At a Glance
Compared to this destination's peak season A popular, comfortable month. The Sports Day long weekend, 9 to 11 October 2027, fills trains and hotels in the mountains and on the coast; the film festival brings crowds to Hibiya and Ginza from late October. Shibuya asks visitors to stay away on Halloween.
Tokyo in October — Travel Guide
By Harry Nara · Last updated
Tokyo in October offers some of the best conditions of the year, ideal for first-time visitors, walking & film. Expect temperatures of 15–22°C, around 8 days of rain, and medium crowds across the city. Daily budgets typically land around ¥8,000–60,000+ for mid-range travellers. Book three to four weeks ahead for the best mid-range rates and the widest hotel choice.
Contents15 sections
#Weather in Tokyo in October
Tokyo in October averages 15–22°C (59–72°F) with around 8 days of rain, and crowds are medium.
| Measure | October in Tokyo |
|---|---|
| Daytime high | About 22°C / 72°F, mid-20s early in the month, high teens by the end |
| Overnight low | About 15°C / 59°F |
| Rain | About 235mm, much of it in a few heavy days |
| Humidity | Falling fast after the summer; the clearest air since spring |
| Sunset | 5:26pm on the 1st, 4:47pm on the 31st; Japan does not change its clocks |
| Typhoons | Possible early in the month, rare after mid-October |
Figures are Japan Meteorological Agency 1991–2020 normals for Tokyo; sunset times are calculated for central Tokyo.
What that actually means for your trip:
- The rain total looks worse than the month feels. Two hundred and thirty-five millimetres is mostly a few heavy days, often the tail of a typhoon or an autumn front; the rest of the month is dry, bright and comfortable.
- Evenings come early. By the end of October it is dark before five, so start the day early and keep the evenings for food, bars and the lit-up city.
- Check the typhoon forecast in the first fortnight. A storm can stop trains for half a day; the Japan Meteorological Agency's English warnings are the ones to follow.
- It is a month for walking. The heat and humidity have gone, and Tokyo's best districts reward a day on foot.
Should you come in October? If the dates are yours to choose, it is one of the two or three best months of the Tokyo year, with comfortable days and a full calendar. What it is not is foliage season: the city's maples and ginkgo turn in late November. October gives you the clear air and the cool, not the colour, unless you go up into the mountains for it.
#What to Do in Tokyo in October
The Tokyo International Film Festival
Asia's largest film festival fills the cinemas of Hibiya, Yurakucho and Ginza from late October into early November; in 2026, its 39th edition, it ran from 26 October to 4 November.
2027 brings the 40th, and the dates and programme appear on the festival's site. Public ticket sales open about a week before the start, and the premieres sell out fast; daytime screenings in the side sections are easier.
Sports Day and the long weekend
Sports Day, a national holiday on the second Monday of October, falls on Monday 11 October 2027, giving a long weekend from the 9th. Schools and neighbourhoods hold sports days, the parks are full of families, and trains to the mountains and the coast are busy.
The Yasukuni autumn festival
The autumn grand festival at Yasukuni Shrine is held from 17 to 20 October every year, with classical music and dance on the shrine's stage. Yasukuni is politically sensitive, because it honours Japan's war dead, convicted war criminals among them, and its museum presents the war from a nationalist point of view; visit with that in mind.
Halloween, but not in Shibuya
In recent years Shibuya Ward has asked people not to come to Shibuya for Halloween: drinking in the street around the station is banned at night, and there is a heavy police presence on the nights around 31 October.
In 2027 Halloween falls on a Sunday.
The costumed crowds have moved to the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival, usually on the last weekend of October, to the bars of Roppongi and Shimokitazawa, and to Tokyo Disney Resort.
Autumn colour in the mountains
Central Tokyo's maples and ginkgo do not turn until late November, and even Mount Takao, an hour from Shinjuku, peaks from mid-to-late November. For colour in October, go higher: the lakes and moors of Oku-Nikko, above the shrines of Nikko, about two hours from Asakusa by Tobu limited express, turn red and gold through the month. October is still the best month to climb Takao itself, cool and clear, with the crowds a fraction of the November weekends.
Day trips while the weather holds
Kamakura, an hour south, has the Great Buddha, hillside temples and hiking trails between them.
Kawaguchiko, at the foot of Mount Fuji, has the classic views of the mountain across the lake; the clear days after a front are the ones to go.
Yokohama is half an hour away for its Chinatown, the Sankeien garden and the harbour.
#Getting Around
From Haneda, the Keikyu Line and the Tokyo Monorail reach the city in under half an hour; from Narita, the Narita Express or the Keisei Skyliner takes about an hour.
Buy a Suica or Pasmo card, or add one to your phone, and tap it on every train, subway and bus, and in most convenience stores.
