this month in japan
May 皐月
May at a glance
- Green everywhere, a three-day national holiday, and Okinawa's rains begin.
Weather
- Tokyo: 24°C / 15°C. Warm days, mild nights, and the rains haven't come yet.
- Kyoto: averages 19.5°C.
- Sapporo: 18°C / 9°C. Spring has finally arrived.
- Okinawa (Naha): 27°C / 22°C. The rainy season usually starts around 10 May.
- Pack: shirtsleeves and a light layer for evenings. Bring rain gear for Okinawa.
What's happening
- 3, 4 and 5 May: Constitution Memorial Day, Greenery Day and Children's Day, the end of Golden Week.
- 15 May: Aoi Matsuri, Kyoto. A court procession in Heian-period dress.
- Sanja Matsuri, Asakusa, Tokyo. Three days around the third Sunday of May, and one of the city's rowdiest portable-shrine festivals.
- Grand Sumo, May tournament — Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo.
What's in season
- Asari clams, the end of their spring run.
- Takenoko, the late bamboo shoots.
- Strawberries, the tail of the season.
The 72 seasons
| 候 | Romaji | Meaning | From c. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 蛙始鳴 | kawazu hajimete naku | Frogs start singing | 6 May |
| 蚯蚓出 | mimizu izuru | Worms surface | 11 May |
| 竹笋生 | takenoko shōzu | Bamboo shoots sprout | 16 May |
| 蚕起食桑 | kaiko okite kuwa o hamu | Silkworms feast on mulberry | 21 May |
| 紅花栄 | benibana sakau | Safflowers bloom | 26 May |
| 麦秋至 | mugi no toki itaru | Wheat ripens | 31 May |
Crowds
The first days of May are Golden Week, with full trains and booked inns. Once it ends, there's no national holiday until July.
psst,
Fly in the week after Golden Week. The weather is the same, and the holiday crowds are gone.