Nikko in December: weather, what to wear and events

Nikko weather in December

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

High: 8.5°C (47°F)
Low: −1.3°C (30°F)
Precipitation: 45.3 mm
Wet days: 4.8 days
Sunshine: 182 hours

Highs fall 5.2°C from November and drop another 2.6°C into January.

That is 8.4°C below Nikko's yearly average high of 16.9°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Nikko is the 4th coldest in December: level with Kawaguchiko and 2.3°C warmer than Takayama.

December is Nikko's 2nd driest month (45.3 mm).

Of our 15 places, Nikko gets the least precipitation in December: 4.5 mm less than Kawaguchiko.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 4.8 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.4 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 22.6 nights.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 22.8 days, and 0.5 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 2.8°C (37°F) and the low −4.9°C (23°F).

Average temperature: 3.0°C (37°F)

Early, mid and late December

Nikko in December by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 December	9.9°C	0.2°C	16.8 mm
11–20 December	8.3°C	−1.5°C	11.7 mm
21–31 December	7.3°C	−2.5°C	16.8 mm

By the last ten days of December the average high in Nikko is 2.6°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 1–10 December is the wettest (16.8 mm) and 11–20 December the driest (11.7 mm).

What to wear in Nikko in December

Cold: highs around 8.5°C

A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 22.6 nights.
Rain or snow is less common (on 4.8 days); a compact umbrella is enough.

Okunikko and Lake Chuzenji are colder: the average high there is 2.8°C, which is our Freezing level.

Pack

Compact umbrella
Gloves and a warm hat
Scarf

Our clothing rules

December records in Nikko

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

Hottest December day: 21.7°C (71°F) on 5 December 2004 (records since 1978)
Coldest December night: −8.6°C (17°F) on 25 December 1984 (records since 1978)
Wettest December day: 122.0 mm on 26 December 2006 (records since 1978)

Holidays and crowds in December

There are no national holidays in December 2026.

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Tochigi Prefecture were 51.2% full on average (10th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 31,390 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 63.4% in November and 43.0% in January.

What's on in Nikko in December

Events in Nikko in December: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Susuharai (year-end cleaning) at Nikko's shrines and temple日光の社寺煤払い	12, 14 and 20 December (Shinkyo Bridge, Rinno-ji and Toshogu)	Shinkyo Bridge (Futarasan Shrine), Nikko-zan Rinno-ji and Nikko Toshogu. The year-end cleaning of Nikko's two shrines and one temple, in which a year's dust and dirt is carefully swept away with bamboo brooms. Shinkyo Bridge on 12 December (10:00), Rinno-ji on 14 December (8:20) and Toshogu on 20 December (9:00). Official page

Nikko before and after December

Nikko: November, December and January (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
November	13.7°C (+5.2°C)	3.6°C (+4.9°C)	85.3 mm (+40.0 mm)	6.6 days (+1.8 days)
December	8.5°C	−1.3°C	45.3 mm	4.8 days
January	5.9°C (−2.6°C)	−3.8°C (−2.5°C)	49.1 mm (+3.8 mm)	4.4 days (−0.4 days)

Other places in December

December: Nikko against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Nikko	Wet days	Against Nikko
Tokyo	12.0°C	+3.5°C	5.2 days	+0.4 days
Kyoto	11.6°C	+3.1°C	6.6 days	+1.8 days
Osaka	12.3°C	+3.8°C	6.1 days	+1.3 days
Sapporo	2.0°C	−6.5°C	16.0 days	+11.2 days
OkinawaNaha	21.5°C	+13.0°C	9.3 days	+4.5 days

All 15 places in December

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Nikko in December?

The average high is 8.5°C (47°F) and the average low −1.3°C (30°F). 45.3 mm of rain or snow falls on about 4.8 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Nikko in December?

A winter coat over layers, and a scarf. Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 22.6 nights. Rain or snow is less common (on 4.8 days); a compact umbrella is enough.

Is Nikko busy in December?

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Tochigi Prefecture were 51.2% full on average (10th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 31,390 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for December in Nikko?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Nikko in December is 21.7°C (71°F), on 5 December 2004. The lowest is −8.6°C (17°F), on 25 December 1984.

What events are on in Nikko in December?

Susuharai (year-end cleaning) at Nikko's shrines and temple: 12, 14 and 20 December (Shinkyo Bridge, Rinno-ji and Toshogu).

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 December: 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) Susuharai (year-end cleaning) at Nikko's shrines and temple (日光の社寺煤払い)checked October 2, 2026

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