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

In January, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from −0.4°C (31°F) in Sapporo to 19.8°C (68°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 4.4 days in Nikko to 23.4 days in Kanazawa.

Updated

19.8°COkinawa
−0.4°CSapporo
3.78Mvisitors (2025)

15 places in January

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

15 places in January: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
PlaceHighLowWet daysDeepest snow
Tokyo9.8°C1.2°C4.5 days3 cm
Kyoto9.1°C1.5°C6.4 days3 cm
Osaka9.7°C3.0°C5.6 days—
Sapporo−0.4°C−6.4°C18.3 days76 cm
OkinawaNaha19.8°C14.9°C10.2 days—
Hakonerain only——7.8 days—
Fukuoka10.2°C3.9°C9.3 days1 cm
Nagoya9.3°C1.1°C5.2 days3 cm
Mount FujiKawaguchiko5.5°C−5.7°C4.9 days25 cm
Hiroshima9.9°C2.0°C5.5 days3 cm
Kanazawa7.1°C1.2°C23.4 days27 cm
Nara8.7°C0.8°C6.2 days1 cm
NikkoImaichi5.9°C−3.8°C4.4 days—
Takayama3.2°C−4.8°C14.6 days44 cm
Shirakawa-goShirakawa2.8°C−4.4°C22.2 days148 cm
Torii gate of Hie Shrine in falling snow with Tokyo office towers in the background
Photo: Torii in snow, Hie Shrine, Nagatacho, Tokyo - Jan 6, 2022.jpg by Hetarllen Mumriken (CC0 1.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

What to wear in January

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

Our clothing level for each place in January (from the JMA's averages)
LevelAverage highWhat to wearPlaces
Cool15 to 20°CLong sleeves with a light jacket or sweater.Okinawa 19.8°C
Chilly10 to 15°CA warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.Fukuoka 10.2°C
Cold5 to 10°CA winter coat over layers, and a scarf.Tokyo 9.8°C, Kyoto 9.1°C, Osaka 9.7°C, Nagoya 9.3°C, Mount Fuji 5.5°C, Hiroshima 9.9°C, Kanazawa 7.1°C, Nara 8.7°C and Nikko 5.9°C
Freezingunder 5°CA heavy winter coat (down or similar), thermal underwear, a hat, gloves and a scarf.Sapporo −0.4°C, Takayama 3.2°C and Shirakawa-go 2.8°C

Flowers and autumn colour in January

Flowers and leaves in January: average dates for 1991–2020 and 2026 (JMA sample trees)
PlaceWhatAverage date2026
TokyoPlum blossom22 January14 January
OkinawaPlum blossom13 January18 January
OkinawaCherry blossom16 January18 January
FukuokaPlum blossom31 January18 January
NagoyaPlum blossom28 January17 January
NaraPlum blossom31 January19 January

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

Holidays, visitors 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

Every Nozomi on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen is reserved-seat only on Fri 25 December – Tue 5 January and Sat 9 January – Mon 11 January (JR Central and JR West).

3,781,629 visitors arrived in Japan in January 2025. The most came from China (980,520), South Korea (967,100) and Taiwan (593,431) (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 January 2025, by prefecture (%)

Average room occupancy for all hotels and inns. Japan as a whole: 54.6%.

Osaka Prefecture71.6%
Tokyo71.1%
Fukuoka Prefecture67.8%
Aichi Prefecture62.2%
Hokkaido62.1%
Kanagawa Prefecture57.7%
Kyoto Prefecture52.8%
Okinawa Prefecture52.5%
Hiroshima Prefecture51.9%
Gifu Prefecture50.5%
Ishikawa Prefecture44.2%
Tochigi Prefecture43.0%
Nara Prefecture37.6%
Yamanashi Prefecture33.0%

What's on in January

Events in January in our 15 places: dates from each organizer's official page
EventPlaceWhen
New Year General Audience at the Imperial Palace (Shinnen Ippan Sanga)新年一般参賀TokyoEarly January: 2 January in 2026 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
Toka Ebisu at Imamiya Ebisu Shrine十日戎（今宮戎神社）Osaka9 to 11 January every year 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
Hakone Ekiden (Tokyo-Hakone Round-trip Collegiate Road Relay)東京箱根間往復大学駅伝競走（箱根駅伝）Hakone2 and 3 January: the 103rd edition is on 2 and 3 January 2027 (the 102nd was on 2 and 3 January 2026) Official page
Tamatori-sai (Tamaseseri), Hakozaki-gu玉取祭（玉せせり）FukuokaEvery year on 3 January, from 13:00 Official page
Toka Ebisu New Year Festival十日恵比須神社 正月大祭FukuokaEvery year from 8 to 11 January 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
Hatsu-Ebisu, Atsuta Jingu初えびす（熱田神宮）NagoyaEvery year at 0:00 on 5 January 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 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
Wakakusa Yamayaki (Mount Wakakusa Grass Burning)若草山焼き行事NaraFourth Saturday of January: 24 January in 2026 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
Nijuyokka-ichi (24th-day fair)二十四日市Takayama24 January every year, 10:00 to 17:00 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
Shirakawa-go Winter Light-up白川郷ライトアップイベントShirakawa-goFour evenings in January (11, 17, 24 and 31 January in 2027), 17:30 to 19:30 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
Haru-koma New Year's Day performance春駒（元日）Shirakawa-go1 January (New Year's Day) Official page

Other months

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Japan in January?

In January, average highs in our 14 places with temperature records run from −0.4°C (31°F) in Sapporo to 19.8°C (68°F) in Okinawa (JMA, 1991–2020). Wet days (1 mm or more of rain or snow) range from 4.4 days in Nikko to 23.4 days in Kanazawa.

Where is warmest in Japan in January?

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Okinawa is warmest with an average high of 19.8°C (68°F). Next come Fukuoka at 10.2°C and Hiroshima at 9.9°C (JMA, 1991–2020).

Where can I see snow in Japan in January?

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

Is January a busy month to visit Japan?

3,781,629 visitors arrived in January 2025, the 3rd highest month of the year (JNTO). Hotels across Japan were 54.6% full (12th of 12 months, Japan Tourism Agency).

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