The last time I visited was also a month of November, albeit two weeks later (over Thanksgiving). Back then, I lived in the southern United States and so failed to notice the true nature of the climate in Tokyo (because it was essentially the same as where I lived). Also this time around, I am in a suburb where I am noticing more of the vegetation. Persimmons have yet to be harvested, tangerines are maturing, and there are palm trees here and there. Not what you find in a northern climate. That's the kind of vegetation one finds on in the southern United States, or to talk about a similar region of the world, on the southern island of Jeju, in South Korea. Trees have all their leaves and some are only starting to turn yellow.
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| Large Asian persimmons on a tree in Tokyo |
If you want to know - short climatology 101 lesson
West coasts of continents tend to be milder, with winters being warmer at equal latitude compared to the east coast of said continent. Compare Seattle to New York City for instance, or Vancouver to Montreal, or moving across the Atlantic, Madrid to Philadelphia.
This is due to the direction of the Earth's rotation, and the way it pushes the ocean's currents. West side of continents receive air masses from the ocean, while east side of continents receive air masses that come from inland. Water masses are slower to heat up and cool down than landmasses and so on the west coast of continents summers tend to start later and winter also comes later. In addition, the ocean air acts to tone down seasonal differences. At equal latitude between west coast and east coast, summers are generally cooler on the west coast and winters warmer. Seattle does not suffer from the wide difference between summer and winter that exists in New York City.
Of course the climate in Tokyo is mitigated by the fact that Japan is an island, and so there is a sea not far to the West.
Back to Tokyo - what to expect in November
Somehow I thought winters in Tokyo were cold, because of those many scenes in Japanese movies where people in Tokyo live huddled around space heaters (and let's not forget the famed kotatsu). But this is precisely because winters are mild. Areas with mild winters generally have poor indoor heat. It is not in the culture or building codes to be hardy against cold weather. My host, a Korean immigrant, lamented that floor heating, common in South Korea, is not used in Japan even though in both countries, people live on the floor. When you travel southward in the winter time, you can expect to be cold indoors. So the rule of thumb is pack light in terms of outerwear (leave your parka at home), but pack warm indoor clothing. I am talking about being ready for indoor temperatures in the 60's and possibly 50's. Warm underwear, warm socks, a good sweater.
I arrived in Tokyo just as their weather was turning. When I left home for Tokyo, we had just narrowly missed our first snow, but our trees were bare and we were squarely in night freeze territory (as a matter of fact, I was unlucky to leave in the premorning hours, when we broke records and bottomed out at 15 degrees Farenheit). Of course, that follows weeks of adaptation to colder weather. So I am not living their days in the 60's and nights in the 50's the same way they are living them. People here are in full winter gear (sweater dresses, winter coats), while I am layering short sleeve shirts under my tops and find my early fall jacket sufficient for the morning hours. Layering is important, as while indoor heat may be lacking, it is not lacking on some subway lines. I don't know how they do it wearing sweater dresses.
Packing tip - small things that make a big difference
Scarves - When traveling to more southern climates, instead of a winter scarf, I bring a stole in a light fabric. It's not quite as warm as a scarf, but it gets the job done and doubles as an accessory I can use in the warmer climate. One extreme example is to use the stole as a light cover up in a tropical climate, and wrapped multiple times around the neck for warmth in the northern climate.
Hat - Instead of a hat, I bring a headband. When it's cold and windy in the winter time, I favor the headband over hats at home anyway. It is snug against the ears. I pull my hood over that, and there is zero heat escaping from my head. For southern travel, the headband is great, as it easily fits in a carry on and can be slipped on easily when in the northern climate. It protects the most important thing from frost and other ill effects of the cold, the ears.
Leg warmers - There is true magic in those. When traveling to warmer climates while dealing with winter weather at home, I don't want to wear boots. That can be rough, but leg warmers help mitigate the effect of not having boots. You can feel warm, simply by keeping your shins and your calves cozy. And again, light to carry and easy to take off (if combined with easy put on shoes, which I always wear when traveling because of airport security). It's also comfortable on the airplane, if there is cold air pooling at your feet. I will use leg warmers at home during the changes of seasons as well, when I want extra warmth in the morning.
Leg warmers, warm climate (or early fall) version
Leg warmers, winter version
