When should you visit Tokyo?

+Dry blue skies, the lowest rates of the year and almost no queues.

–Cold mornings and a near-shutdown during the first days of the month.

+Plum blossom season with winter-level crowds and prices.

–The coldest month — outdoor evenings are short-lived.

+Mild days and the first cherry blossom at the very end of the month.

–Late-March blossom sends prices and crowds up fast.

+Cherry blossom in the first week is worth seeing once.

–The busiest and most expensive stretch of spring.

+Warm, dry and green with crowds falling away after the first week.

–Golden Week (late Apr–early May) is unbookable and expensive.

+Hydrangeas, low crowds and softer hotel rates.

–Persistent rain and rising humidity make plans unreliable.

+Summer festivals and fireworks are a genuine spectacle.

–Heat and humidity are punishing by midday.

+The biggest festivals and fireworks of the year.

–Extreme heat, humidity and the Obon travel peak.

+Heat eases through the month and crowds thin out.

–Typhoon season can cancel flights and day trips.

+Dry, clear, mild days with comfortable evenings and manageable crowds.

–Autumn demand means the best hotels book out early.

+Peak autumn leaves with cool, dry, very walkable days.

–Leaf-viewing weekends crowd the famous gardens.

+Bright, dry weather and illuminations across the city.

–Everything closes and prices jump in the final week.