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I'm currently planning my trip to Japan from 29 August till 12 September with plane tickets already purchased.

Initially I planned to visit remote southern areas, as far as Shinkansen goes - namely Kagoshima. Then spend several days in Osaka followed by tour along Sea of Japan shore.

However the more I look at it the more I'm getting concerned about typhoon season that is said to peak in Kyushu right when I'm going to be there. Typhoon aside, I also heard that jellyfish are swarming at these times, making beach activities non-viable.

As I don't want to get stuck in a hotel because it's showering non-stop outside, I'm re-planning my itinerary for areas where better weather can be expected at this time of year.

Which areas of Japan (e.g. Sea of Japan, Northern Honshu, Hokkaido) are have more sun during these dates? Do typhoons move from Kyushu northbound to hit the entire country or there are any areas unlikely to be hit?

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    You're asking quite subjective questions ("how probable? should I? can I go to the beach?") which are going to come down to opinion, generally considered off topic here. I'm putting the question on hold for now, I recommend having a look at the guidelines in the help center and then editing and flagging to reopen. Hope that helps!
    – Mark Mayo
    Commented Jun 6, 2017 at 8:07
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    Meteorologically speaking, typhoons tend to not be very strong in most of Japan because most of Japan is too northern. The vast majority of horrifying news stories about typhoon occur in the Philippines, southern China, Taiwan, etc.
    – xuq01
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 3:24
  • Well, I should have clarified what I mean by "safe" travel-wise. I'm not that afraid of getting blown away by wind, but rather stuck in a hotel because it's showering non-stop outside.
    – ttaaoossuuuu
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 6:14

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Rule of thumb: south = bad. If you're on a small island in Okinawa when a big typhoon blows through, you'll indeed be stuck there for a few days because all flights and ferries will halt. But if you're anywhere on the main islands (including places like Kagoshima, which is still on a Shinkansen line and not particularly "remote"), you're likely fine, because you'll get a few days' warning and can get out in time.

Typhoons are also not really a problem for Osaka (sheltered by bay), Kyoto (inland), Tokyo, or any points north of Tokyo -- they're virtually always downgraded to normal storms by the time they make landfall. Likewise, typhoons always hit the Pacific coast, not the Japan Sea side.

FWIW, I lived in Japan for quite a few years and travel there yearly, and early fall is one of my favourite times to travel: not too hot, not too cold, not too many tourists. This also means you can keep your plans flexible and don't need to book far ahead, because it's off season. Only once have I come even close to being inconvenienced by a typhoon, and that was when a post-typhoon landslide closed the road from Atami to Tokyo, trapping a bus full of my colleagues for a few hours. I, however, had snuck off a few hours early and returned by train, which was unaffected.

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  • Thank you for comprehensive answer. But serious problems aside, does that mean that Central Honshu will likely have dull rainy weather during the season? Can one expect more sun moving further and further north, or it's pretty much the same all over Japan?
    – ttaaoossuuuu
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 12:16
  • No, not at all, fall weather is mostly fine and sunny unless a typhoon/storm blows in. The rainy season in Japan is around June.
    – lambshaanxy
    Commented Jun 8, 2017 at 21:17
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Aug 29 to Sept 12, It is HOT, HOT, HOT and HUMID, HUMID, HUMID, with very little wind.

Some non-Japanese welcome typhoons to bring a bit of wind relief.

Typhoon prediction is fairly accurate. You will have a couple of days of notice if a typhoon is expected to hit.
http://www.jma.go.jp/en/typh/typh5.html

You heard correct about jellyfish. Go to Japan Inland Sea.
A favorite is Shiraishi Island, Amy Chavez "Cow Lady" will take care of you.
http://www.moooobar.com/
dailymoooo.blogspot.jp

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