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

In December, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 2.0°C (36°F) in Sapporo to 21.5°C (71°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 4.6 days at Mount Fuji to 22.6 days in Kanazawa.

Updated

21.5°COkinawa
2.0°CSapporo
3.62Mvisitors (2025)

15 places in December

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA station in or nearest each place. Hakone has rain records only.

15 places in December: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
PlaceHighLowWet daysDeepest snow
Tokyo12.0°C3.8°C5.2 days—
Kyoto11.6°C3.5°C6.6 days2 cm
Osaka12.3°C5.3°C6.1 days—
Sapporo2.0°C−4.0°C16.0 days47 cm
OkinawaNaha21.5°C16.8°C9.3 days—
Hakonerain only——7.2 days—
Fukuoka12.6°C5.8°C8.5 days—
Nagoya11.7°C3.4°C6.2 days3 cm
Mount FujiKawaguchiko8.5°C−2.9°C4.6 days6 cm
Hiroshima12.1°C4.0°C5.7 days2 cm
Kanazawa10.2°C3.5°C22.6 days11 cm
Nara11.6°C3.0°C6.6 days—
NikkoImaichi8.5°C−1.3°C4.8 days—
Takayama6.2°C−1.7°C13.4 days28 cm
Shirakawa-goShirakawa5.9°C−1.7°C21.2 days84 cm
Ferris wheel of colorful lights and a golden tower at the Kisosansen winter illumination, with flower beds in front
Photo: Kisosansen Winter Illumination - panoramio (3).jpg by carloshonda (CC BY 3.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

What to wear in December

How we choose: from the JMA's average high and low for December, by our own rules.

Our clothing level for each place in December (from the JMA's averages)
LevelAverage highWhat to wearPlaces
Mild20 to 25°CLong sleeves, or a T-shirt with a light jacket or cardigan.Okinawa 21.5°C
Chilly10 to 15°CA warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.Tokyo 12.0°C, Kyoto 11.6°C, Osaka 12.3°C, Fukuoka 12.6°C, Nagoya 11.7°C, Hiroshima 12.1°C, Kanazawa 10.2°C and Nara 11.6°C
Cold5 to 10°CA winter coat over layers, and a scarf.Mount Fuji 8.5°C, Nikko 8.5°C, Takayama 6.2°C and Shirakawa-go 5.9°C
Freezingunder 5°CA heavy winter coat (down or similar), thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and a scarf.Sapporo 2.0°C

Flowers and autumn colour in December

Flowers and leaves in December: average dates for 1991–2020 and 2026 (JMA sample trees)
PlaceWhatAverage date2026
TokyoAutumn leaves (maple)28 November—
TokyoGinkgo turns yellow23 November—
KyotoAutumn leaves (maple)5 December—
KyotoGinkgo turns yellow24 November—
OsakaAutumn leaves (maple)1 December—
OsakaGinkgo turns yellow22 November—
FukuokaAutumn leaves (maple)1 December—
FukuokaGinkgo turns yellow20 November—
NagoyaAutumn leaves (maple)28 November—
NagoyaGinkgo turns yellow18 November—
HiroshimaAutumn leaves (maple)22 November—
KanazawaAutumn leaves (maple)24 November—
NaraAutumn leaves (maple)21 November—
NaraGinkgo turns yellow18 November—

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

Rainy season and typhoons in December

Typhoons in December: on average 1.0 form and 0.1 come within 300 km of Japan (JMA, 1991–2020).

Holidays, visitors and crowds in December

There are no national holidays in December 2026.

Every Nozomi on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen is reserved-seat only on Fri 25 December – Tue 5 January (JR Central and JR West).

3,617,791 visitors arrived in Japan in December 2025. The most came from South Korea (974,239), Taiwan (588,409) and China (330,435) (JNTO).

Visitor arrivals to Japan in 2025, month by month (millions)

Jan3.78
Feb3.26
Mar3.50
Apr3.91
May3.69
Jun3.38
Jul3.44
Aug3.43
Sep3.27
Oct3.90
Nov3.52
Dec3.62

How full hotels were in December 2025, by prefecture (%)

Average room occupancy for all hotels and inns. Japan as a whole: 59.5%.

