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

In February, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 0.4°C (33°F) in Sapporo to 20.2°C (68°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 5.1 days at Mount Fuji to 18.6 days in Kanazawa.

Updated

20.2°COkinawa
0.4°CSapporo
3.26Mvisitors (2025)

15 places in February

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

15 places in February: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
PlaceHighLowWet daysDeepest snow
Tokyo10.9°C2.1°C5.2 days3 cm
Kyoto10.0°C1.6°C7.3 days4 cm
Osaka10.5°C3.2°C6.3 days1 cm
Sapporo0.4°C−6.2°C16.0 days95 cm
OkinawaNaha20.2°C15.1°C9.9 days—
Hakonerain only——8.8 days—
Fukuoka11.6°C4.4°C8.8 days1 cm
Nagoya10.5°C1.4°C6.2 days3 cm
Mount FujiKawaguchiko6.6°C−4.8°C5.1 days24 cm
Hiroshima10.9°C2.4°C6.9 days3 cm
Kanazawa7.8°C1.0°C18.6 days22 cm
Nara9.9°C1.0°C6.9 days3 cm
NikkoImaichi6.8°C−3.4°C5.3 days—
Takayama4.7°C−4.9°C11.7 days45 cm
Shirakawa-goShirakawa3.8°C−5.0°C17.1 days173 cm
Pink plum blossoms in front of a thatched-roof building at Bairin Park, with a person walking on the path
Photo: Plum blossoms at Bairin Park, Tsukuba - panoramio.jpg by Toshihiro Matsui (CC BY-SA 3.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

What to wear in February

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

Our clothing level for each place in February (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 20.2°C
Chilly10 to 15°CA warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.Tokyo 10.9°C, Kyoto 10.0°C, Osaka 10.5°C, Fukuoka 11.6°C, Nagoya 10.5°C and Hiroshima 10.9°C
Cold5 to 10°CA winter coat over layers, and a scarf.Mount Fuji 6.6°C, Kanazawa 7.8°C, Nara 9.9°C and Nikko 6.8°C
Freezingunder 5°CA heavy winter coat (down or similar), thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and a scarf.Sapporo 0.4°C, Takayama 4.7°C and Shirakawa-go 3.8°C

Flowers and autumn colour in February

Flowers and leaves in February: average dates for 1991–2020 and 2026 (JMA sample trees)
PlaceWhatAverage date2026
KyotoPlum blossom22 February22 February
OsakaPlum blossom13 February13 February
OkinawaCherry blossom16 January18 January
HiroshimaPlum blossom6 February12 February
KanazawaPlum blossom23 February13 February

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

Holidays, visitors and crowds in February

National holidays in February 2027:

  • Thu 11 February — National Foundation Day
  • Tue 23 February — Emperor's Birthday

3,258,491 visitors arrived in Japan in February 2025. The most came from South Korea (847,358), China (722,924) and Taiwan (507,346) (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 February 2025, by prefecture (%)

Average room occupancy for all hotels and inns. Japan as a whole: 60.4%.

Osaka Prefecture76.2%
Tokyo75.4%
Fukuoka Prefecture74.9%
Hokkaido68.0%
Aichi Prefecture68.0%
Kanagawa Prefecture64.3%
Okinawa Prefecture62.1%
Hiroshima Prefecture58.5%
Kyoto Prefecture56.1%
Gifu Prefecture55.0%
Ishikawa Prefecture48.8%
Tochigi Prefecture48.0%
Nara Prefecture42.5%
Yamanashi Prefecture37.5%

What's on in February

Events in February in our 15 places: dates from each organizer's official page
EventPlaceWhen
Emperor's Birthday General Public Greeting at the Imperial Palace天皇誕生日一般参賀Tokyo23 February, the Emperor's Birthday Official page
Setsubun Bean-Scattering at Senso-ji and Other Shrines and Temples in Taito節分（浅草寺ほか台東区の社寺）TokyoSetsubun, 3 February in 2026 Official page
Setsubun Festival at Yoshida Shrine吉田神社 節分祭KyotoThree days centered on Setsubun in early February: 2 to 4 February in 2026 Official page
Kyoto Marathon京都マラソンKyotoMid-to-late February, on a Sunday: 21 February in 2027 (15 February in 2026) Official page
Osaka Marathon大阪マラソンOsakaLate February, on a Sunday: 28 February in 2027 (22 February in 2026) Official page
Sapporo Snow Festivalさっぽろ雪まつりSapporoEarly February, for eight days (4 to 11 February in 2026 and in 2027) 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
Motobu Yaedake Sakura Festivalもとぶ八重岳桜まつりOkinawaMid-January to early February (17 January to 8 February in 2026) Official page
Nago Sakura Festival名護さくら祭りOkinawaThe last Saturday and Sunday of January (31 January and 1 February in 2026) Official page
Setsubun Festival at Hakone Shrine箱根神社 節分祭HakoneSetsubun day: Tuesday 3 February in 2026. Fireworks are held on the night before. Official page
Setsubun Grand Festival, Kushida Shrine節分大祭（櫛田神社）FukuokaEarly February (2 and 3 February in 2026) Official page
Maizuru Park Plum Festival舞鶴公園 梅まつりFukuokaMid-February, for two days (14 and 15 February in 2026) Official page
Setsubun Grand Festival, Tochoji Temple節分大祭（東長寺）FukuokaEarly February (2 and 3 February in 2026) Official page
Setsubun-e at Osu Kannon大須観音 節分会NagoyaEvery year on 3 February, from 10:00 to 18:00 (bean-scattering at any time during the day) Official page
Kawaguchiko Winter Fireworks河口湖・冬花火Mount FujiWeekend evenings from late January to late February (24 January to 23 February in 2026, 11 launches), 20:00 to 20:20 Official page
Hiroshima Castle Oyster Festival広島城オイスターフェスHiroshimaMid-February, two days (14 and 15 February in 2026) 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
Kanazawa Castle and Kenroku-en Four Seasons Story: winter light-up金沢城・兼六園四季物語 冬の段（ライトアップ）KanazawaFebruary evenings (6 to 10, 13, 20 and 27 February in 2027) Official page
Setsubun Mantoro at Kasuga Taisha春日大社 節分万燈籠NaraEvening of Setsubun day in early February (3 February in 2026); lanterns are lit around 18:00 and the shrine closes around 20:30 Official page
Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura Festival湯西川温泉 かまくら祭NikkoLate January to the end of February (29 January to 28 February in 2027); lanterns lit Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, 17:30 to 21:00 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
Winter Illumination of Hida-no-Sato (Hida Folk Village)飛騨の里 冬のライトアップTakayamaMid-January to the end of February (9 January to 28 February in 2027), 17:30 to 20:30 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 February?

In February, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from 0.4°C (33°F) in Sapporo to 20.2°C (68°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 5.1 days at Mount Fuji to 18.6 days in Kanazawa.

Where is warmest in Japan in February?

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Okinawa is warmest with an average high of 20.2°C (68°F). Next come Fukuoka at 11.6°C and Tokyo at 10.9°C (JMA, 1991–2020).

Where can I see snow in Japan in February?

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

Is February a busy month to visit Japan?

3,258,491 visitors arrived in February 2025, the 12th highest month of the year (JNTO). Hotels across Japan were 60.4% full (9th of 12 months, Japan Tourism Agency).

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