On 2025 guest nights, Yamanashi was Japan's most seasonal prefecture, with 27.1% of its nights in its two busiest months, and Tokyo the least, at 17.8%. August was the busiest month in 39 of 47 prefectures, and guests from outside Japan spent more than half of the year's nights in Kyoto and Tokyo.
All 47 prefectures, most seasonal first
The measure: what share of a prefecture's 2025 guest nights fell in its two busiest months. A higher number means more of the year is squeezed into a short peak.1
| Rank | Prefecture | Nights in busiest two months | Busiest | Quietest | Nights by guests from outside Japan | Rooms in use |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yamanashi | August | February | 27.7% | 43.8% | |
| 2 | Toyama | August | January | 9.8% | 55.5% | |
| 3 | Fukui | August | January | 2.8% | 46.2% | |
| 4 | Akita | August | February | 5.0% | 48.3% | |
| 5 | Nagano | August | April | 13.2% | 39.0% | |
| 6 | Shimane | August | February | 3.3% | 54.2% | |
| 7 | Aomori | August | January | 10.7% | 61.1% | |
| 8 | Kochi | August | January | 5.0% | 48.6% | |
| 9 | Kagawa | August | February | 22.9% | 58.4% | |
| 10 | Tochigi | August | February | 4.3% | 55.2% | |
| 11 | Gunma | August | April | 4.1% | 46.8% | |
| 12 | Mie | August | February | 4.1% | 57.6% | |
| 13 | Yamagata | August | April | 6.6% | 50.3% | |
| 14 | Tottori | August | February | 7.9% | 52.2% | |
| 15 | Hokkaido | August | April | 28.6% | 61.2% | |
| 16 | Shiga | August | February | 6.4% | 53.2% | |
| 17 | Wakayama | August | February | 17.7% | 48.4% | |
| 18 | Okinawa | August | January | 27.2% | 60.3% | |
| 19 | Fukushima | August | January | 3.7% | 49.2% | |
| 20 | Nagasaki | August | January | 10.0% | 56.3% | |
| 21 | Ishikawa | November | January | 22.5% | 57.1% | |
| 22 | Shizuoka | August | June | 9.9% | 56.0% | |
| 23 | Niigata | August | April | 8.3% | 46.1% | |
| 24 | Iwate | August | December | 8.1% | 54.9% | |
| 25 | Nara | May | January | 16.4% | 50.9% | |
| 26 | Miyagi | August | January | 9.6% | 60.2% | |
| 27 | Okayama | August | January | 11.6% | 59.2% | |
| 28 | Miyazaki | August | June | 6.8% | 54.1% | |
| 29 | Gifu | August | June | 24.6% | 56.0% | |
| 30 | Tokushima | August | January | 8.6% | 52.6% | |
| 31 | Hiroshima | August | January | 18.2% | 64.4% | |
| 32 | Ibaraki | August | January | 4.3% | 54.1% | |
| 33 | Kanagawa | August | February | 18.4% | 66.2% | |
| 34 | Kumamoto | October | June | 20.9% | 58.9% | |
| 35 | Yamaguchi | August | January | 4.4% | 57.0% | |
| 36 | Hyogo | August | February | 12.1% | 61.1% | |
| 37 | Oita | March | June | 18.3% | 54.4% | |
| 38 | Kagoshima | November | June | 8.4% | 51.6% | |
| 39 | Ehime | August | June | 13.3% | 57.2% | |
| 40 | Chiba | August | June | 15.5% | 64.0% | |
| 41 | Kyoto | May | February | 55.2% | 66.8% | |
| 42 | Saga | August | February | 10.7% | 52.4% | |
| 43 | Saitama | August | February | 5.2% | 66.7% | |
| 44 | Aichi | August | February | 21.4% | 69.2% | |
| 45 | Osaka | August | February | 41.7% | 78.6% | |
| 46 | Fukuoka | October | January | 33.0% | 72.1% | |
| 47 | Tokyo | December | February | 55.7% | 76.3% |
Bars share one scale from 0 to 30%. The figures are survey estimates, and most prefectures sit within a few points of each other, so small gaps between neighbouring ranks may not be meaningful.
Looking for somewhere quieter? See Japan's least-visited prefectures, ranked by nights spent by guests from outside Japan.
