Kyoto Weather Forecast

It sits in a basin closed on three sides, so summer heat has nowhere to go and the humidity has nothing to disperse it. An August day at 35°C here feels heavier than the same number on the coast, and the evenings stay warm — it is the commonest complaint of a July or August visit.

In the city, a handful of times a winter and usually gone by lunchtime, so a snow-dusted Kinkakuji is a matter of luck and an early alarm. Northern Kyoto Prefecture, around Miyama and the Sea of Japan coast, is genuine snow country.

Late March to mid-May, and late October to early December — dry, clear and mild. Those are also the two most crowded windows of the year, which is the trade: early February and mid-June are far quieter and still perfectly workable.