Does Japan Get a Lot of Rain or Little Rain?

Japan receives abundant rainfall overall, but with extreme seasonal and regional variation:

• Rainy Season (Tsuyu / Baiu): Early June – mid-July. Stationary front brings weeks of steady, heavy rain nationwide. Critical for rice planting.
• Typhoon Season: July–October (peak Aug–Sep). Tropical cyclones deliver torrential rain, especially to Kyushu, Shikoku, and Pacific coast of Honshu. Can cause flooding/landslides.
• Winter (Dec–Feb): Dry on Pacific side (Tokyo, Osaka) – clear, cold, little rain. Heavy snow on Sea of Japan side (Niigata, Kanazawa, Sapporo) from Siberian moisture.
• Spring (Mar–May) & Autumn (Oct–Nov): Generally pleasant, moderate rain.

Annual Totals: 1,000–2,500 mm (40–100 in) in most lowlands; >4,000 mm (160 in) in mountainous areas (Yakushima, Kii Peninsula). Tokyo ~1,500 mm. So: a lot of rain annually, concentrated in early summer and typhoons; dry winters on the main population centers.