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

Kyoto weather in January

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Kyoto station (41 m above sea level).

High

9.1°C (48°F)

Low

1.5°C (35°F)

Precipitation

53.3 mm

Wet days

6.4 days

Sunshine

124 hours

Snow on ground

1.3 days

Highs are 2.5°C below December and 0.9°C below February.

That is 12.0°C below Kyoto's yearly average high of 21.1°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Kyoto is the 7th warmest in January: 0.2°C cooler than Nagoya and 0.4°C warmer than Nara.

Of our 15 places, Kyoto has the 6th lowest precipitation in January: 6.4 mm less than Tokyo and 0.9 mm more than Nara.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 6.4 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.9 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 7.4 nights.

5 cm of snow falls in an average January; snow lies on the ground on 1.3 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 16.0 days, and 3.1 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

On 15 January 2027 the sun rises at 7:05 and sets at 17:08 in Kyoto, giving 10 hours 3 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature

4.8°C (41°F)

Humidity

67%

Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest)

3 cm

Early, mid and late January

By the last ten days of January the average high in Kyoto is 0.7°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 January is the wettest (21.2 mm) and 1–10 January the driest (14.3 mm).

What to wear in Kyoto in January

Cold: highs around 9.1°C

• A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 7.4 nights.
• A folding umbrella: rain or snow falls on 6.4 days.

Shoes

• Shoes with good grip: snow or sleet falls on 16.3 days.

Pack

• Folding umbrella
• Gloves and a warm hat
• Scarf

• Our clothing rules

January records in Kyoto

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

Hottest January day

19.9°C (68°F) on 22 January 1916 (records since 1881)

Coldest January night

−11.9°C (11°F) on 16 January 1891 (records since 1881)

Wettest January day

59.2 mm on 30 January 1950 (records since 1881)

Deepest January snow

41 cm on 26 January 1954 (records since 1886)

Most snow in one January day

42 cm on 25 January 1954 (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 Kyoto Prefecture were 52.8% full on average (the quietest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 1.13 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 67.0% in December and 56.1% in February.

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

What's on in Kyoto in January

Kyoto before and after January

• Kyoto in December
• Kyoto in February
• All 12 months in Kyoto

Other places in January

• All 15 places in January

Related items

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