Since the establishment of the first weather station in Hakodate in 1872, Japan has recorded temperature changes across the country. According to the data provided by Japan Meteorological Agency, the maximum recorded temperature in Japan was 41.8°C in Isesaki, Gunma on August 5, 2025, while the minimum recorded temperature was in Asahikawa, Hokkaido on January 25, 1902. Below is a list of the most extreme temperatures recorded in Japan.
In the whole of Japan, the place with the lowest annual average temperature is not Hokkaido, but Mount Fuji at the junction of Shizuoka and Yamanashi prefecture. The annual average temperature is , which is the average annual temperature of all weather stations in Japan so far. The only area with a negative value, Mount Fuji's extreme maximum temperature was only , which was measured on August 13, 1942.
In contrast, Minami-Tori-shima has the highest annual average temperature in Japan. This is a small island in the Pacific Ocean, some 1850 km from Honshu. It has an annual average temperature of , exceeding the value recorded by all weather stations including Okinawa Prefecture. And the extreme minimum temperature in the region is , which is unique in the whole of Japan, because even in Okinawa Prefecture, the minimum temperature of the year tends to be lower than .
Maximum temperatures Japan maximum temperature extremes, by monthMonthHighest maximum temperaturesLowest maximum temperatures°C°FLocation and date°C°FLocation and dateJanuary Minami-Tori-shima (9 Jan 2021) Mount Fuji (31 Jan 1936)February Ishigaki, Okinawa (16 Feb 1898)Mount Fuji (17 Feb 1977)March Naze, Amami, Kagoshima (26 March 1999)Mount Fuji (5 Mar 1977)April Yonago, Tottori (28 Apr 2005) Mount Fuji (12 Apr 1996)May Saroma, Hokkaido (26 May 2019) Mount Fuji (6 May 1945)June Isesaki, Gunma (25 Jun 2022) Mount Fuji (2 Jun 1981)July Tamba, Hyōgo (30 Jul 2025) Mount Fuji (8 Jul 1945)August Isesaki, Gunma (5 Aug 2025) Mount Fuji (25 Aug 1972)September Sanjō, Niigata (3 Sep 2020) Mount Fuji (24 Sep 1976)October Sanjō, Niigata (6 Oct 2018) Mount Fuji (24 Oct 1947)November Minami-Tori-shima (4 Nov 1953) Mount Fuji (30 Nov 1970)December Minami-Tori-shima (5 Dec 1952) Mount Fuji (26 Dec 1995)
Minimum temperatures
Japan minimum temperature extremes, by monthMonthHighest minimum temperaturesLowest minimum temperatures°C°FLocation and date°C°FLocation and dateJanuary Minami-Tori-shima (9 Jan 2021)Asahikawa, Hokkaido (25 Jan 1902)February Iriomote Island (11 Feb 2010) Ishigaki, Okinawa (11 Feb 2010)Asahikawa, Hokkaido (11 Feb 1902)March Minami-Tori-shima (22 Mar 1999)Obihiro, Hokkaido (3 Mar 1895)April Ishigaki, Okinawa (30 Apr 2019) Mount Fuji (3 Apr 1965)May Tarama, Okinawa (29 May 2016) Mount Fuji (3 May 1934)June Ishigaki, Okinawa (30 Jun 2015) Mount Fuji (2 Jun 1981)July Komatsu, Ishikawa (31 Jul 2000) Mount Fuji (4 Jul 1966)August Itoigawa, Niigata (15 Aug 2019) Mount Fuji (25 Aug 1972)September Koshino, Fukui (3 Sep 2020) Mount Fuji (23 Sep 1976)October Minami-Tori-shima (7 Oct 2019) Mount Fuji (30 Oct 1984)November Minami-Tori-shima (6 Nov 2020) Mount Fuji (30 Nov 1970)December Minami-Tori-shima (4 Dec 1998) Obihiro, Hokkaido (30 Dec 1907)
References
External links