Kumamoto in December: weather, what to wear and what's on

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Kumamoto station (38 m above sea level).

High

12.9°C (55°F)

Low

3.4°C (38°F)

Precipitation

61.2 mm

Wet days

6.9 days

Sunshine

143 hours

• Highs fall 5.9°C from November and drop another 2.2°C into January.
• That is 9.3°C below Kumamoto's yearly average high of 22.2°C.
• Of our 34 places with temperature records, Kumamoto is the 7th warmest in December: 0.2°C cooler than Nagasaki and 0.3°C warmer than Fukuoka.
• December is Kumamoto's 2nd driest month (61.2 mm).
• Of our 35 places, Kumamoto has the 17th lowest precipitation in December: 5.2 mm less than Yokohama and 0.8 mm more than Kusatsu Onsen.
• Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 6.9 days, and 10 mm or more on 2.3 days.
• The temperature drops below 0°C on 5.5 nights.
• Snow or sleet falls on 5.0 days.
• The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 16.8 days, and 3.2 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.
• On 15 December 2026 the sun rises at 7:12 and sets at 17:12 in Kumamoto, giving 10 hours of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature

8.0°C (46°F)

Humidity

71%

Early, mid and late December

By the last ten days of December the average high in Kumamoto is 2.4°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 1–10 December is the wettest (26.1 mm) and 11–20 December the driest (16.3 mm).

Is Kumamoto cold in December?

Yes, it is chilly. Kumamoto averages 12.9°C (55°F) by day and 3.4°C (38°F) at night in December. It gets colder still: 21–31 January has highs of 10.4°C.

Chilly: highs around 12.9°C

• A warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 5.5 nights.
• Layers you can take off: afternoons are 9.5°C warmer than early mornings on average.
• A folding umbrella: rain falls on 6.9 days.

Shoes

• Shoes with good grip: snow or sleet falls on 5.0 days.

Pack

• Folding umbrella
• Gloves and a warm hat

• Our clothing rules

Autumn leaves (maple)

The JMA's sample maple in Kumamoto turns red around 2 December and has lost most of its leaves by 15 December in an average year (1991–2020). In 2025: 15 December.

Ginkgo turns yellow

The JMA's sample ginkgo in Kumamoto turns yellow around 27 November and has lost most of its leaves by 8 December in an average year (1991–2020). In 2025: 12 December.

Dates are for one sample tree at or near the JMA observatory, not for every park in the city.

There are no national holidays in December 2026.

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Kumamoto Prefecture were 58.4% full on average (9th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 154,200 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 67.9% in November and 49.7% in January.

• Japan in December: visitor numbers and busy travel days
• Holidays in December
• Year-end and New Year holidays