Dry-day rate calendar for April
Period: observations for 1996–2025 (30 years)
This is the month that starts the outing season, with days under high pressure alternating with rainy days from low-pressure systems. For holiday plans, the columns for the share of consecutive days without rain (2 days in a row / 3 days in a row) are useful.
The "dry-day rate" is the share of years in which a given day had no precipitation (rain or snow) of 1 mm or more (daily rainfall under 1 mm, smoothed over the 4 days before and after).
These are statistics compiled from observations for 1996–2025 (30 years), not a weather forecast for any particular day. For the latest forecasts, see the JMA website.
April at a glance
The station with the highest monthly average dry-day rate in Japan, the national median, and the station with the lowest. The most comfortable stations this month: Chichibu / Katsunuma / Ueda (details in the comfort section below).
Dry-day rates across Japan (April average)
Each dot is 1 station. The highest and lowest stations are labeled on the map, and the top and bottom lists are below.
Daily calendar for major stations
The deeper the amber, the more years that day stayed dry (the colors match the legend above). The table below (averages for the early, middle, and late parts of the month) has the same values.
| Station | Early | Mid | Late | Monthly avg. | 2 days in a row | 3 days in a row | Windy days | Sunshine (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo | 67.7% | 69.2% | 72.1% | 69.7% | 53.3% | 40.9% | 22.8% | 6.0 hours |
| Sendai | 74.7% | 73.6% | 72.4% | 73.6% | 58.4% | 45.9% | 13.8% | 6.5 hours |
| Niigata | 60.0% | 61.1% | 65.1% | 62.1% | 42.9% | 28.7% | 11.3% | 6.0 hours |
| Kanazawa | 60.3% | 60.9% | 60.9% | 60.7% | 40.7% | 27.8% | 25.7% | 6.3 hours |
| Tokyo | 69.3% | 67.9% | 66.6% | 67.9% | 49.1% | 35.3% | 8.7% | 6.0 hours |
| Nagoya | 69.6% | 67.5% | 71.4% | 69.5% | 50.9% | 36.8% | 12.8% | 6.7 hours |
| Osaka | 69.9% | 69.2% | 71.5% | 70.2% | 51.7% | 37.2% | 2.5% | 6.5 hours |
| Hiroshima | 70.2% | 70.6% | 71.3% | 70.7% | 53.1% | 38.7% | 9.3% | 6.5 hours |
| Takamatsu | 72.1% | 68.9% | 73.2% | 71.4% | 54.8% | 41.0% | 4.3% | 6.6 hours |
| Fukuoka | 69.2% | 69.1% | 70.7% | 69.7% | 52.3% | 38.3% | 5.5% | 6.4 hours |
| Kagoshima | 67.7% | 66.8% | 66.8% | 67.1% | 48.6% | 34.1% | 7.5% | 6.0 hours |
| Naha | 68.7% | 64.6% | 64.9% | 66.1% | 47.7% | 34.4% | 49.6% | 4.2 hours |
"2 days in a row" and "3 days in a row" are the monthly averages of the share of years in which it stayed dry for 2 / 3 days starting that day (counted from the actual consecutive records, not by multiplying each day's share). They are a guide for multi-night trips and outdoor plans. "Windy days" is the share of days with a daily mean wind speed of 5 m/s or more. The sunshine averages include estimates from March 2021 onward at some stations.
Stations with the highest and lowest dry-day rates (April average)
Highest
Cape Soya / Fukushima / Obihiro / Kofu / Chichibu / Natori / Katsunuma / Nemuro / Kushiro / Yanagawa
Lowest
Sumon / Sasunabe / Tsugawa / Oisawa / Hijiori / Hachimantai / Kamiichi / Tadami / Kakunodate / Kaneyama
Comfort in April (5 levels)
Based on observations of dry-day rate, sunshine, wind, and temperature for 1996–2025 (30 years), each station is rated on 5 levels of comfort for April. The tables also show the values behind each rating and the factor that lowered it most (the main factor). Some stations with short sunshine records are not rated.
Each dot is 1 station. The colors match the levels in the legend. The top and bottom lists are below.
