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

Nikko weather in January

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Imaichi station (414 m above sea level).

High

5.9°C (43°F)

Low

−3.8°C (25°F)

Precipitation

49.1 mm

Wet days

4.4 days

Sunshine

192 hours

Highs are 2.6°C below December and 0.9°C below February.

That is 11.0°C below Nikko's yearly average high of 16.9°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Nikko is the 5th coldest in January: 1.2°C cooler than Kanazawa and 0.4°C warmer than Kawaguchiko.

January is Nikko's 3rd driest month (49.1 mm).

Of our 15 places, Nikko has the 3rd lowest precipitation in January: 1.7 mm less than Nagoya and 2.1 mm more than Osaka.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 4.4 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.6 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 29.3 nights.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 24.3 days, and 0.3 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

Up at Okunikko (1,292 m), the JMA's second station in Nikko, the average high is −0.3°C (31°F) and the low −7.9°C (18°F).

Average temperature

0.6°C (33°F)

Early, mid and late January

By the last ten days of January the average high in Nikko is 0.9°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 January is the wettest (23.2 mm) and 1–10 January the driest (10.1 mm).

What to wear in Nikko in January

Cold: highs around 5.9°C

• A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 29.3 nights.
• Rain or snow is less common (on 4.4 days); a compact umbrella is enough.

Okunikko and Lake Chuzenji are colder: the average high there is −0.3°C, which is our Freezing level.

Pack

• Compact umbrella
• Gloves and a warm hat
• Scarf

• Our clothing rules

January records in Nikko

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

Hottest January day

15.4°C (60°F) on 30 January 2017 (records since 1979)

Coldest January night

−11.1°C (12°F) on 18 January 1985 (records since 1979)

Wettest January day

71.0 mm on 21 January 2002 (records since 1979)

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 Tochigi Prefecture were 43.0% full on average (the quietest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 30,630 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 51.2% in December and 48.0% in February.

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

What's on in Nikko in January

Nikko before and after January

• Nikko in December
• Nikko in February
• All 12 months in Nikko

Other places in January

• All 15 places in January

Related items

• Nikko by month
• Japan in January
• Nikko in December
• Nikko in February