What the figures show
August leads almost everywhere, but not everywhere. It was the busiest month in 39 prefectures. The exceptions: Ishikawa (November), Nara (May), Kumamoto (October), Oita (March), Kagoshima (November), Kyoto (May), Fukuoka (October) and Tokyo (December).1
Visitors from outside Japan keep a different calendar. Their busiest month was April in 20 of 47 prefectures, while April was the busiest month overall in none of them.1 The data shows when; it does not show why, and we have not guessed.
Two prefectures were mostly foreign guests. Guests from outside Japan spent more than half of the year's nights in Kyoto (55.2%) and Tokyo (55.7%). The lowest share was in Fukui, at 2.8%.1
Where are hotels fullest?
Across Japan, 61.6% of available rooms were in use in 2025. The fullest prefectures were Osaka (78.6%), Tokyo (76.3%) and Fukuoka (72.1%); the emptiest were Nagano (39.0%), Yamanashi (43.8%) and Niigata (46.1%).1 Each prefecture page shows the month-by-month figures and where its foreign visitors come from.
When are Japan's national holidays?
Japan has 16 national holidays, set by the Act on National Holidays.45 When one falls on a Sunday, the next day that is not a national holiday becomes a public holiday, and a day between two national holidays is a public holiday too.5 That made 19 national or public holidays in 2025, 18 in 2026 and 17 in 2027.4
The 2025 list covers the same year as the guest-night figures above. The 2026 and 2027 lists are for planning. The figures on this page do not show whether holidays make a month busier, so we have not said they do.
2025
| Date | Holiday | Japanese name |
|---|---|---|
| Wednesday 1 January | New Year's Day | 元日 |
| Monday 13 January | Coming-of-Age Day | 成人の日 |
| Tuesday 11 February | National Foundation Commemoration Day | 建国記念の日 |
| Sunday 23 February | Emperor's Birthday | 天皇誕生日 |
| Monday 24 February | Public holiday (Emperor's Birthday fell on a Sunday) | 休日 |
| Thursday 20 March | Vernal Equinox Day | 春分の日 |
| Tuesday 29 April | Showa Day | 昭和の日 |
| Saturday 3 May | Constitution Memorial Day | 憲法記念日 |
| Sunday 4 May | Greenery Day | みどりの日 |
| Monday 5 May | Children's Day | こどもの日 |
| Tuesday 6 May | Public holiday (Greenery Day fell on a Sunday) | 休日 |
| Monday 21 July | Marine Day | 海の日 |
| Monday 11 August | Mountain Day | 山の日 |
| Monday 15 September | Respect for the Aged Day | 敬老の日 |
| Tuesday 23 September | Autumnal Equinox Day | 秋分の日 |
| Monday 13 October | Sports Day | スポーツの日 |
| Monday 3 November | Culture Day | 文化の日 |
| Sunday 23 November | Labor Thanksgiving Day | 勤労感謝の日 |
| Monday 24 November | Public holiday (Labor Thanksgiving Day fell on a Sunday) | 休日 |
2026
| Date | Holiday | Japanese name |
|---|---|---|
| Thursday 1 January | New Year's Day | 元日 |
| Monday 12 January | Coming-of-Age Day | 成人の日 |
| Wednesday 11 February | National Foundation Commemoration Day | 建国記念の日 |
| Monday 23 February | Emperor's Birthday | 天皇誕生日 |
| Friday 20 March | Vernal Equinox Day | 春分の日 |
| Wednesday 29 April | Showa Day | 昭和の日 |
| Sunday 3 May | Constitution Memorial Day | 憲法記念日 |
| Monday 4 May | Greenery Day | みどりの日 |
| Tuesday 5 May | Children's Day | こどもの日 |
| Wednesday 6 May | Public holiday (Constitution Memorial Day fell on a Sunday) | 休日 |
| Monday 20 July | Marine Day | 海の日 |
| Tuesday 11 August | Mountain Day | 山の日 |
| Monday 21 September | Respect for the Aged Day | 敬老の日 |
| Tuesday 22 September | Public holiday (between Respect for the Aged Day and Autumnal Equinox Day) | 休日 |
| Wednesday 23 September | Autumnal Equinox Day | 秋分の日 |
| Monday 12 October | Sports Day | スポーツの日 |
| Tuesday 3 November | Culture Day | 文化の日 |
| Monday 23 November | Labor Thanksgiving Day | 勤労感謝の日 |
2027
| Date | Holiday | Japanese name |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 1 January | New Year's Day | 元日 |
| Monday 11 January | Coming-of-Age Day | 成人の日 |
| Thursday 11 February | National Foundation Commemoration Day | 建国記念の日 |
| Tuesday 23 February | Emperor's Birthday | 天皇誕生日 |