Most comfortable stations (top)
| Station | Level | Main factor | Dry-day rate | Sunshine (avg.) | Windy days | High (avg.) | Low (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chichibu | Comfortable | None | 75.2% | 6.2 hours | 0.2% | 19.3°C | 6.2°C |
| Katsunuma | Comfortable | None | 74.7% | 6.6 hours | 0.8% | 20.3°C | 7.6°C |
| Ueda | Comfortable | None | 73.9% | 7.1 hours | 0.0% | 18.4°C | 4.7°C |
| Fukushima | Comfortable | None | 75.9% | 6.4 hours | 3.6% | 18.0°C | 6.8°C |
| Kiriishi | Comfortable | None | 73.0% | 6.1 hours | 0.3% | 19.7°C | 7.3°C |
| Kofu | Comfortable | None | 75.7% | 6.9 hours | 4.9% | 21.0°C | 8.7°C |
| Yorii | Comfortable | None | 72.8% | 6.3 hours | 0.5% | 19.4°C | 7.1°C |
| Kasaoka | Comfortable | None | 72.3% | 6.4 hours | 0.4% | 19.0°C | 8.4°C |
| Fukuyama | Comfortable | None | 71.5% | 6.4 hours | 0.2% | 19.4°C | 8.3°C |
| Otsuki | Comfortable | None | 71.3% | 6.0 hours | 0.0% | 19.1°C | 6.3°C |
Harshest stations (bottom)
| Station | Level | Main factor | Dry-day rate | Sunshine (avg.) | Windy days | High (avg.) | Low (avg.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sukayu | Harsh | Cold | 57.9% | 4.9 hours | 8.5% | 6.6°C | -0.4°C |
| Washikura | Tough | Cold | 57.8% | 5.0 hours | 22.5% | 7.6°C | 0.3°C |
| Hamaoni-Shibetsu | Tough | Cold | 70.1% | 5.9 hours | 46.2% | 7.4°C | -0.1°C |
| Numakawa | Tough | Cold | 67.4% | 5.2 hours | 12.6% | 7.8°C | -0.8°C |
| Cape Soya | Tough | Cold | 76.1% | 6.2 hours | 81.1% | 7.3°C | 1.1°C |
| Nemuro | Tough | Cold | 74.6% | 6.1 hours | 53.2% | 7.8°C | 0.8°C |
| Toyotomi | Tough | Cold | 69.0% | 5.2 hours | 13.9% | 8.2°C | 0.2°C |
| Nakatonbetsu | Tough | Cold | 64.6% | 5.2 hours | 2.5% | 8.9°C | -1.6°C |
| Otoineppu | Tough | Cold | 62.1% | 5.2 hours | 0.8% | 8.8°C | -0.9°C |
| Nakagawa | Tough | Cold | 63.1% | 5.4 hours | 9.5% | 9.1°C | -1.2°C |
Stations are ordered by their rating from the observations. "Windy days" is the share of days with a daily mean wind speed of 5 m/s or more, and "Sunshine (avg.)" is the monthly average of daily sunshine hours (including estimates from March 2021 onward at some stations).
Typhoon approaches in April (5 broad areas)
| Area | Total approach days (1951–2025) |
|---|---|
| Hokkaido | 0 days |
| Honshu | 0 days |
| Shikoku | 1 day |
| Kyushu | 2 days |
| Okinawa and Amami | 11 days |
The total number of days in April on which the center of a typhoon came within 300 km of a staffed weather station in each area, from 75 years of confirmed records. The bars compare the areas within this table, with the busiest area drawn longest. The Izu and Ogasawara Islands are not included in Honshu (listed separately).
Typhoon approach calendar / Look up past typhoons by date range
What makes April distinctive
April is when the nationwide dry-day rates come closest to bunching together. In measurements over the 30 years 1996–2025, even the high side topped out at Fukushima (75.9%) / Obihiro (75.8%) / Kofu (75.7%), and the gap to the low side, Kamiichi (54.7%) / Itoigawa (56.7%), was much smaller than in the winter months. Among major stations, Sapporo (69.7%) topped Tokyo (67.9%), and the order that had set in over winter broke down. Hachijojima Island landing on the low side at 56.9% is also a trace of low-pressure systems passing south of Honshu. Since precipitation hits similarly wherever you go, this was a month when it is easier to choose a destination by purpose rather than by the chance of rain.
The clues for choosing remain on the temperature side. Average highs were 26.1°C at Ishigakijima Island / 24.4°C at Naha, while major stations on Honshu fell in line from 16°C to the 20s, and Wakkanai and Nemuro were at 7.8°C. The average low was -2.7°C at Etanbetsu and -1.4°C at Nayoro, so only mornings in inland Hokkaido stayed below freezing. Places where you can walk around in light clothing and places where you need a jacket sit side by side in the same month. Days with a daily mean wind speed of 5 m/s or more were at Cape Muroto (76.1%) / Choshi (66.6%), and the strength of the wind on terrain jutting into the sea did not change in spring either.
The record values in this commentary are as compiled in September 2026, and the normals are based on 1996–2025 (30 years).
Other months and calendars
Cherry blossom calendar (some stations have recorded flowering or full bloom in April)
When to travel calendar (holidays, long weekends, and comfort levels for 12 months at once)
Each station's page also has a 12-month calendar for that station.