather I wore sandals/ flipflops all the time, with bare feet, and got no odd looks. However I did keep a pair of white socks in my bag with me, which I put on whenever I had to take my shoes off - walking around temples, in restaurants etc. I would really advise anyone to do this as I realised when I was kneeling in the restaurant that I would have felt really embarrassed and out of place if my bare feet were showing to everybody - least of all because the soles of my feet were black from walking around dusty footpaths all day!
posted by schmoo at 11:43 AM on November 22