| Sunday 21 March | Vernal Equinox Day | 春分の日 |
| Monday 22 March | Public holiday (Vernal Equinox Day fell on a Sunday) | 休日 |
| Thursday 29 April | Showa Day | 昭和の日 |
| Monday 3 May | Constitution Memorial Day | 憲法記念日 |
| Tuesday 4 May | Greenery Day | みどりの日 |
| Wednesday 5 May | Children's Day | こどもの日 |
| Monday 19 July | Marine Day | 海の日 |
| Wednesday 11 August | Mountain Day | 山の日 |
| Monday 20 September | Respect for the Aged Day | 敬老の日 |
| Thursday 23 September | Autumnal Equinox Day | 秋分の日 |
| Monday 11 October | Sports Day | スポーツの日 |
| Wednesday 3 November | Culture Day | 文化の日 |
| Tuesday 23 November | Labor Thanksgiving Day | 勤労感謝の日 |
English names are the Ministry of Justice's translation of the Act on National Holidays, which is for reference only: the Japanese text has legal effect. Dates are the Cabinet Office's list. Download them: japan-holidays-2025-2027.json.
When do cherry blossoms and autumn leaves usually appear?
On the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 averages, cherry trees open first in Okinawa (around 16 January, where JMA observes hikan-zakura instead of Somei-yoshino) and last in Hokkaido (around 1 May).6 The table gives the station JMA observes in each prefecture.
| Prefecture | Station | Cherry opens | Full bloom | Maple colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aichi | Nagoya | 24 March | 2 April | 28 November |
| Akita | Akita | 17 April | 22 April | 12 November |
| Aomori | Aomori | 22 April | 26 April | 13 November |
| Chiba | Choshi | 30 March | 6 April | 12 December |
| Ehime | Matsuyama | 24 March | 3 April | 5 December |
| Fukui | Fukui | 1 April | 7 April | 28 November |
| Fukuoka | Fukuoka | 22 March | 31 March | 1 December |
| Fukushima | Fukushima | 7 April | 11 April | 17 November |
| Gifu | Gifu | 25 March | 2 April | 26 November |
| Gunma | Maebashi | 29 March | 5 April | 8 December |
| Hiroshima | Hiroshima | 25 March | 3 April | 22 November |
| Hokkaido | Sapporo | 1 May | 6 May | 28 October |
| Hyogo | Kobe | 27 March | 5 April | 1 December |
| Ibaraki | Mito | 30 March | 6 April | 20 November |
| Ishikawa | Kanazawa | 3 April | 8 April | 24 November |
| Iwate | Morioka | 18 April | 24 April | 13 November |
| Kagawa | Takamatsu | 27 March | 4 April | 23 November |
| Kagoshima | Kagoshima | 26 March | 5 April | 15 December |
| Kanagawa | Yokohama | 25 March | 1 April | 14 December |
| Kochi | Kochi | 22 March | 30 March | 2 December |
| Kumamoto | Kumamoto | 22 March | 1 April | 2 December |
| Kyoto | Kyoto | 26 March | 4 April | 5 December |
| Mie | Tsu | 29 March | 3 April | 25 November |
| Miyagi | Sendai | 8 April | 13 April | 21 November |
| Miyazaki | Miyazaki | 23 March | 2 April | 4 December |
| Nagano | Nagano | 11 April | 16 April | 12 November |
| Nagasaki | Nagasaki | 23 March | 2 April | 7 December |
| Nara | Nara | 28 March | 4 April | 21 November |
| Niigata | Niigata | 8 April | 13 April | 15 November |
| Oita | Oita | 24 March | 4 April | 28 November |
| Okayama | Okayama | 28 March | 4 April | 29 November |
| Okinawa | Naha | 16 January | 4 February | – |
| Osaka | Osaka | 27 March | 4 April | 1 December |
| Saga | Saga | 24 March | 2 April | 30 November |
| Saitama | Kumagaya | 27 March | 3 April | 1 December |
| Shiga | Hikone | 1 April | 8 April | 28 November |
| Shimane | Matsue | 29 March | 5 April | 24 November |
| Shizuoka | Shizuoka | 24 March | 2 April | 5 December |
| Tochigi | Utsunomiya | 30 March | 6 April | 20 November |
| Tokushima | Tokushima | 28 March | 4 April | 28 November |
| Tokyo | Tokyo | 24 March | 31 March | 28 November |
| Tottori | Tottori | 29 March | 5 April | 30 November |
| Toyama | Toyama | 3 April | 8 April | 24 November |
| Wakayama | Wakayama | 24 March | 3 April | 6 December |
| Yamagata | Yamagata | 13 April | 18 April | 25 November |
| Yamaguchi | Shimonoseki | 26 March | 4 April | 6 December |
| Yamanashi | Kofu | 25 March | 2 April | 29 November |
Dates are averages; each year's date differs. A dash means JMA has no average for that station.
