季節曆 · 2026-06
June 2026 — Tsuyu, hydrangeas, and the year's halfway sweet
June is the quietest tourist month of the year and the wettest. The tsuyu rainy season arrives around mid-June and hangs through early July, but the trade-off is empty temples, blooming hydrangeas, and one of Japan's most specific seasonal sweets. Bring an umbrella; the country is half its usual price.
Events
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2026-06-10 to 2026-07-15
Tsuyu (rainy season) begins
Nationwide (excluding Hokkaido)
Daily light-to-moderate rain for ~5 weeks. JMA announces the official start. Bring a foldable umbrella — convenience stores sell ¥500 plastic ones if you forget. Indoor museums, jazz kissa, and onsen are at their best.
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2026-06-01 to 2026-06-30
Ajisai (hydrangea) viewing season
Kamakura (Meigetsu-in, Hase-dera), Hakone, Mimuroto-ji (Kyoto)
Hydrangeas peak with the rainy season — they're at their most photogenic in light drizzle. Meigetsu-in's blue 'hydrangea temple' draws lines; go on a weekday.
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2026-06-01 to 2026-06-20
Hotaru (firefly) viewing
Mountain rivers and rural shrines, especially Yamanashi & Shimane
Late spring to early summer brings hotaru. Best 19:30-21:00 on humid, windless evenings. Many ryokan in tsuyu regions run shuttle viewing tours.
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2026-06-30
Minazuki — the half-year sweet
Kyoto wagashi shops (Toraya, Tsuruya Yoshinobu, Kameya Yoshinaga)
Eaten only on June 30 to mark the year's halfway point. A triangular jelly cake topped with azuki beans, shaped like shaved ice. Gone the next day until next June.
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2026-06-30
Nagoshi no Harae purification
Major shrines nationwide (Kyoto's Kamigamo, Heian; Tokyo's Hie)
Walk through a giant ring of woven reeds (chinowa) at a shrine to purify the year's first half. Free, takes two minutes, surprisingly grounding.
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