September is Kyoto’s transition month, and it is a month of two halves. The first is still summer – hot, humid and inside the peak of Japan’s typhoon season – and the second turns genuinely pleasant as the heat breaks. Kyoto averages about 29°C by day, easing steadily, and the last ten days of September are one of the better value windows before the autumn rush arrives in November.
Typhoons: the honest position
September is the statistical peak of the Japanese typhoon season. Kyoto is inland, which helps – it does not get the coastal storm surge – but a landfalling system still means heavy rain, suspended trains and cancelled plans for a day or two.
What to do about it:
- Japan’s warning system is excellent. Shinkansen services are suspended in advance rather than during, and forecasts are reliable several days out.
- Keep a spare day before an international flight, and prefer flexible bookings for this month.
- Have an indoor list ready – the Kyoto National Museum, Nishiki market, the Manga Museum, the covered Teramachi and Shinkyogoku arcades.
- Do not walk mountain trails – Kurama, Ohara, the Fushimi Inari upper loop – during or immediately after heavy rain.
Most September visitors are unaffected. It is a reason to build slack, not to avoid the month.
Weather
September averages about 29°C by day and 21°C at night, with roughly 179 mm of rain. The first two weeks feel like August; from around the equinox the humidity drops and the evenings become comfortable. By the last week, all-day walking works again.
What September is for
- Value. Between the Obon peak and the autumn-colour rush, Kyoto accommodation is at one of its better price points.
- Space. The temples are quiet – far quieter than in October and November.
- The moon. Tsukimi, autumn moon-viewing, is marked with evening events at Daikaku-ji, where boats go out on Osawa pond, and at the Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines. Dates follow the lunar calendar.
- Hagi – bush clover, which flowers in September at Nashinoki Shrine and Joju-in, a small and very Kyoto pleasure.
- Respect for the Aged Day on Monday 20 September and Autumnal Equinox Day on Thursday 23 September, neither of which joins into a long run in 2027 – so no Silver Week and no domestic travel spike.
Prices and crowds
Moderate and falling through the first half, then firming slightly at the end as October approaches. It is meaningfully cheaper than October and dramatically cheaper than November, when the maple season doubles rates.
See how many days Kyoto needs.
What to pack
Summer clothing for the first half and a light layer for the second, plus a proper rain shell rather than only an umbrella – typhoon rain comes sideways. Comfortable shoes and a hand towel. See the Japan packing list.
The September 2027 calendar
- First two weeks – still summer; peak typhoon season.
- Through September – hagi bush clover at Nashinoki Shrine and Joju-in.
- Mid September – tsukimi moon-viewing events, including boats on Osawa pond at Daikaku-ji; dates follow the lunar calendar.
- Monday 20 September – Respect for the Aged Day, a public holiday.
- Tuesday 21 September – the Toji temple market.
- Thursday 23 September – Autumnal Equinox Day, a public holiday. No Silver Week in 2027.
- Late September – the humidity breaks; all-day walking works again.
Read alongside
- Kyoto in August – the Daimonji fires and the hottest weeks.
- Kyoto in October – Jidai Matsuri and the run-up to autumn colour.
- Japan in September – the country-level view of typhoon season.
- Best time to visit Japan – all twelve months compared.
- Things to do in Kyoto – including the wet-weather list.
- Kyoto travel guide – districts and how to plan them.
- How many days in Kyoto – and how to use them.
Frequently asked
Is September a good time to visit Kyoto?
The second half is very good – the humidity breaks, the temples are quiet and prices sit below October and well below November. The first half is still summer and inside the peak of typhoon season.
Is Kyoto affected by typhoons?
Less than the coast, because it is inland, but a landfalling system still brings heavy rain and suspended trains for a day or two. Warnings come days ahead, so keep a spare day before an international flight and an indoor list ready.
How hot is Kyoto in September?
About 29°C by day and 21°C at night with roughly 179 mm of rain, easing steadily. The first two weeks feel like August; from around the equinox it becomes comfortable.
Is there autumn colour in September?
No. Kyoto’s maples turn from mid-to-late November. September gives you hagi bush clover and moon-viewing instead, which are quieter, older Kyoto pleasures.
What is tsukimi?
Autumn moon-viewing, marked in mid-September with evening events – most famously boats on Osawa pond at Daikaku-ji, and ceremonies at the Kamigamo and Shimogamo shrines. Dates follow the lunar calendar.
Is there a Silver Week in 2027?
No. Respect for the Aged Day falls on Monday 20 September and Autumnal Equinox Day on Thursday 23 September, and they do not join into one run – so there is no big domestic travel spike.
Is Kyoto cheaper in September than November?
Dramatically. November’s maple season roughly doubles Kyoto accommodation rates, and September sits well below October too.
Can you walk the Fushimi Inari loop in September?
By late September, comfortably. It is a genuine hour-plus climb rather than a photo stop, and in the first half of the month the heat and humidity make it hard work.
You Might Also Love
Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
