Mount Fuji in January: weather, what to wear and what's on

Mount Fuji weather in January

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Kawaguchiko station (860 m above sea level).

High

5.5°C (42°F)

Low

−5.7°C (22°F)

Precipitation

60.9 mm

Wet days

4.9 days

Sunshine

212 hours

Snow on ground

13.0 days

Highs are 3.0°C below December and 1.1°C below February.

That is 11.3°C below Kawaguchiko's yearly average high of 16.8°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Kawaguchiko is the 4th coldest in January: 0.4°C cooler than Nikko and 2.3°C warmer than Takayama.

January is Kawaguchiko's 3rd driest month (60.9 mm).

Of our 15 places, Kawaguchiko has the 8th highest precipitation in January: 13.5 mm less than Fukuoka and 1.2 mm more than Tokyo.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 4.9 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.8 days.

Rain or snow of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 0.5 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 29.9 nights.

On 1.0 days it stays below 0°C all day.

37 cm of snow falls in an average January; snow lies on the ground on 13.0 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 24.9 days, and 2.4 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

On the summit of Mt Fuji (3,775 m), the average high is −15.3°C (4°F) and the low −21.4°C (−7°F).

Average temperature

−0.4°C (31°F)

Humidity

62%

Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest)

25 cm

Early, mid and late January

By the last ten days of January the average high in Kawaguchiko is 1.5°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 January is the wettest (27.0 mm) and 1–10 January the driest (13.9 mm).

What to wear at Mount Fuji in January

Cold: highs around 5.5°C

This is for Kawaguchiko (860 m above sea level).

• A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 29.9 nights.
• A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 4.9 days.

Shoes

• Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 13.0 days (deepest 25 cm on average).

Pack

• Waterproof jacket with a hood
• Gloves and a warm hat
• Scarf
• Waterproof boots with grip

• Our clothing rules

January records at Mount Fuji

The extremes the JMA has measured in January at its Kawaguchiko station.

Hottest January day

19.5°C (67°F) on 27 January 1969 (records since 1933)

Coldest January night

−22.1°C (−8°F) on 31 January 1936 (records since 1933)

Wettest January day

90.0 mm on 15 January 1998 (records since 1933)

Deepest January snow

89 cm on 15 January 1998 (records since 1933)

Most snow in one January day

66 cm on 27 January 2001 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in January

National holidays in January 2027:

• Fri 1 January — New Year's Day
• Mon 11 January — Coming of Age Day

• Fri 1 January to Sun 3 January: 3 days off in a row
• Sat 9 January to Mon 11 January: 3 days off in a row

In January 2025, hotels and inns across Yamanashi Prefecture were 33.0% full on average (the quietest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 223,060 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 37.7% in December and 37.5% in February.

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

What's on at Mount Fuji in January

Mount Fuji before and after January

• Mount Fuji in December
• Mount Fuji in February
• All 12 months at Mount Fuji

Other places in January

• All 15 places in January

Related items

• Mount Fuji by month
• Japan in January
• Mount Fuji in December
• Mount Fuji in February