Kurashiki weather in May

In May, Kurashiki sees average daytime highs of 21°C and overnight lows near 16°C, with 132 mm of rain across 10.2 wet days and about 13.8 hours of daylight. It is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 22°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, May is Kurashiki's 10th-clearest and 9th-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kurashiki's year-round climate.

Daytime high
21°
6th warmest
Overnight low
16°
7th coldest
Rainfall
132 mm
10.2 wet days
Daylight
13 h 48 min
5:07 AM – 6:55 PM
Cloud cover
62%
10th clearest
Wind
11 km/h
9th windiest
Solar energy
5.53 kWh/m²
Travel score
6.4
out of 10

Kurashiki is city in Okayama prefecture, Japan.

Density
1,360/km²
people per km²
Founded
1928

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in May

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs climb over the month, from about 20°C in the first days to 22°C by the end.

A typical May day in Kurashiki reaches about 21°C in the afternoon and slips back to 16°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 19°C and 23°C. Set against its neighbours, May runs about 4°C warmer than April and about 3°C cooler than June.

10°15°20°25°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
11914
22014
32014
42014
52015
62015
72015
82015
92015
102015
112115
122115
132116
142116
152116
162116
172116
182116
192116
202216
212217
222217
232217
242217
252217
262217
272217
282218
292218
302318
312318

How May really feels in Kurashiki

Once humidity and wind are folded in, May averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

May sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Kurashiki weather by month

How May compares with the rest of the year at a glance. May is the 6th-warmest and 4th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 517.80.59.92.0
Feb10° / 5980.510.72.2
Mar13° / 101100.111.73.5
Apr17° / 12°11510.3012.85.4
May21° / 16°13210.2013.86.4
Jun24° / 20°17811.8014.36.2
Jul28° / 24°17112.1014.15.6
Aug30° / 26°959.3013.35.3
Sep27° / 22°15310.6012.26.3
Oct22° / 17°1218.4011.17.0
Nov17° / 12°606.9010.25.7
Dec12° / 557.509.73.2

Cloud cover in May

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 31% of the time in May.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 14% of May, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 55%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
14951
24951
34852
44852
54753
64852
74753
84654
94555
104555
114555
124456
134456
144456
154555
164555
174555
184555
194555
204456
214456
224456
234456
244456
254258
264258
274258
284060
294060
303961
313961

Chance of precipitation in May

Any precipitation

Kurashiki gets around 132 mm of rain over 10.2 wet days in May. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 32% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
132
232
332
432
533
633
733
834
934
1034
1134
1234
1334
1434
1534
1633
1733
1833
1932
2032
2132
2232
2331
2431
2531
2631
2730
2830
2930
3030
3130

Humidity in May

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of May feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, May lands in the dry band about 40% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)Humid (%)Muggy (%)
1622891
2612991
35930101
45831101
55632111
65532112
75333122
85134132
95134132
105035142
114935142
124736152
134637152
144538162
154338172
164139182
174040192
183840202
193641212
203441232
213241252
223041263
232841283
242641303
252440324
262340344
272139365
281938385
291736406
301635427
311434438

Wind in May

Winds average 11 km/h in May.

Across May, daily wind ranges from about 11 km/h on the calmest days to 12 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

051015151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
112calm
212calm
312calm
412calm
512calm
612calm
712calm
812calm
912calm
1011calm
1111calm
1211calm
1311calm
1411calm
1511calm
1611calm
1711calm
1811calm
1911calm
2011calm
2111calm
2211calm
2311calm
2411calm
2511calm
2611calm
2711calm
2811calm
2911calm
3011calm
3111calm

Sunrise & sunset in May

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 13 h 24 min at the start of May to 14 h 06 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 42 minutes over May. Sunrise moves from 5:21 AM to 4:59 AM, and sunset from 6:43 PM to 7:06 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
113.45:216:43
213.45:206:44
313.45:196:45
413.55:186:46
513.55:176:46
613.55:166:47
713.65:156:48
813.65:146:49
913.65:136:50
1013.65:126:50
1113.75:116:51
1213.75:106:52
1313.75:106:53
1413.75:096:54
1513.85:086:54
1613.85:076:55
1713.85:066:56
1813.95:066:57
1913.95:056:58
2013.95:046:58
2113.95:046:59
2213.95:037:00
2314.05:027:01
2414.05:027:01
2514.05:017:02
2614.05:017:03
2714.15:007:03
2814.15:007:04
2914.14:597:05
3014.14:597:05
3114.14:597:06

Solar energy in May

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in May, about 5.53 kWh/m² — the sunniest month for solar.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.36 kWh/m² to a high of 5.53 kWh/m² in May across the year — May's 5.53 kWh/m² sits near the top of that range.

0246151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
15.5Bright
25.5Bright
35.5Bright
45.5Bright
55.5Bright
65.5Bright
75.5Bright
85.5Bright
95.5Bright
105.5Bright
115.5Bright
125.5Bright
135.5Bright
145.5Bright
155.5Bright
165.6Bright
175.6Bright
185.6Bright
195.6Bright
205.6Bright
215.6Bright
225.6Bright
235.6Bright
245.6Bright
255.6Bright
265.5Bright
275.5Bright
285.5Bright
295.5Bright
305.5Bright
315.4Bright
Planning a trip in May

Hazard calendar for Kurashiki

In seasonPeak

In May, Kurashiki sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Kurashiki sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Pacific typhoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is May a good time to visit Kurashiki?

Our two travel scores rate May for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

6.4
Sightseeing
2nd-best month of the year
4.0
Beach & pool
6th-best month of the year

May is a reasonable time to visit Kurashiki for sightseeing.

What to pack for Kurashiki in May

From May's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In May, Kurashiki sees daytime highs around 21°C and nights near 16°C. Worth packing: rain gear and sun protection. About 10 days see rain.

rain gearsun protection

Sea temperature near Kurashiki in May

The nearest coast averages about 18°C in May — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 27 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 3 to Nov 12 — about 5.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr15Bracing
May18Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec16Cool

UV index in Kurashiki in May

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in May peaks around 8 (very high — sun protection essential). The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kurashiki peaks around July 12 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateJul 12UV 10Dec 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Kurashiki in May

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where May falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Kurashiki is worst in April — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 1324 µg/m³Dec 1414 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar23Moderate
Apr24Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kurashiki?

Kurashiki sits at 34.6°N, 133.8°E, 4 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Sōja, 10 km away.

Topography around Kurashiki

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kurashiki.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kurashiki has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 148 m around an average of 13 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 424 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,811 m.

The land around Kurashiki is covered by artificial surfaces (71%) within 3 km, trees (38%) and artificial surfaces (30%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
148 m
16 km
424 m
80 km
1,811 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
May weather nearby: Sōja 10 km · Asakuchi 16 km · Okayama 17 km · Kamogatachō-kamogata 17 km · Tamano 18 km · Naoshima 25 km · Kasaoka 26 km · Takahashi 26 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kurashiki (34.5833°, 133.7667°, elevation 4 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).