When do typhoons come close to Japan?
Over 1991–2020, an average of 11.7 typhoons a year came within 300 km of a JMA weather station somewhere in Japan, and 3.0 made landfall on Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku or Kyushu. August and September had the most approaches.7
| Japan | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Approaching Japan | – | – | – | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 2.1 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 1.7 | 0.5 | 0.1 | 11.7 |
| Making landfall | – | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.3 | – | – | 3.0 |
| Region | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Okinawa 沖縄地方 | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.6 | 1.5 | 2.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 7.7 |
| Amami 奄美地方 | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 1.3 | 0.7 | – | – | 4.3 |
| Southern Kyushu 九州南部 | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.2 | 0.5 | – | – | 3.9 |
| Northern Kyushu (with Yamaguchi) 九州北部地方 | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 1.1 | 0.4 | – | – | 3.8 |
| Shikoku 四国地方 | – | – | – | – | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 0.4 | – | – | 3.3 |
| Chugoku 中国地方 | – | – | – | – | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.1 | 0.3 | – | – | 3.0 |
| Kinki 近畿地方 | – | – | – | – | 0.1 | 0.3 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 0.7 | – | – | 3.4 |
| Tokai 東海地方 | – | – | – | – | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.6 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | – | – | 3.5 |
| Hokuriku 北陸地方 | – | – | – | – | – | 0.2 | 0.5 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.4 | – | – | 2.8 |
| Kanto and Koshin 関東地方、甲信地方 | – | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 0.7 | – | – | 3.3 |
| Izu and Ogasawara Islands 伊豆諸島、小笠原諸島 | – | – | – | 0.1 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 1.5 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 5.4 |
| Tohoku 東北地方 | – | – | – | – | 0.0 | 0.2 | 0.3 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 0.5 | – | – | 2.7 |
| Hokkaido 北海道地方 | – | – | – | – | – | 0.1 | 0.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.2 | – | – | 1.9 |
A dash means no typhoon approached in that month in the 30 years; 0.0 means fewer than 0.05 a month on average. A typhoon can approach in two months, so months need not add up to the year. JMA counts Yamaguchi with Northern Kyushu, and the Kanto figure leaves out the Izu and Ogasawara Islands.
How we checked the figures
Before publishing, we checked that the twelve monthly figures for every prefecture add up to the agency's own annual totals, within the rounding to the nearest ten that the agency applies. All 47 do. Our national totals, 661,105,450 guest nights and 179,922,050 by guests from outside Japan, match the rounded figures in the agency's 2025 press release.13
What these figures cannot tell you
These figures are good at one thing: showing when a prefecture's licensed accommodation fills up. Five things they cannot do.
They count every guest, not only holidaymakers. Business trips are included. The survey covers hotels, ryokan, shared-room lodgings such as capsule hotels and mountain huts, and company or group lodges, all licensed to take paying guests.2
They are estimates. In 2025 every lodging with ten or more staff was surveyed, but only one in three with five to nine staff and one in nine with fewer than five.2
A prefecture is not a town. These totals cover the whole prefecture, so they cannot show how busy one district, shrine or station is on a given day.
