| Tokyo Climate
Average temperature in Tokyo is 16°C (61°F), August
being the hottest and January the coldest. There's about 20°C difference
between summer and winter.
We have four distinct seasons, mild spring and fall, hot summer, and
winter with a few snowfalls. It seems that the hotness in the summer is more a problem than coldness
in the winter, for most of the foreign people who come over to Tokyo.
In the summer of 2004, temperature went record high up to 42.7°C (109°F)
in the middle of Tokyo (Adachi ward), and days over 30°C (86°F) continued
for 40 days. It was hotter in Tokyo than in the subtropical islands of
Okinawa.
It was caused not only by the "global warming" going on everywhere around
the world, but also by "urban heat island syndrome". Grounds covered with concrete and asphalt keep the sun's heat even during
night times, and continuously working air-conditioners and millions of cars
produce artificial heat 24 hours a day.
It was the wind from Tokyo bay that use to cool down the city, but now
the bay area is redeveloped with high and thick buildings, working as a
large wall cutting off the wind. So, if you're not so tough against heat, you might as well avoid summer
in Tokyo. Spring or fall, when we have the average temperature would be much
more comfortable. Also winter is not bad, for is not so cold (we rarely have
temperatures below freezing point) and usually dry and clear.
But it's in the summer when we have large and energetic festivals and
fireworks all around Japan. Keep in mind that climate is not always the
guidepost when to visit.
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Tokyo