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

The JMA's figures for Nikko come from its Imaichi station in Nikko City (414 m above sea level). In October, Nikko averages a high of 18.8°C (66°F) and a low of 10.1°C (50°F), with 218.1 mm of rain on about 10.8 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

Updated

18.8°Caverage high
10.1°Caverage low
10.8 dayswet days

Cool

Nikko weather in October

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

High
18.8°C (66°F)
Low
10.1°C (50°F)
Precipitation
218.1 mm
Wet days
10.8 days
Sunshine
129 hours

Highs fall 5.4°C from September and drop another 5.1°C into November.

That is 1.9°C above Nikko's yearly average high of 16.9°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Nikko is the 3rd coldest in October: 0.4°C cooler than Shirakawa-go and 0.5°C warmer than Kawaguchiko.

October is Nikko's 5th wettest month (218.1 mm).

Of our 15 places, Nikko has the 4th highest precipitation in October: 11.9 mm less than Kawaguchiko and 38.9 mm more than Naha.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 10.8 days, and 10 mm or more on 4.7 days.

Rain of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 1.8 days, and 50 mm or more on 1.1 days, including 0.5 days with 100 mm or more.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 14.3 days, and 6.7 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 13.7°C (57°F) and the low 5.7°C (42°F).

Average temperature
14.1°C (57°F)
Days of 25°C or more
1.1 days

Early, mid and late October

Nikko in October by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
DaysHighLowPrecipitation
1–10 October20.6°C12.5°C86.4 mm
11–20 October18.9°C10.2°C71.4 mm
21–31 October17.1°C7.8°C60.3 mm

By the last ten days of October the average high in Nikko is 3.5°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 1–10 October is the wettest (86.4 mm) and 21–31 October the driest (60.3 mm).

A visitor on a stone bridge among trimmed shrubs and maple trees in autumn foliage at Shoyo-en garden, Nikko
Photo: Shoyo-en, Nikko - Shoyoen7827.jpg by lumoplank (CC0 1.0, cropped), via Wikimedia Commons.

What to wear in Nikko in October

Cool: highs around 18.8°C

  • Long sleeves with a light jacket or sweater.
  • An umbrella: rain falls on 10.8 days.

Okunikko and Lake Chuzenji are colder: the average high there is 13.7°C, which is our Chilly level.

Pack

  • Umbrella

Rainy season and typhoons

In an average October, 0.7 typhoons come within 300 km of the Kanto-Koshin region; across Japan, 1.7 come within 300 km and 0.3 make landfall (JMA, 1991–2020).

October records in Nikko

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

Hottest October day
29.3°C (85°F) on 1 October 2018 (records since 1979)
Coldest October night
−1.0°C (30°F) on 31 October 1983 (records since 1979)
Wettest October day
383.5 mm on 12 October 2019 (records since 1979)

Holidays and crowds in October

National holidays in October 2026:

  • Mon 12 October — Sports Day
  • Sat 10 October to Mon 12 October: 3 days off in a row

In October 2025, hotels and inns across Tochigi Prefecture were 62.8% full on average (3rd busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 69,000 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 56.9% in September and 63.4% in November.

What's on in Nikko in October

Events in Nikko in October: dates from each organizer's official page
EventWhenWhere and what
Toshogu Autumn Grand Festival (procession of 1,000 samurai)日光東照宮秋季大祭(百物揃千人武者行列)16 and 17 October every year (yabusame on the 16th, procession on the 17th)Omotesando approach (yabusame); the procession runs from Toshogu via the Omotesando to the Otabisho and back. Yabusame (horseback archery) is held on 16 October. On 17 October the Hyakumono-zoroi Sennin Musha Gyoretsu procession re-creates the procession that moved Tokugawa Ieyasu's spirit from Kunozan in Suruga to Nikko. Free to watch, but quiet respect is requested. Behaviour that excites the horses, such as flash photography, is dangerous and visitors are asked to refrain. Yabusame starts around 13:30 on the 16th and the procession around 11:00 on the 17th. Official page

Nikko before and after October

Nikko: September, October and November (JMA, 1991–2020)
MonthHighLowPrecipitationWet days
September24.2°C (+5.4°C)16.1°C (+6.0°C)299.5 mm (+81.4 mm)15.1 days (+4.3 days)
October18.8°C10.1°C218.1 mm10.8 days
November13.7°C (−5.1°C)3.6°C (−6.5°C)85.3 mm (−132.8 mm)6.6 days (−4.2 days)

Other places in October

October: Nikko against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
PlaceHighAgainst NikkoWet daysAgainst Nikko
Tokyo22.0°C+3.2°C10.5 days−0.3 days
Kyoto23.4°C+4.6°C8.2 days−2.6 days
Osaka23.7°C+4.9°C8.3 days−2.5 days
Sapporo16.4°C−2.4°C11.6 days+0.8 days
OkinawaNaha28.1°C+9.3°C8.8 days−2.0 days

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Nikko in October?

The average high is 18.8°C (66°F) and the average low 10.1°C (50°F). 218.1 mm of rain falls on about 10.8 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Nikko in October?

Long sleeves with a light jacket or sweater. An umbrella: rain falls on 10.8 days.

Is Nikko busy in October?

In October 2025, hotels and inns across Tochigi Prefecture were 62.8% full on average (3rd busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 69,000 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for October in Nikko?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Nikko in October is 29.3°C (85°F), on 1 October 2018. The lowest is −1.0°C (30°F), on 31 October 1983.

What events are on in Nikko in October?

Toshogu Autumn Grand Festival (procession of 1,000 samurai): 16 and 17 October every year (yabusame on the 16th, procession on the 17th).

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