Best Time To Visit Kamakura

"Historic Japanese coastal town with giant Buddha"

7 out of 35 Places in Japan

Best Time: March - June, November - December Read More

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What is the best time to visit Kamakura?

The best time to visit Kamakura is March to June and November to December, and the town has three separate seasons worth travelling for. Mid-June is the hydrangeas, mid-November to early December is the autumn colour, and late March to early April is the blossom.

September is the month to avoid. It is the wettest of the year and sits inside the typhoon window, while July and August are hot, humid and crowded on the beaches.

Mid-June: The Hydrangeas, and Why the Rain Is the Point

Mid-June is when Kamakura is unlike anywhere else near Tokyo. The hydrangeas fill the Hydrangea Path at Hase-dera and Meigetsu-in, known locally as the temple of hydrangeas for its thousands of pale blue flowers.

It falls inside the rainy season, and that is the point. The hydrangea is the flower of tsuyu and is held to be at its best in the rain, so here the rain is the product rather than the risk.

Mid-November to Early December: Autumn Colour

Mid-November to early December is the autumn colour window, and it is drier than the rest of autumn, with rainfall falling away sharply from November into December.

Temperatures sit around eighteen degrees. Meigetsu-in opens its rear garden for the foliage season, which it otherwise keeps closed, so this is a second chance at the temple's best part.

Late March to Early April: Cherry Blossom

Late March to early April is the blossom window, with nearby Yokohama averaging first bloom around 25 March and full bloom about 1 April.

Expect crowds and about eighteen degrees. The dates move by a week or more each year, so check the season's forecast rather than booking on the average.

May: The Easiest Weather of the Year

May is the easiest weather of the year, warm and dry, sitting between the blossom crowds and the rainy season.

It is the best month for the walking routes, the Daibutsu trail and the temples, if you are not chasing a particular flower. Kusajishi, an archery ritual at Kamakura-gu, falls on 5 May.

July to August: Hot, Humid, and the Beaches Are Full

July and August are hot and humid, around thirty degrees, and the tail of the rainy season runs into late July.

The beaches are the story now. Kamakura's sand beaches get very crowded with swimmers and sunbathers through both months, which is either the reason to come or the reason not to.

September to October: The Wettest Month and the Typhoons

September is the wettest month of the year and sits inside the typhoon window. Five or six typhoons pass over or near Japan each year between early August and early October.

There is one exception worth knowing. The Tsurugaoka Hachimangu grand festival runs on fixed dates, 14 to 16 September, with yabusame horseback archery among the ceremonies.

January to February: Cold, Dry and Quiet

January is the driest month of the year, and January and February are the coldest, averaging about six degrees across the day.

Cold and dry suits Kamakura better than it sounds. The temples are quiet, the light is clear and this is the cheapest, least crowded time to walk the town, though Nagoya is the better winter choice if you want indoor sights.

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