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Japan’s climate is famously varied: humid subtropical summers with a rainy season, powerful typhoons in late summer and early autumn, heavy winter snow on the Sea of Japan side and Hokkaido, and frequent microclimate differences between coastlines and mountain valleys. Choosing the right weather app here means balancing official warnings, ultra-local short-term radar, wind/typhoon tracking and terrain-aware forecasts for hiking or skiing.

Weather apps for Japan


In this guide I’ll recommend four apps that — together — cover everything a resident or visitor to Japan is likely to need: an official source for alerts, a hyperlocal nowcasting app, a detailed national forecast provider, and a professional wind/typhoon tracker. Each pick is selected for strengths that match Japan’s seasonal risks (rain, typhoon, snow) and everyday needs (commute, outdoor planning, disaster awareness).

Below you’ll find short descriptions of each app, why it’s especially useful in Japan, practical tips for when to check it, and a quick “best for” note so you can mix and match based on activity (commute, travel, mountain sports, or disaster preparedness).

1. Weathernews (ウェザーニュース)

— Best for ultra-local nowcasts & community reports

Weathernews (often shown as “Weathernews” or in Japanese ウェザーニュース) is a Japan-native app built around very frequent updates, an extensive observation network and a large community of user reports. It offers high-resolution mesh forecasts (often described as 1-km grid forecasts with minute-level updates), animated rain-cloud radar, and special pages for typhoon and earthquake information. For everyday use in Japan it’s great for seeing approaching rain or sudden changes during the rainy season and for quick local checks before commuting or heading out.

  • Why it suits Japan: Hyperlocal 1-km forecasts and frequent radar updates catch fast, localized rain — essential during the rainy season and short heavy showers.
  • Best for: commuters, city dwellers, anyone who needs “is it going to rain in the next 30 minutes?”
  • Tip: activate location pins for family or multiple spots (some paid plans support family packs) so you can monitor weather at work, home and travel destinations simultaneously.

2. tenki.jp (日本気象協会 / Japan Weather Association)

— Best all-round national forecasts & disaster guidance

tenki.jp is the mobile offering from the Japan Weather Association (日本気象協会) and focuses on authoritative, Japan-specific forecasts and weather commentary produced by professional forecasters. The app includes a popular rain-cloud radar (showing up to ~48 hours ahead movement), hourly forecasts, two-week outlooks and disaster / typhoon updates. It pairs well with an official warnings source because it adds forecaster commentary, practical “life” recommendations and region-specific guidance.

  • Why it suits Japan: Local meteorologists produce regionally tuned advice, and the app’s radar/forecast combination is tuned to Japanese observation systems (AMeDAS, radar networks).
  • Best for: households, people planning activities over several days, and those who want forecaster notes about heavy rain, lightning or pollen.
  • Tip: read the short forecaster notes on heavy rain/typhoon days — they’re practical and often mention likely timing of showers and flood risk in plain language.

3. Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA)

— Best for official warnings and government alerts

The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA, 気象庁) is the official national authority for meteorological warnings, tsunami and earthquake notices, river / flood information and typhoon advisories. The JMA’s official app (and its website) publishes the definitive alerts and rain/river/tsunami warnings that municipalities and emergency services rely on. For safety during typhoons, heavy-rain events or earthquake/tsunami scenarios you should follow JMA notices as your primary authoritative source.

  • Why it suits Japan: Only JMA can issue official warnings and river/tsunami advisories — crucial for evacuation and safety decisions.
  • Best for: emergency preparedness, official evacuation guidance, and anyone who needs to confirm government alerts.
  • Tip: enable push notifications for warnings and advisories; during typhoon season, test your notification settings beforehand so alerts aren’t muted.

4. Windy / Windy.app

— Best for wind, typhoon tracks and outdoor sports

Windy (and its spin-off Windy.app) specializes in high-resolution wind, wave and model comparisons. If you need totrack a typhoon’s wind field, gusts, wave heights or plan mountaineering, skiing or marine activities, Windy’s animated global maps, multiple model overlays and wind layers are extremely valuable. It’s not a replacement for JMA for official warnings, but it gives the best visual tools for understanding how a typhoon’s wind and pressure structure will impact a region.

  • Why it suits Japan: Typhoons are a wind-driven risk — Windy visualizes wind fields, gust forecasts and model spread so you can see where the strongest winds will occur.
  • Best for: sailors, surfers, paragliders, mountain guides and anyone who plans activities where wind matters.
  • Tip: compare multiple models (ECMWF, GFS, ICON) within Windy to see the range of possible typhoon tracks and wind intensities.

How to use these four together (practical workflow)

Because no single app perfectly covers every need in Japan, combine them: use JMA for official warnings and evacuation directives; use Weathernews for minute-by-minute, hyperlocal rain nowcasts; use tenki.jp for day-to-day forecasts and forecaster commentary; use Windy to visualize typhoon wind/wave impacts and model differences. On a typical typhoon or heavy-rain day that workflow gives you authoritative alerts + granular local timing + broad wind/track context.

  • Commuters: check Weathernews in the morning and before leaving, plus JMA alerts for official notices.
  • Hikers / Skiers: use Windy for wind and high-altitude conditions, tenki.jp for mountain-specific forecasts (many tenki.jp services include mountain weather), and JMA for any official warnings.
  • Travelers in typhoon season: monitor Windy for track shifts, Weathernews for local rain timing, and JMA for evacuation or transport suspension info.

Settings & safety tips for Japan

1) Enable location permissions and multiple favorite places (home, work, transit hub) so you get relevant, immediate updates. 2) Turn on push alerts from the JMA app (or your phone’s government alert system) for warnings, and keep volume/vibration enabled. 3) During the rainy season and typhoon months, check apps multiple times per day — short-term forecasts and radar animations often change within hours. 4) For outdoor activities, always cross-check Windy’s model spread and tenki.jp’s forecaster notes before committing to plans.

Final recommendations

If you want a single-app stack that covers most Japanese users’ needs: install JMA (official alerts), Weathernews (hyperlocal rain and community reports) and Windy (typhoon/wind visualization). Add tenki.jp for forecaster commentary and extra radar detail if you want a polished daily forecast experience. These four together give you official safety notices, minute-by-minute local rain information, expert forecaster guidance, and powerful wind/typhoon tools — a complete kit for Japan’s complex climate.

Weather in Japan can change fast and local conditions can differ dramatically across short distances; these four apps supply complementary strengths so you can prepare, decide, and stay safe whether you’re commuting through Tokyo, climbing Hokkaido peaks or riding out a typhoon on the coast.