東京都 · Calendar 2026

January is Tokyo's indoor month. Outdoors, the winter peonies at Ueno Toshogu are the one real draw, so lean on museums, food and shopping. Expect New Year shrine crowds and shop closures early on, and start watching the cherry-blossom front if spring timing matters.

• 上野東照宮牡丹苑

February is Tokyo's low season: thinner crowds, shorter queues, better value on hotels. The draws are flowers — plum at Yushima Tenmangu and winter peonies at Ueno Toshogu. Far too early for cherry blossom, so use the blossom-front tracker to plan a later trip.

• 湯島天満宮
• 上野東照宮牡丹苑

Early March is still off-season, carried by plum at Yushima Tenmangu. Cherry season only starts late in the month, when Ueno Park, Yasukuni Shrine and Shinjuku Gyoen come into play. Bloom timing shifts every year, so keep dates flexible and watch the blossom-front tracker.

• 湯島天満宮
• 上野恩賜公園
• 新宿御苑
• 靖国神社

Early April is peak cherry season and the most crowded, most expensive stretch of Tokyo's year. Ueno Park is the boisterous option; Shinjuku Gyoen and Yasukuni Shrine are steadier but still busy. Book lodging early — once the petals drop, crowds and rates fall away.

• 上野恩賜公園
• 新宿御苑
• 靖国神社

May is one of the easiest months to walk Tokyo — mild, and before the rains. Cherry blossom is long over in the city; the blossom-front tracker shows where it has moved north. Domestic holidays early in the month tighten transport and hotel availability.

June is the rainy season: not constant downpours, but unpredictable enough that indoor-first itineraries with outdoor backups work best. The upside is fewer visitors and cheaper rooms. It also turns humid, so run through the summer packing list before you pack.

July turns genuinely hot — plan for early mornings and evenings, and stay indoors around midday. The headline event is the Sumida River Fireworks: packed riverbanks and stations, so book accommodation far ahead and allow extra time getting back. See the summer packing list.

• 隅田川花火大會

August is the hottest month and typhoon season, so plan fallbacks for afternoon storms and transport stoppages. Treat it as a heat-avoidance trip: aquariums, museums, underground arcades, evenings outside. Domestic travel peaks mid-month, so book early and check the summer packing list.

Nothing is listed for Tokyo in September, so the city itself has to carry the trip. Heat lingers and typhoon season isn't over, so keep plans cancellable. In exchange, crowds thin and rates drop — good for a museum-and-food city trip, or a stopover between regions.

October brings settled weather and easy walking, though city-centre autumn colour hasn't arrived yet. The one big draw is the Tokyo Bay Fireworks, which is ticket-only — you can't just turn up, so sort tickets and lodging early. A good month for day trips.

• 東京湾大華火祭(睽違11年復活・完全チケット制・晴海埠頭沖)

Tokyo's autumn colour only really starts in the second half of November, and Rikugien is the classic in-city option — busiest at weekends, so go on a weekday morning. Early November is usually still green; plan around food and exhibitions instead.

• 六義園

Early December still catches the tail of the autumn colour at Rikugien; after that the city shifts to illumination season, which only works after dark, so keep daytime for indoor plans. Around New Year, closures vary widely — check each venue before you go.

• 六義園