Guide 05 · Month context
Japan in March: five-city climate context
March is a useful reminder that one monthly label cannot summarize the whole country. These five observatories use the same JMA period and units.
March climate normals
| Observatory | Mean °C | Daily high °C | Daily low °C | Precip. mm | Sun h |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo | 1.1 | 4.5 | -2.4 | 77.6 | 144.7 |
| Tokyo | 9.4 | 14.2 | 5.0 | 116.0 | 175.3 |
| Osaka | 9.9 | 14.2 | 6.0 | 103.1 | 172.2 |
| Fukuoka | 10.8 | 15.0 | 7.2 | 103.7 | 161.2 |
| Naha | 19.1 | 21.9 | 16.7 | 142.8 | 115.3 |
What the five-city view adds
The listed mean temperatures range from 1.1°C in Sapporo to 19.1°C in Naha. The table deliberately has no “best” column: a transparent comparison is more useful than a universal verdict. It also shows that temperature is only one dimension; Tokyo has the highest March sunshine-duration normal in this five-city selection, while Naha has the highest listed precipitation total.
The figures describe observatories, not every local microclimate. They should be paired with official, current information when a date approaches.
Source and limits. JMA Tables of Climatological Normals (1991–2020). This page does not forecast March conditions.