Best Time To Go To Kobe

What is the best time of year to visit Kobe? What’s the weather like in Kobe month by month? Here, we’ll give you all the answers.

[Kobe, Japan skyline at the port and tower]

The Takeaway

• You can visit Kobe at any time of the year. The weather is fairly temperate year-round, though summers can be hot and humid.
• The best times to visit Kobe are fall (late September to November) and spring (March to May).
• Summer (late June to the end of August) in Kobe is hot and humid. June nights can be quite cool.
• Winter (December/January/February) in Kobe is cold but not too cold for traveling. As a bonus, there are many illuminations and festivities coinciding with Christmas and New Year.
• The rainy season lasts from around mid-June to late July, but it does NOT rain every day and you can travel.

Monthly Weather in Kobe

[Kobe Luminarie light festival: Mariia Semenova / Shutterstock.com]

Kobe Weather in January

Average high (C/F): 9
Average low (C/F): 2

January tends to be clear and cold. It rains or snows a few times during the month. The snow usually doesn’t stay. Most businesses are closed from December 29th to January 3rd for the shogatsu (New Year’s) holiday. This is a quiet month in terms of crowds (except for at the shrines during shogatsu).

Kobe Weather in February

Average high (C/F): 10
Average low (C/F): 2/35.6

Winter continues into February. This is generally a dry month but it can rain or snow a bit. If it snows, it doesn’t usually stick on the ground. This is another good month to visit if you don’t like crowds. It’s also great if you like plum blossoms, especially from mid-February.

Kobe Weather in March

Average high (C/F): 13/55.4
Average low (C/F): 5/41

The weather in Kobe begins to warm up in March. Nevertheless, the weather can range from cold to quite warm, so we suggest layering clothes and peeling on and off as needed. Cherry blossoms usually begin blooming at the end of March. March is not a particularly crowded month, but the last week tends to become busier with sakura spotters.

[Cherry blossoms in full bloom in downtown Kobe]

Kobe Weather in April

Average high (C/F): 19/66.2
Average low (C/F): 10/50

Spring really starts in April. The first week or so is peak time for tourism in Japan due to the cherry blossoms. If you want to visit in April, book well in advance! While Kobe will be less busy than neighbouring Kyoto or Osaka, it will still have its fair share of cherry blossom revellers. The cherries usually peak sometime in the first week of April and usually linger until around 15 April (but fall earlier during rainy years). The weather can range from chilly to quite warm, so bring clothes you can layer. The second half of the month tends to be less busy and lovely.

Check out our recommended spots for cherry-blossom viewing in Kobe on our Kobe Cherry Blossoms page.

Kobe Weather in May

Average high (C/F): 23/73.4
Average low (C/F): 15/59

May is one of the nicest months to be in Kobe. It’s warm but not hot or too humid, and the skies are often sunny. This is a wonderful month to spend time outdoors in parks and gardens, and the new green of spring is beautiful. Outside of Golden Week in early May, when all of Japan seems to take their holidays simultaneously, this is not a busy tourist season. Evenings and mornings can still be a bit cool, so bring a light top layer.

Kobe Weather in June

Average high (C/F): 25/77
Average low (C/F): 19/66.2

June is a great time to visit. The weather is reliably warm but it’s not yet hot. It’s usually sunny at the start of the month and then the rainy season starts later in the month. It doesn’t usually rain every day or all day. But, you can expect many afternoon showers, so bring a portable umbrella.

[Aerial view of Kobe City from Mount Rokko]

Kobe Weather in July

Average high (C/F): 30/86
Average low (C/F): 24/75

The rainy season lasts into July and it is usually hot and humid with frequent rains. Still, it’s possible to travel in Kobe in July and it’s not crowded. The rainy season ends at end of the month, and then it becomes sunny, hot and humid.

Kobe Weather in August

Average high (C/F): 32/90
Average low (C/F): 25/77

August is the hottest month in Kobe. Sightseeing can be a sweltering affair in August, but the advantage is that there aren’t many other foreign tourists. Plus, there’s always ice cream and shaved ice to cool off! Long-distance transport like shinkansen (bullet trains) are crowded during the Obon holiday, which usually falls in the middle of the month (check online for this year’s dates).

Kobe Weather in September

Average high (C/F): 28/82.4
Average low (C/F): 21/70

September is an excellent time to travel in Tokyo. It’s usually sunny, hot and humid at the beginning of the month, moderating to sunny and warm at the end of the month. This is low season for tourism and hotels can be a bargain.

[Autumn leaves and waterfall, Kokoen garden]

Kobe Weather in October

Average high (C/F): 23/73.4
Average low (C/F): 15/59

October has some of the best weather of the year: sunny and warm days are the rule, with cool evenings. It’s a very comfortable time to travel. At the very end of the month, the leaves start to change colour in the city’s parks and gardens.

Kobe Weather in November

Average high (C/F): 17/63
Average low (C/F): 9/48

November is a fantastic month to visit Kobe. The weather is usually cool and sunny skies are common. The leaves really begin changing colour this month, and the foliage in the city’s parks and gardens is spectacular.

Check out our recommended spots for fall foliage in Kobe on our Kobe Fall Foliage page.

Kobe Weather in December

Average high (C/F): 12/54
Average low (C/F): 4/39

Winter typically begins in December, though recent years have seen warmish Decembers due to climate change. Temperatures range from cool to cold, but it definitely isn’t too cold for sightseeing — the air is beautifully crisp and great to walk in. This is generally a dry month, but it can rain. (Snow is rare these days here.) If you don’t like crowds, this is a good time to visit. However, bear in mind that things shut down from December 29th until January 3rd for the shogatsu holiday.

Kobe Travel Guide:

• Kobe Travel Guide Overview
• Things To Do In Kobe
• Places To Eat In Kobe
• Kobe Itineraries
• Family-friendly Attractions in Kobe
• Kobe Cherry Blossoms
• Kobe Fall Foliage
• Kobe Districts
• Kobe Ryokan
• Kobe Hotels
• Kobe Map
• How To Get To Kobe
• Getting Around Kobe
• Best Time To Go To Kobe

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