The JR Yamanote Line loops around the centre and links most of the places you will want to be.
#Budget & Costs
| Travel style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Budget | ¥8,000–12,000 | Hostel or capsule, konbini and ramen, the IC card |
| Mid-range | ¥20,000–35,000 | Business or mid-range hotel, restaurants, a day trip |
| Luxury | ¥60,000+ | Five-star hotels and kaiseki dinners |
Where the money actually goes:
- Hotels are the variable. Rates rise for the Sports Day weekend, 9 to 11 October, and in Ginza and Hibiya during the film festival.
- Lunch is the bargain. A set lunch costs a fraction of the same kitchen's dinner.
- Transport is cheap with an IC card, and the day trips cost little more than a meal.
- No tipping at any level.
October is one of the best-value months to see Tokyo at its most comfortable. The one weekend to price carefully is Sports Day; the rest of the month is ordinary Tokyo, without the heat of summer or the crowds of cherry blossom and foliage seasons.
#Where to Stay in Tokyo in October
October is Tokyo's most comfortable month and, since 2023, one where a long-standing assumption no longer holds: the Shibuya Halloween street gathering is actively discouraged and policed, so booking Shibuya for the last weekend of October buys you road closures rather than a party. What October does reward is proximity to the Tokyo International Film Festival, which fills Hibiya, Marunouchi and Ginza from late October into early November, and access to the Keio Line if a hike up Mt Takao is on your list.
- Splurge: Imperial Hotel Tokyo (Hibiya). The hotel has been running since 1890 and is itself one of the festival's venues, which makes it about as close to the October programme as it is possible to sleep. Three stations sit within a five-minute walk, the Imperial Palace and Ginza are both five minutes on foot, and there is an indoor pool and a spa for the cooler evenings.
- Sweet spot: Hyatt Centric Ginza Tokyo (Ginza). Ginza Station is 350 metres away, Ginza Six a four-minute walk and Kabuki-za eight, which puts you inside the Ginza and Hibiya cluster where most of the festival screenings sit. Rooms have a hot tub in the bathroom, which is a better use of an October evening than it sounds.
- Budget: Shinjuku Washington Hotel (Nishi-Shinjuku). Compact rooms, three restaurants and a 24-hour convenience store, 500 metres from Tochomae and about fifteen minutes on foot from Shinjuku Station, where the Keio Line runs out to Mt Takao. Neither central Tokyo nor Takao reaches peak colour until November, but October's cool air makes it the best month for the climb.
October is popular without being frantic, and rates sit below the late-November foliage peak. The one tight window is the Sports Day long weekend of 9 to 11 October, when domestic travel picks up. Book the festival fortnight early if you want to be in Hibiya or Ginza. Each link opens Booking.com with October dates already filled in and that property at the top of the results. Nothing is locked in from there: change the dates, switch neighbourhood, or search an entirely different destination in the same visit.
For the other neighbourhoods, and every hotel we have verified across Tokyo, see our full guide to where to stay in Tokyo.
Hotel links are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission if you book, at no extra cost to you.
#Food & Dining
October is the start of Japan's food autumn.
Sanma, Pacific saury, is grilled whole with grated radish; matsutake mushrooms appear in clear soups and rice at the top restaurants, at a price; and kuri gohan, chestnut rice, and roasted sweet potatoes from the street carts are the everyday versions.
Hiyaoroshi, sake brewed in winter and aged over the summer, is released in the autumn, and the sake bars feature it.
For a meal in the season, find a kappo counter or an izakaya with a handwritten seasonal menu; the department-store food halls, the depachika of Ginza and Nihonbashi, show the autumn sweets, chestnut and sweet potato above all.
#Nightlife
October is the month to drink outside again.
The yokocho alleys, Omoide Yokocho in Shinjuku, Nonbei Yokocho in Shibuya and the bars under the tracks at Yurakucho, are at their best on a cool evening.
Golden Gai in Shinjuku packs dozens of tiny bars into a few lanes; some charge a cover. For music, the jazz bars of Shimokitazawa and Kichijoji, and the bigger clubs of Shibuya and Roppongi, have full autumn programmes.
#Shopping
The autumn and winter collections are in the shops on Omotesando and in Ginza.
Kappabashi, the kitchenware street between Ueno and Asakusa, is the place for knives and ceramics.
For Halloween costumes, Don Quijote has everything. The depachika food halls sell the season's chestnut and sweet potato sweets, boxed for travel.
#Culture & Etiquette
- Queue, and stand on the left of escalators in Tokyo.
- Speak quietly on trains, and keep phones on silent.
- Tipping is not done; service is included in the price.
- Shrines and temples: bow at the gate, rinse your hands at the basin, and follow the signs on photography.
