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

Osaka weather in January

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Osaka station (23 m above sea level).

High

9.7°C (49°F)

Low

3.0°C (37°F)

Precipitation

47.0 mm

Wet days

5.6 days

Sunshine

146 hours

Highs are 2.6°C below December and 0.8°C below February.

That is 11.6°C below Osaka's yearly average high of 21.3°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Osaka is the 5th warmest in January: 0.1°C cooler than Tokyo and 0.4°C warmer than Nagoya.

Of our 15 places, Osaka has the 2nd lowest precipitation in January: 2.1 mm less than Nikko and 0.8 mm more than Hiroshima.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 5.6 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.5 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 2.0 nights.

Snow or sleet falls on 4.7 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 18.9 days, and 2.9 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

By the JMA's cloud records, 1.3 days are clear and 7.1 are overcast.

On 15 January 2027 the sun rises at 7:05 and sets at 17:10 in Osaka, giving 10 hours 5 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature

6.2°C (43°F)

Humidity

61%

Early, mid and late January

By the last ten days of January the average high in Osaka is 0.9°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 January is the wettest (21.0 mm) and 1–10 January the driest (11.3 mm).

What to wear in Osaka in January

Cold: highs around 9.7°C

• A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 2.0 nights.
• A folding umbrella: rain falls on 5.6 days.

Shoes

• Shoes with good grip: snow or sleet falls on 4.7 days.

Pack

• Folding umbrella
• Gloves and a warm hat
• Scarf

• Our clothing rules

January records in Osaka

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

Hottest January day

19.1°C (66°F) on 28 January 2020 (records since 1883)

Coldest January night

−7.5°C (18°F) on 28 January 1945 (records since 1883)

Wettest January day

58.4 mm on 29 January 1959 (records since 1883)

Deepest January snow

17 cm on 31 January 1984 (records since 1901)

Most snow in one January day

18 cm on 31 January 1984 (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 Osaka Prefecture were 71.6% full on average (the quietest month of the year). Foreign guests spent 2.14 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 72.9% in December and 76.2% in February.

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

What's on in Osaka in January

Osaka before and after January

• Osaka in December
• Osaka in February
• All 12 months in Osaka

Other places in January

• All 15 places in January

Related items

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