When to go

Japan has four distinct seasons, and the best time depends on how high the crag is. High mountain crags such as Ogawayama are cool in summer; low crags are hot and humid.

Season by season

Season	Months	Main points
Spring	March to May	Warming up. At high crags, snow and closed facilities can last into April.
Rainy season	June to mid-July	Wet across most of Japan. Plan indoor days.
Summer	Mid-July to August	Hot and humid at low altitude; mountain crags are cooler. Thunderstorms are common.
Autumn	September to November	Often the best conditions. Typhoons can arrive in September and October.
Winter	December to February	Cold, with snow at high crags. Check each crag before you go.

Crag-specific seasons are on each crag page, for example Ogawayama.

Which crag, which month

Ogawayama 1600 m

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Great: May. Good: Apr, Jun, Sep to Nov

Mizugaki 1470 m

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Great: May, Oct. Good: Apr, Jun, Sep, Nov

Futagoyama 1100 m

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Great: Nov. Good: Apr to May, Oct

Shiroyama (Izunokuni) 280 m

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Great: Apr, Nov to Dec. Good: Jan to Mar, May, Oct

Jogasaki 20 m

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Great: Jan to Feb, Nov to Dec. Good: Mar to May, Oct

GreatGoodFairPoor Share of good days in each month, from ten years of weather (2015-2024).

How to read it. Each bar is one crag, January to December. A darker green month has more days that are both comfortable and dry. The chart is an estimate from weather records, to help you choose where to look first. It is not a forecast and not a guarantee.

What counts as a good day. A day with a high between 8 and 25 °C and a low above −5 °C, with at most 2 mm of rain that day and at most 5 mm the day before. The share of such days in each month is averaged over 2015 to 2024. Weather data: Open-Meteo (ERA5 reanalysis).

What it does not know. Road and campground opening dates, snow on the approach, crowds, rain that falls only in the afternoon, and how fast a particular rock dries. For example, at the mountain crags the chart rates July and August lower than local guides do, mostly because of afternoon rain. Always check the crag page and the forecast before you go.

Crags without a page link are on the list for later.

Weather

For a quick look at the weather near the crags, see the Crag Weather board.

Typhoons and rain

Check the Japan Meteorological Agency forecast before you drive into the mountains. Roads can close after heavy rain, and streams can rise quickly.

Last checked: 2026-10-25