Yakushima (Yakushima National Park) weather in September
September in Yakushima: nice, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days.
Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis
#6 of 12 months in Yakushima · #1017 of 1413 destinations to visit in September · comfort 67/100 (tier C)
- Days
- 22°C
- Nights
- 21°C
- Wet days
- 18
- Sun
- 9.4 h
- Humidity
- 80%
- Daylight
- 12 h

Traveller notes on Yakushima in September
Yakushima-forum threads on rain discuss this island's reputation as one of Japan's genuinely wetter destinations, September overlapping with typhoon season and capable of bringing real disruption to travel plans and ferry schedules. Posters describe conditions as still warm, summer-like temperatures lingering through the month, comfortable enough for light clothing even as the rain risk climbs. Regulars are consistent when it rains here it tends to come down hard rather than as a gentle drizzle, proper gear genuinely essential for any trek toward the Jomon Cedar or Shiratani Unsui Gorge. Posters call September still a workable trekking month despite the risk, slightly calmer temperatures than peak summer making the walk more comfortable. Regulars recommend building real flexibility into any itinerary given how disruptive a typhoon can be to onward travel. The record: 22.4C days feeling like 24C, 20.5C nights, an extraordinarily high 246mm across over 18 days and 80 percent humidity.
Other months in Yakushima
Yakushima-forum threads on a May visit describe hiking trail closures as genuinely a real question, posters asking whether the Jomon Sugi route shuts when downpours hit mid-to-late May. Regulars call outright closures genuinely unlikely given how much rain the island sees, several posters flagging one stream crossing on the Okabu route as the real risk point after extreme rain. Posters call the island's reputation for near-constant rain genuinely earned, several regulars joking about dozens of rain days a month as local shorthand. Regulars call late May genuinely right at the edge of the rainy season's start, several threads naming this the reason conditions can shift quickly. Posters recommend checking weather warnings before the full-day Jomon Sugi trek, several regulars calling this standard given how exposed that crossing can become. The record: 17.7C days, 15.2C nights, an extraordinarily high 291.2mm across over 15 days and 76 percent humidity.
Yakushima-forum reviews on an August visit describe an early five-thirty a.m. start as genuinely necessary, one hiker recalling it was already bright by then and the trail still felt genuinely warm despite tree cover for much of the route. Regulars call the Jomon Sugi round trip a real full-day commitment, several posters naming roughly twenty-two kilometers and ten hours as standard for the out-and-back. Posters call most of the route genuinely easy railway-track walking, several regulars naming real rock-scrambling only in the final stretch near the ancient cedar itself. Regulars call carrying food and water genuinely essential, several threads warning no shops exist anywhere along the trail. Posters recommend a real early start regardless of season, several regulars calling this standard given how long and demanding the full round trip is. The record: 23.8C days, 21.8C nights, an extraordinarily high 195.6mm across over 14 days and 82 percent humidity.
Yakushima-forum threads on late June weather describe this as genuinely the tail end of the rainy season locally, posters calling near-daily downpours standard for a stretch running from June into early July. Regulars call the island considerably more humid than mainland Kyushu, though summer temperatures here run cooler than the mainland thanks to a steady sea breeze. Posters recommend real waterproof layers and footwear regardless of a clear morning, conditions here shifting fast and often. Regulars call typhoons a real concern through the wider summer season, some tracking directly over the island and others still shaping weather even when passing well offshore. Posters recommend building flexibility into any June itinerary, several trails and boat crossings capable of closing on short notice. The record: 20.5C days feeling like 22C, 18.3C nights, an extraordinarily high 443.6mm across nearly 19 days and 84 percent humidity.
Yakushima-forum threads on rain here are blunt this island is famously wet essentially year-round, the interior receiving some of the highest rainfall totals in Japan and locals only half-joking it falls thirty-five days most months. Posters call real waterproof gear non-negotiable, fast-wicking layers and proper wool socks named repeatedly as standing packing advice. Regulars describe guides as routinely adjusting hikes on the fly for safety, a planned route sometimes swapped for a lower-risk alternative with little notice. Posters call rental waterproofs and boots widely available on the island for anyone arriving underprepared. Regulars describe hiking through steady rain as entirely normal here, most visitors reporting no real problem once dressed appropriately. Posters call the ancient cedar forests worth the trip regardless of forecast. The record: 8.4C days feeling like 3C, 5.4C nights, an extraordinarily high 139mm across over 15 days and 64 percent humidity.
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Yakushima climate normals — September
Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.
Crowds in Yakushima in September
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.
Shoulder seasonschool holidays in 3 of the markets that fill it, an ordinary month(estimated)
Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet
Best months for Yakushima's weather
Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).
Fair weatherYakushima's weather doesn't swing hard through the year — comfort stays fairly steady in every month.
What's on in Yakushima in September
Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.
- Hazard
Typhoon season
15 Jul – 15 Oct · usuallyClosuresThe ferry and the hydrofoil from Kagoshima stop a day before a storm and do not restart for a day after. Budget a spare day either end of a trip in this window. Source ↗
Where is Yakushima?
Yakushima in September — FAQ
- Is September a good time to visit Yakushima?
- September in Yakushima: nice, soaked, with clean air — fine if you can take 18 rainy days. It ranks #6 of 12 months for Yakushima on SeasonMap's comfort score (67/100).
- What is the weather like in Yakushima in September?
- In September, Yakushima averages a daily high of 22.4°C and a low of 20.5°C, with about 206.6 mm of rain over roughly 18.2 rainy days.
- What is the air quality in Yakushima in September?
- Yakushima has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 45 in September.