What's the weather like in Kyoto this time of year?

Question:

Hey everyone,

I'm going to be living in Kyoto, Japan from September of this year. Just to ask - what's the weather like? Also, as an asthmatic, is there any precautions I should take? Is the pollen bad? Has anyone who is asthmatic been in the area before?

Answer:

In the summer, like now, it is terribly humid, with temperatures averaging around 33-35 (about 95F). This is not too hot, but since it's so humid, it's much more comfortable to take the subway or bus than ride your bike or walk to work/school.

In the fall, it's beautiful, and my favorite time of year. Temperatures hover around 23-26 (high 70s) and this is the best time to visit the shrines and temples in the area. Please note that "fall" starts in October - September is still kind of hot.

Winter, to me, is not very cold; last year, temperatures dipped below freezing twice in late January, and we got snow on only two separate occasions. Both times it was gone within two days. I will warn you that they don't salt or plow the roads, so it can be a little dangerous. However, because it melts so quickly, it's not really something to worry about.

For your asthma, I'm not sure what precautions you should take, but pollen in the spring is TERRIBLE. Please come well-prepared for "record high pollen counts." Kyoto is surrounded on all sides by mountains, and in the spring, is positively littered with blossoming cherry trees. It yellows everything - not that you'd really notice, since people keep their things very, very clean - and can give people hay fever for weeks.

Send me a message if there's anything you'd like to know about living in Kyoto! lysistraata@yahoo.com