Nikko in April: weather, what to wear and events

Nikko weather in April

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

High: 16.1°C (61°F)
Low: 4.6°C (40°F)
Precipitation: 133.5 mm
Wet days: 10.9 days
Sunshine: 187 hours

Highs rise 5.6°C from March and climb another 4.6°C into May.

That is 0.8°C below Nikko's yearly average high of 16.9°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Nikko is the 3rd coldest in April: level with Kawaguchiko and 0.5°C warmer than Shirakawa-go.

April is Nikko's 6th driest month (133.5 mm).

Of our 15 places, Nikko has the 7th highest precipitation in April: 0.2 mm less than Tokyo and 6.0 mm more than Nagoya.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 10.9 days, and 10 mm or more on 4.1 days.

Rain of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 1.3 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 3.3 nights.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 17.3 days, and 5.7 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 10.1°C (50°F) and the low 0.2°C (32°F).

Average temperature: 10.2°C (50°F)

Early, mid and late April

Nikko in April by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 April	14.1°C	2.6°C	42.6 mm
11–20 April	16.1°C	4.6°C	45.1 mm
21–30 April	18.0°C	6.7°C	45.9 mm

By the last ten days of April the average high in Nikko is 3.9°C higher than in the first ten.

What to wear in Nikko in April

Cool: highs around 16.1°C

Long sleeves with a light jacket or sweater.
Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 3.3 nights.
Layers you can take off: afternoons are 11.5°C warmer than early mornings on average.
An umbrella: rain falls on 10.9 days.

Okunikko and Lake Chuzenji are colder: the average high there is 10.1°C, which is our Chilly level.

Pack

Umbrella
Gloves and a warm hat

Our clothing rules

April records in Nikko

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

Hottest April day: 28.0°C (82°F) on 22 April 2018 (records since 1979)
Coldest April night: −5.1°C (23°F) on 1 April 1987 (records since 1979)
Wettest April day: 111.0 mm on 18 April 2020 (records since 1979)

Holidays and crowds in April

National holidays in April 2027:

Thu 29 April — Showa Day

In April 2025, hotels and inns across Tochigi Prefecture were 54.7% full on average (8th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 51,260 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 54.9% in March and 55.3% in May.

What's on in Nikko in April

Events in Nikko in April: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Gohan-shiki (rice-serving ritual) at Rinno-ji強飯式	2 April every year, at 11:00 and 14:00	Sanbutsudo Hall, Nikko-zan Rinno-ji. A ritual handed down at Rinno-ji that exists only in Nikko, in three parts: a goma fire ritual (Saito Daigoma-ku), the Gohan Choudai ceremony and garamaki. In the Gohan Choudai ceremony a monk dressed as a mountain ascetic demands that the participant eat a heaped bowl of rice. Official page
Yayoi Festival (Futarasan Shrine)日光二荒山神社弥生祭	13 to 17 April every year; the floats come out on the 16th (evening festival) and the 17th (main festival)	Nikko town centre, Nikko Futarasan Shrine, Takinoo Shrine, Shinkyo Bridge and Hongu Shrine. Eleven hana-yatai floats decorated with artificial yashio-azalea flowers are pulled out. On 17 April the floats of all the towns gather in the Futarasan Shrine grounds and are pulled up the stone steps; on 16 April they gather in front of the old Nikko City Hall memorial park for a parade, followed by a ceremony at Shinkyo Bridge. National Route 119 between Nikko Bridge and the Miyuki-cho junction is fully closed on 16 April from 13:30 to 16:00 and on 17 April from 18:30 to 20:30; regular buses run as usual. Visitors can pull some of the floats. Official page

Nikko before and after April

Nikko: March, April and May (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
March	10.5°C (−5.6°C)	−0.5°C (−5.1°C)	99.3 mm (−34.2 mm)	9.1 days (−1.8 days)
April	16.1°C	4.6°C	133.5 mm	10.9 days
May	20.7°C (+4.6°C)	10.4°C (+5.8°C)	167.7 mm (+34.2 mm)	11.9 days (+1.0 days)

Other places in April

April: Nikko against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Nikko	Wet days	Against Nikko
Tokyo	19.4°C	+3.3°C	9.5 days	−1.4 days
Kyoto	20.1°C	+4.0°C	9.4 days	−1.5 days
Osaka	19.9°C	+3.8°C	9.2 days	−1.7 days
Sapporo	11.7°C	−4.4°C	9.6 days	−1.3 days
OkinawaNaha	24.3°C	+8.2°C	10.3 days	−0.6 days

All 15 places in April

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Nikko in April?

The average high is 16.1°C (61°F) and the average low 4.6°C (40°F). 133.5 mm of rain falls on about 10.9 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Nikko in April?

Long sleeves with a light jacket or sweater. Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 3.3 nights. Layers you can take off: afternoons are 11.5°C warmer than early mornings on average. An umbrella: rain falls on 10.9 days.

Is Nikko busy in April?

In April 2025, hotels and inns across Tochigi Prefecture were 54.7% full on average (8th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 51,260 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for April in Nikko?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Nikko in April is 28.0°C (82°F), on 22 April 2018. The lowest is −5.1°C (23°F), on 1 April 1987.

What events are on in Nikko in April?

Gohan-shiki (rice-serving ritual) at Rinno-ji: 2 April every year, at 11:00 and 14:00. Yayoi Festival (Futarasan Shrine): 13 to 17 April every year; the floats come out on the 16th (evening festival) and the 17th (main festival).

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Imaichi (今市), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Imaichi (今市), rain days, temperature days and snow (詳細)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Okunikko (奥日光（日光）), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Ten-day normals for 1991–2020: Imaichi (今市) (平年値旬ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Records for April: Imaichi (今市) (観測史上1〜10位の値)checked October 2, 2026
Cabinet Office National holidays (国民の祝日について)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Tourism Agency Overnight Travel Statistics Survey, 2025 final figures (宿泊旅行統計調査 2025年年の確定値)checked October 2, 2026
Nikko City Tourism Association (Nikko Tabi Navi) Gohan-shiki (rice-serving ritual) at Rinno-ji (強飯式)checked October 2, 2026
Nikko City Tourism Association (Nikko Tabi Navi) Yayoi Festival (Futarasan Shrine) (日光二荒山神社弥生祭)checked October 2, 2026

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