Погода: Иокогама, январь

A resident's description of a typical January day is the most useful thing on the thread: "the day would start very cold around 0°C, but the continuing sunshine could warm the air up to 10°C" — and if it's cloudy instead, "the temperature would stay around 5°C the whole day." So the sun does the work. What surprises people expecting a grey northern winter is how clear it is: dry air, "no snow and no rain, and even no clouds," completely blue skies. Snow is the exception, not the rule — "it usually won't snow apart from 1–2 exceptional days in January and February" — and rain "can happen, but not often." Wind is described as mild. Long sleeves, a sweater and a coat cover it. Our record agrees on the shape: 8.5°C days, 0.3°C nights, only 6.4 rain days and 7.6 hours of sun.

Forum posters consistently describe November as one of the driest months in Japan, making it excellent for sightseeing and walking around Yokohama - one visitor reported temperatures starting in the 20sC early in the month and dropping into the teens by month's end, with just a handful of drizzly days and nothing torrential across the whole stretch. Posters comparing October and November describe November as slightly cooler but drier, with the added draw of autumn foliage coming into its own. Posters generally recommend layering for the temperature drop as the month progresses, since a trip spanning early to late November can feel like two different seasons. Posters generally rate November as one of the best overall months to visit Yokohama.

Japan-forum regulars call May one of the best windows to visit the greater Tokyo/Yokohama area - it's before the rainy season, which typically doesn't arrive until around June 7-10. The catch is that May itself is changeable: posters describe stretches of 3 sunny days followed by a day or two of rain, and by late May it can turn briefly hot and humid before settling back down. The standard advice is to pack for everything - short sleeves, a long-sleeve layer, a light jacket and a compact rain parka. For Yokohama itself, the Minato Mirai waterfront and Sankeien Garden are the most-recommended stops, and it's called worth a full day beyond a quick side trip from Tokyo.