Tokyo Weather in August

August: sticky summer days

Tokyo feels hot, humid and often cloudy in August. The high is 31°C, with nights around 24°C, and rain falls on 15 days. Showers can interrupt a day out, while sticky afternoons make long walks tiring.

Choose indoor sights such as the Tokyo National Museum or teamLab Planets, and save short outdoor visits for cooler parts of the day. Skip long hikes and open-air sightseeing at midday. The Imperial Palace grounds are more pleasant when the sun is lower.

Festivals and Obon

August brings the Koenji Awa Odori, a lively street dance festival usually held late in the month. Obon, a mid-August holiday when families honour their ancestors, sends many Tokyo residents out of the city. Some shops and restaurants may close, while transport can be busy around the holiday.

If you hate crowds, avoid travelling on the main Obon dates and check local opening hours.

Crowds and a local tip

Compared with spring and autumn, August can be less busy at some Tokyo sights, but it's still a popular holiday month. Flights and hotels may cost more around Obon, and festival streets get packed. Tokyo can feel quieter when residents leave, so the city's crowd levels vary.

For a cool break near Shinjuku, head into a department store's depachika: its basement food hall sells ready-to-eat meals and sweets. It's an easy place to eat when the heat or rain makes a restaurant detour less appealing.