Last Updated: Jul 1, 2024

Surviving the Japanese Summer

Typhoons, Heat & Humidity

This story was originally published on donnykimball.com and has been syndicated here on Medium.

In addition to Japan’s famed cherry trees that blossom in spring, the summer months of July and August are often one of the most popular times to visit Japan. After all, the kids are out of school and many firms allow their employees some additional leeway when it comes to taking vacation time. No doubt, given its many unique festivals and convenient timing, summer proves to be the most appealing time to plan a trip. While there is certainly a lot of truth behind this notion, many tourists simply don’t know what they are getting themselves into. You see, one of the other highlights of this season in Japan is that temperatures get so miserably hot and humid that even the slang term “swamp ass” fails to aptly describe the experience. What’s more, the heat can become downright deadly and especially so in locations such as Kyoto where the city is surrounded on all sides by mountains.

In addition to the sweltering conditions, one of summer’s other hallmarks is its many devastating typhoons. That’s right, the only time you’re going to get a short reprieve from the oppressive heat is when you’re being drenched to the bone by a torrential downpour. To make matters worse, these storms are often followed by increasing humidity making the already sultry conditions even more unbearable. Now, being a bit of a pluviophile, rain isn’t something that I mind in the least bit. That said, the strength of these typhoons has swelled to epic levels in recent years as was recently evidenced by the catastrophic flooding in western Japan. Reader be warned, these typhoons are definitely not to be taken lightly!

While these dual deterrents might have you clamoring to cancel your travel plans, remember that millions trek to Japan during the summer months every year, heat be damned. The sauna-like conditions need not FUBAR your vacation. With a little bit of itinerary tweaking, it’s possible to get the best out of this season without succumbing to the same fate as our friend Frosty the Snowman. What follows are some of by best tips and suggestions for those who visit in summer…

1.) Get an Early Start on the Day