Sendai weather by month

The best time to visit Sendai is April to June — 87/100 in May, 21°C and 12 rainy days. The best season is spring, March to May (78/100 on average).

The worst month is January at 57/100 — cold, a little rain, clean air. See January →

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Planning the wider trip? Best time to visit Japan →

Sendai🇯🇵 Japan · Mainland Japan · City87
  1. 57Jan
  2. 63Feb
  3. 69Mar
  4. 79Apr
  5. 87May
  6. 84Jun
  7. 65Jul
  8. 59Aug
  9. 73Sep
  10. 78Oct
  11. 76Nov
  12. 64Dec

Best season: March to May (78/100 on average) · worst January (57/100)

Days
21°C
Nights
12°C
Wet days
12
Sun
9 h
Humidity
80%
Daylight
14 h
Sendai, Japan
Photo: Praveen PA · Pexels

Sendai, month by month

Comfort score out of 100 for the kind of trip Sendai is best for, the average high, rainy days and hours of sun a day from the climate normals, and how busy it tends to be.

MonthScoreTierHighRainSunCrowdsOn
Jan57D6°C13 d7 hBusy2
Feb63C7°C10 d8 hQuiet1
Mar69C12°C12 d9 hBusy1
Apr79B17°C11 d9 hPeak2
May87A21°C12 d9 hPeak2
Jun84A24°C13 d9 hBusy—
Jul65C28°C17 d8 hPeak1
Aug59D30°C20 d8 hPeak1
Sep73B26°C16 d7 hBusy1
Oct78B20°C12 d7 hPeak2
Nov76B15°C9 d8 hBusy1
Dec64C8°C13 d7 hBusy1

What's on in Sendai through the year

Festivals, natural spectacles, holidays and the seasons to watch out for — curated and sourced. The month pages carry the detail.

January
  • Donto-sai14 JanFestival
  • Zao snow monsters1 Jan – 5 Mar (usually)Nature
April
  • Cherry blossom8–25 Apr (usually)Nature
  • Golden Week29 Apr – 6 MayHoliday
May
  • Sendai Aoba Matsuri15–20 May (usually)Festival
July
  • Shiogama Minato Matsuri19–20 JulFestival
August
  • Sendai Tanabata Festival6–8 AugFestival
September
  • Jozenji StreetJazz Festival12–13 SepFestival
October
  • Michinoku YOSAKOI Festival5–15 Oct (usually)Festival
  • Naruko Gorge autumn colour15 Oct – 10 Nov (usually)Nature
December
  • Pageant of Starlight10–31 Dec (usually)Festival

Everything on in Sendai through the year →

Crowds in Sendai in May

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsGolden Week, Sendai Aoba Matsuri, Golden Week in Japan(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Traveller notes on Sendai

What people who have been say about the place — the year-round notes first, then month by month.

Forum posters describe May in Japan generally as changeable but lovely - a run of a few sunny days followed by a day or two of rain is the typical pattern, with the rainy season proper not arriving until early-to-mid June, so early-to-mid May sees comparatively less rain than the month that follows. Standard packing advice covers the full range: short sleeves, long sleeves, a light jacket and a rain parka, since any of those could be needed within the same trip. One specific Sendai-related report cautioned that a nearby April visit hit hard rain and cold temperatures severe enough that the traveler skipped Sendai for Tokyo instead - a reminder that this transitional period can occasionally deliver a genuinely rough weather day even close to the generally favorable May window.
Tripadvisor community · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters describe late November in Sendai as approaching early winter, with occasional cold waves capable of pushing temperatures down noticeably. Posters discussing November in Japan more broadly describe it as one of the driest months of the year, with cooling temperatures, turning leaves and cooler nights as summer humidity fades. One visitor's mid-November-to-mid-December Tohoku trip reported only a few drizzly days with negligible humidity, and temperatures starting in the 20sC early on and dropping into the teens by month's end. Posters generally recommend checking detailed historical weather data closer to specific travel dates given how much conditions shift across the month. Posters generally rate November as a comfortable, generally dry time to visit Sendai, with real cooling as the month progresses.
Tripadvisor community · November · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Add your own note from Sendai's card on the map.