They say nothing about weather or prices. A quiet month may be quiet for reasons that matter to your trip. Each prefecture page adds 30-year weather averages from one station. We have not published price data, because we have not verified any.
They are one year. These are 2025 figures. From January 2026 the agency changed how it selects lodgings for the survey, so later years may not compare exactly.2
Key takeaways
- Yamanashi was Japan's most seasonal prefecture on 2025 guest nights, at 27.1% in its two busiest months; Tokyo the least, at 17.8%.
- August was the busiest month in 39 of 47 prefectures.
- For guests from outside Japan, April was the busiest month in 20 prefectures.
- Guests from outside Japan spent more than half the year's nights in Kyoto and Tokyo.
- What we would skip: reading much into a one- or two-place gap in the ranking. The figures are estimates, and most prefectures are close together.
Sources
The guest-night and hotel figures on this page come from the Japan Tourism Agency, the cherry blossom, autumn-leaf and typhoon averages from the Japan Meteorological Agency and the holiday dates from the Cabinet Office, all Japanese government bodies. The English holiday names are the Ministry of Justice's translation of the law. We downloaded the data directly and calculated the shares, rankings and comparisons ourselves. See how we research.
- Source: 「宿泊旅行統計調査」（観光庁） (Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, Japan Tourism Agency), 2025 annual figures (final), tables 2 and 8 and reference table 1, published 6 July 2026. Survey page · workbook. Accessed 17 September 2026. Licensed under the Public Data License 1.0 (PDL1.0).
- Japan Tourism Agency, survey outline (調査の概要), glossary (用語の解説) and standard error rates (参考1), on coverage, sampling, the definition of a foreign guest and the January 2026 change of method. Read them. Checked 17 September 2026.
- Japan Tourism Agency, press release on the 2025 annual figures (final), published 6 July 2026: total guest nights 6億6,111万人泊, foreign guest nights 1億7,992万人泊. Read it. Checked 17 September 2026.
- Holidays: 出典：「国民の祝日について」（内閣府）（https://www8.cao.go.jp/chosei/shukujitsu/gaiyou.html）, with the holiday list 「昭和30年（1955年）から令和9年（2027年）国民の祝日」 (CSV). Cabinet Office, Government of Japan: national holidays and public holidays, 2025–2027. Accessed 22 September 2026. Licensed under the Public Data License 1.0 (PDL1.0). 「国民の祝日について」（内閣府）を加工して作成 — edited by Gallivanting Gadabout (English wording, weekdays and selection).
- Holiday names: 出典：日本法令外国語訳データベースシステム（法務省）（https://www.japaneselawtranslation.go.jp/en/laws/view/4846/tb）. Ministry of Justice, Japan, Japanese Law Translation, Act on National Holidays (Act No. 178 of 1948, last version Act No. 57 of 2018), articles 2 and 3, English translation. Accessed 22 September 2026. Licensed under PDL1.0. The translation is not an official text; only the Japanese original has legal effect.
- Cherry blossom and autumn leaves: 出典：気象庁ホームページ（生物季節観測の情報）: さくらの開花日・満開日 and 生物季節観測累年値ファイル (さくらの開花, さくらの満開, かえでの紅葉), 平年値 1991–2020. Japan Meteorological Agency. Accessed 22 September 2026. Licensed under PDL1.0. 「生物季節観測の情報」（気象庁）を加工して作成 — edited by Gallivanting Gadabout (English wording, date format and selection).
- Typhoons: 出典：気象庁ホームページ（台風の平年値）, with the regions in 「気象庁が天気予報等で用いる予報用語」（地域名）. Japan Meteorological Agency, typhoon approach and landfall normals, 1991–2020. Accessed 22 September 2026. Licensed under PDL1.0. 「台風の平年値」（気象庁）を加工して作成 — edited by Gallivanting Gadabout (English wording and selection).
Edited data. 「宿泊旅行統計調査」（観光庁）（https://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/tokei_hakusyo/shukuhakutokei.html）を加工して作成 — created by Gallivanting Gadabout by editing the Japan Tourism Agency's data. The monthly shares, rankings, comparisons and English wording are ours, not the agency's. Percentages are rounded to one decimal place, so they may not add exactly.
Download the full calculated table: offseason-japan-2025.json.