- Halloween is a costume event in some districts and unwelcome in Shibuya; follow the signs and the police.
#Essential Local Phrases
| English | Japanese | Sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| Excuse me / Sorry | Sumimasen | Soo-mee-mah-sen |
| Thank you | Arigatou gozaimasu | Ah-ree-gah-toh go-zai-mas |
| How much is it? | Ikura desu ka? | Ee-koo-rah des kah |
| Delicious | Oishii | Oy-shee |
| The autumn leaves are beautiful | Kouyou ga kirei desu ne | Koh-yoh gah kee-ray des neh |
| One beer, please | Biiru wo hitotsu kudasai | Bee-roo oh hee-toh-tsoo koo-dah-sai |
| Do you have an English menu? | Eigo no menyuu wa arimasu ka? | Ay-goh noh men-yoo wah ah-ree-mas kah |
| Cheers! | Kanpai! | Kahn-pai |
#Packing List
- A light jacket for the evenings, warmer for the last week
- Layers for days that start cool and warm up
- A compact umbrella for the heavy-rain days
- Comfortable walking shoes that slip on and off easily, for temples and restaurants
- A small bag for rubbish; bins are rare
- Cash, for small restaurants and shrines that still do not take cards
- Proof of any prescription medicine, and an import certificate if you need one
#Backup Plans
If a typhoon or a front sets in: go underground.
The passages under Tokyo Station and Shinjuku link department stores, food halls and shops for hundreds of metres; teamLab Planets in Toyosu, the Mori Art Museum in Roppongi and the National Museum in Ueno fill a wet day.
If the trains stop: stay put. Services resume once the storm has passed; reserve a refundable ticket for any trip planned for a warning day.
If Shibuya is closed off on Halloween: take the Yamanote Line to Ikebukuro, or the Hibiya Line to Roppongi.
If the film festival is sold out: the festival's free outdoor screenings and the daytime showings in its side sections often still have seats.
#Safety & Health
Tokyo is one of the safest big cities in the world. The real October risk is the weather: in the first half of the month a typhoon can bring heavy rain and stop trains, so follow the Japan Meteorological Agency's warnings. Some common medicines, including pseudoephedrine and some ADHD medication, are restricted in Japan; check the rules, and apply for a Yunyu Kakunin-sho import certificate if you need one. Tap water is safe.
Emergency: 110 for the police, 119 for an ambulance or fire.
#What's New for October 2027
- Sports Day falls on Monday 11 October 2027, a long weekend from the 9th
- Halloween falls on a Sunday; Shibuya still asks visitors to stay away
- The Tokyo International Film Festival reaches its 40th edition, in late October
- The Yasukuni autumn festival runs from 17 to 20 October, as every year
- Japan's clocks do not change, so the evenings draw in steadily through the month
#About This Guide
By Harry Nara (founder of WhenToWander), first written in May 2026 and rewritten in October 2026 for October 2027. Climate figures are Japan Meteorological Agency 1991–2020 normals for Tokyo. Facts verified against:
- Japan Meteorological Agency for climate and typhoon warnings
- Tokyo International Film Festival for the festival
- Yasukuni Shrine for the autumn festival
- Cabinet Office of Japan for national holidays
- Embassy of Japan for bringing medicines into Japan
For the season as a whole, see Tokyo in autumn, and for the month that follows, Tokyo in November.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is there still a Halloween party in Shibuya?
No. In recent years Shibuya Ward has asked visitors not to come for Halloween, street drinking around the station is banned at night, and police manage the crowds around 31 October. The costumes have moved to the Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Festival, usually on the last weekend of October, to the bars of Roppongi and Shimokitazawa, and to Tokyo Disney Resort.
When is the Tokyo International Film Festival?
From late October into early November in the Hibiya, Yurakucho and Ginza area; in 2026 it ran from 26 October to 4 November. 2027 is its 40th edition, and the dates and programme appear on the festival’s site. Public ticket sales open about a week before the start.
When does the autumn foliage peak in Tokyo?
Late November into early December in the city, and mid-to-late November on Mount Takao. In October, the colour is in the mountains: the lakes and moors of Oku-Nikko, above Nikko, turn through the month and are about two hours from Asakusa.
What is the weather like in Tokyo in October?
Comfortable: about 22°C by day and 15°C at night on Japan Meteorological Agency normals, with the summer humidity gone. October has about 235mm of rain, mostly on a few heavy days, and a typhoon is still possible in the first half of the month. Sports Day on Monday 11 October 2027 makes a long weekend.
How much does it cost to visit Tokyo in October?
Budget-conscious travellers can expect daily costs of ¥8,000–60,000+, covering accommodation, food, and local transport. Flexible dates can save up to 20% compared with peak-week rates.