Weekly weather forecast: Unsettled north, sunnier east later

Northern Japan: unsettled, with rain or snow on most days

Northern Japan is forecast to stay unsettled, with rain or snow on most days of the week and Tuesday 17 November the main drier break. The biggest change comes as a low-pressure system moves northeast, bringing rain with occasional breaks on Wednesday, 18 November. Rain or snow follows on Thursday 19 and Friday 20, so take an umbrella or snow protection. The weekend day of Saturday 21 is cloudy, and Sapporo's minimum temperature that day is forecast at -1°C.

Eastern Japan: early rain, then sunnier later in the week

Eastern Japan is forecast to turn drier as the week goes on. A stationary front brings rain with occasional breaks on Sunday, 15 November, before Monday 16 turns sunny with occasional clouds. Rain returns on Tuesday 17 and Wednesday 18, so take an umbrella on those days. From Thursday 19 through the weekend day of Saturday 21 the days are sunny with occasional clouds, a settled stretch for weekend plans, and Tokyo's minimum temperature on Saturday is forecast at 7°C.

Western Japan: wet at the start, cloudy later in the week

Western Japan is forecast to start wet, see rain return midweek and turn cloudy later. Rain on Sunday, 15 November gives way to a drier Monday 16 and Tuesday 17. A cold front extending across the area then brings rain on Wednesday 18, so take an umbrella. Thursday 19 is mixed, with sunshine in parts and cloud elsewhere. Cloud dominates Friday 20 and the weekend day of Saturday 21, with some rain in parts, and Fukuoka's minimum temperature on Saturday is forecast at 9°C.