Seasons
Kyoto has four distinct colorful seasons.
Spring is full of greenery, buds and blossoms, and the days gradually get warmer. The glare of the sun and the temperature becomes noticeably milder than winter, and humidity is comfortable. The skies are cloudy with June being the “rainy season” and buckets loads of rain.
Summer is even greener than spring, very green. The sun is very bright, the days are much warmer and longer, and August is unbelievably humid. The skies are nearly always clear with sudden but predictable late afternoon rains a few days a week. Summer is also typhoon season with the odd 10 to 15 typhoons and about 100 centimeters or so of rain accompanying each one of them.
Autumn is cooler, and one of the best seasons. The green summer leaves change into the autumn colors of red, orange and yellow and trees start shedding their leaves. There is slightly more contrast in the scenery. The days get shorter and are overcast with a little rain, and humidity is comfortable again.
Winter is cold, chilly and occasionally freezing. The greenery is gone and replace by the naked brown bark of the trees and dead perennials. The days are short and the sky is often overcast and grey. Depending where you stay, you can expect to be shoveling snow. The air is incredibly dry and will suck the moisture from your skin so that it will feel taunt as a drum and your lips may also crack. Remember to bring your moisturizer.