Japan in July? Need advice

I love Japan, have been several times, but Japan in July isn't my idea of fun.

Although that depends on where in Japan you're going. Two summers ago, we went to Hokkaido in early July. We loved it, the weather was generally lovely (sunny and warm, but not hot and humid). Hokkaido is Japan's northern-most (and least populated) major island; it's sort of Japan's equivalent to Alaska: wild, mostly empty, natural. It was spectacular, and I'd highly recommend it for a beautiful summer trip. Many Japanese go there in the summer (because the weather is miserable in most of the country then).

On the way back from Hokkaido we spent two days in Tokyo (a city we love), and the heat almost killed me. Going outside was miserable. We won't be doing that again if we can help it.

Most first-time visitors to Japan will want to stick to Honshu, the main island with all the primary tourist attractions (Tokyo, Kyoto, Mt Fuji, etc.). And most of Honshu is going to be very, very hot and humid (also maybe rainy) in July. If you can get up into the higher mountains it won't be quite as bad, but where most tourists will want to be is the major cities, and the heat there can be brutal.

We love Japan and plan to visit again many times, but not in July. Unless you are ready for serious, constant heat and humidity, I would recommend visiting in the spring or fall (or even in the winter) instead. In fact, I'd go almost any other time of the year, with July-August my last choice.

Agree with David, it really depends on where you are going, Hokkaido is perfect in the summer yet Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka (the main tourist circuit) can be quite miserable and humid, Kyoto especially. March, April, and early May (cherry blossom season) are much better times to visit the above mentioned cities...

Thank you both for the very thoughtful responses. Hokkaido looks absolutely gorgeous. I agree though, as a first time traveler we'd probably want to see the major cities and it sounds like this may not be the ideal time to do that!

Wise choice.

Hokkaido is indeed spectacular, a perfect "summer trip" destination. But for your first trip, probably not a good choice. Save it for Japan Trip #2 or #3, and first hit the more conventional circuits around Honshu. Yep, better times to do that would be Spring (cherry blossoms) or Fall (leaf-watching - something the Japanese are equally obsessed with, which might surprise outsiders). And generally better weather all around the country in those seasons.

For July, I prefer northern Europe.