Tokyo78.2%
Osaka Prefecture72.9%
Fukuoka Prefecture71.1%
Aichi Prefecture69.2%
Kanagawa Prefecture68.1%
Kyoto Prefecture67.0%
Hiroshima Prefecture60.6%
Hokkaido59.5%
Ishikawa Prefecture54.4%
Okinawa Prefecture51.9%
Tochigi Prefecture51.2%
Gifu Prefecture50.0%
Nara Prefecture47.7%
Yamanashi Prefecture37.7%

What's on in December

Events in December in our 15 places: dates from each organizer's official page
EventPlaceWhen
Hagoita-ichi (Battledore Fair) at Senso-ji羽子板市（浅草寺 納めの観音ご縁日）Tokyo17 to 19 December Official page
Okera Mairi at Yasaka Shrineをけら詣り（八坂神社）KyotoFrom about 19:30 on 31 December until about 5:00 on 1 January Official page
Midosuji Illumination (Osaka Festival of Lights)御堂筋イルミネーション（大阪・光の饗宴）OsakaEarly November to the end of December: 3 November to 31 December in 2026 Official page
OSAKA Hikari-Renaissance (Osaka Festival of Lights)OSAKA光のルネサンス（大阪・光の饗宴）Osaka11 to 25 December in 2026. Some contents run from 3 November to 31 December. Official page
Sapporo White IlluminationさっぽろホワイトイルミネーションSapporoLate November to mid-March; each site has its own end date (20 November 2026 to 14 March 2027) Official page
Munich Christmas Market in Sapporoミュンヘン・クリスマス市 in SapporoSapporoLate November to Christmas Day (20 November to 25 December in 2026) Official page
NAHA MarathonNAHAマラソンOkinawaEarly December (6 December in 2026; 7 December in 2025) Official page
Shiwasu no Oharae (Year-End Great Purification) at Hakone Shrine箱根神社 師走大祓HakoneEvery year on 31 December Official page
teamLab Fukuoka Castle Ruins: Festival of Light (one-time run)チームラボ 福岡城跡 光ノ祭Fukuoka30 October 2026 to 11 January 2027 (not held every year) Official page
Susu-osame Shinji (Year-End Cleaning Rite) at Atsuta Jingu熱田神宮 御煤納神事NagoyaEvery year on 25 December, from 10:00 Official page
Zange-e and Joya no Kane (New Year's Eve Bell) at Osu Kannon大須観音 懺悔会・除夜の鐘NagoyaEvery year on 31 December, from 19:00; the bells ring from 0:00 on 1 January Official page
Mt. Fuji International Marathon富士山マラソンMount FujiTwo days in mid-December (12 and 13 December in 2026) Official page
Hiroshima DreaminationひろしまドリミネーションHiroshimaEarly December to late January (4 December 2026 to 24 January 2027) Official page
Yukitsuri (snow ropes) at Kenroku-en兼六園雪吊り作業KanazawaWork starts on 1 November every year and continues to about mid-December; the ropes can be seen until mid-March Official page
Free entry to Kenroku-en over the New Year年末年始の兼六園の無料開園Kanazawa31 December to 3 January (listed as an annual event); open all night from 31 December until 8:00 on 1 January Official page
Kasuga Wakamiya On-matsuri春日若宮おん祭Nara15 to 18 December every year. The Owatari-shiki procession is at noon on 17 December and the Otabisho-sai begins around 14:30 the same day. Official page
Nara Marathon奈良マラソンNaraMid-December, Saturday and Sunday: 12 and 13 December in 2026 Official page
Susuharai (year-end cleaning) at Nikko's shrines and temple日光の社寺煤払いNikko12, 14 and 20 December (Shinkyo Bridge, Rinno-ji and Toshogu) Official page
Winter Illumination in Takayama (Nakabashi Bridge)冬の飛騨高山ライトアップTakayamaFrom 1 December to mid-March, 16:30 to 21:30 (last season: 1 December 2025 to 15 March 2026) Official page
Snow season in Shirakawa-go白川郷の降雪期Shirakawa-goSnow falls from late December to early March Official page

Other months

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Japan in December?

In December, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 2.0°C (36°F) in Sapporo to 21.5°C (71°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 4.6 days at Mount Fuji to 22.6 days in Kanazawa.

Where is warmest in Japan in December?

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Okinawa is warmest with an average high of 21.5°C (71°F). Next come Fukuoka at 12.6°C and Osaka at 12.3°C (JMA, 1991–2020).

Where can I see snow in Japan in December?

Snow lies on the ground for 5 days or more in an average December in Sapporo, Kanazawa, Takayama and Shirakawa-go (JMA, 1991–2020).

Is December a busy month to visit Japan?

3,617,791 visitors arrived in December 2025, the 5th highest month of the year (JNTO). Hotels across Japan were 59.5% full (10th of 12 months, Japan Tourism Agency).

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Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026