May brings 23°C daytime highs, 140mm of precipitation across about 11 wet days and 13.9 hours of daylight — best for hiking and cycling. The strongest run of the year is November to January. September is the quietest month: quiet and local, and still good for beach days, swimming and quiet and local.
Long-run climate normals for Kamakura. Month ratings compare months within Kamakura only — they are not a ranking of Kamakura against other destinations, and they are not a forecast for a specific year.
Last updated: · Live forecast data refreshes hourly.
| Best month | May — Hiking, Cycling |
| Best 3-month window | November–January |
| Quietest month | September — Quiet and local |
| Driest month | December — 50mm |
| Wettest month | September — 210mm |
| Warmest / coolest | July 31°C / February 10°C |
| Seasonality | Fairly even across the year |
| Annual rainfall | 1600mm over roughly 120 rain days |
September gets roughly 50% more precipitation than May — 210mm against 140mm. That difference, more than temperature, is what changes how a day here feels.
Kamakura swings 21°C between July (31°C) and February (10°C) — the month you pick changes what you pack more than where you go.
June gives you 14.4 hours of daylight against just 9.6 in December — a 5-hour difference in how much you can actually fit into a day.
December is the driest month at 50mm across roughly 4 wet days, while September peaks at 210mm.
November is almost as good as May, but usually quieter and cheaper. If your dates are flexible, it is the easier trip.
Kamakura stays fairly consistent all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Ratings compare months within Kamakura, not against destinations worldwide: five stars means the best time to be here, not that Kamakura beats anywhere else. Tags describe what the conditions actually suit.
| Month | Rating | High / Low | Precipitation | Wet days | Sun | Daylight | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | ★★★★☆ | 10°C / 2°C | 55mm | 4 | 8h | 9.9h | Low-angle light |
| February | ★★★★☆ | 10°C / 2°C | 65mm | 5 | 8h | 10.7h | Low-angle light |
| March | ★★★☆☆ | 13°C / 5°C | 110mm | 9 | 5h | 11.8h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| April | ★★★★☆ | 18°C / 9°C | 125mm | 10 | 6h | 12.9h | Hiking · Cycling · Spring greenery |
| May | ★★★★★ | 23°C / 15°C | 140mm | 11 | 6h | 13.9h | Hiking · Cycling |
| June | ★★☆☆☆ | 28°C / 19°C | 200mm | 16 | 5h | 14.4h | Beach days · Swimming · Quiet and local |
| July | ★★☆☆☆ | 31°C / 22°C | 180mm | 14 | 5h | 14.1h | Beach days · Swimming · Quiet and local |
| August | ★★★☆☆ | 31°C / 22°C | 140mm | 11 | 7h | 13.3h | Beach days · Swimming |
| September | ★★☆☆☆ | 28°C / 19°C | 210mm | 16 | 5h | 12.2h | Beach days · Swimming · Quiet and local |
| October | ★★★☆☆ | 23°C / 15°C | 180mm | 14 | 4h | 11.1h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| November | ★★★★★ | 18°C / 9°C | 90mm | 7 | 9h | 10.1h | Hiking · Cycling · Reliable sunshine |
| December | ★★★★★ | 13°C / 5°C | 50mm | 4 | 8h | 9.6h | Hiking · Cycling · Low-angle light |
| You are planning | Pick | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Sun & beach days | November | 9h daily sunshine, 18°C highs and only 7 rain days. |
| City walking & sightseeing | November | 18°C highs with 10.1h of daylight — long days without heat fatigue. |
| Photography & light | January | 8h of sun and 9.9h daylight give the widest window for golden-hour work. |
| Value & fewer crowds | April | Scores 66/100 — close to peak conditions but outside the busiest window. |
| Cooler-weather travel | November | 18°C highs and 9°C nights suit anyone who dislikes heat. |
Each month in Kamakura is described from long-run climate normals and then rated relative to the other eleven months in the same city. A five-star January in a cold destination means January is one of the best times to be there — not that it beats a Mediterranean summer.
| Factor | Weight | What it measures |
|---|---|---|
| Temperature | Described | Average daytime high and overnight low for the month, shown as measured rather than judged. |
| Precipitation | Described | Monthly millimetres and wet-day count, labelled as snow or rain/snow where temperatures make that the likely phase. |
| Sunshine & daylight | Described | Average daily sunshine hours and astronomical daylight length at mid-month, from the city’s latitude. |
| “Best for” tags | Derived | Applied only when the conditions genuinely support the activity — snow depth-friendly cold for skiing, 13–24°C and low rain risk for hiking, dark evenings at high latitude for aurora. A month with few strong use cases gets fewer tags rather than padded ones. |
| Star rating | Relative | Ranks the month against the other eleven months in the same city. Never a comparison between cities. |
Figures are long-run climate averages, not a forecast for a specific year. Where a month lacks sourced rainfall or humidity, the value is modelled from temperature range and rain frequency.
May is the best all-round month in Kamakura: 23°C highs, 140mm of precipitation and 13.9 hours of daylight, which suits hiking and cycling. The strongest three-month window is November to January.
September — 28°C highs, 210mm of precipitation over roughly 16 days and 12.2 hours of daylight. It is the cheapest and least crowded time to go, and it still works for beach days, swimming and quiet and local.
December is the driest month at 50mm over about 4 rain days, against 210mm in September. Across the year Kamakura records around 1600mm.
Yes — conditions in Kamakura stay fairly even all year, so there is no month you need to avoid. What you plan to do matters more than when you go.
Daylight ranges from 9.6 hours in December to 14.4 hours in June, calculated from the city's latitude.