Shirakawa-go weather by month and the best time to visit

Shirakawa-go weather month by month

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Shirakawa station (478 m above sea level). Each month links to its own page.

Shirakawa-go by month: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days	Sunshine
January	2.8°C	−4.4°C	281.8 mm	22.2 days	41 hours
February	3.8°C	−5.0°C	204.5 mm	17.1 days	62 hours
March	8.3°C	−2.3°C	195.8 mm	16.7 days	105 hours
April	15.6°C	2.7°C	151.6 mm	13.2 days	161 hours
May	21.8°C	8.6°C	128.8 mm	11.7 days	197 hours
June	24.9°C	14.1°C	187.1 mm	11.8 days	151 hours
July	28.2°C	18.6°C	277.7 mm	15.0 days	149 hours
August	29.6°C	19.2°C	190.5 mm	11.4 days	175 hours
September	25.1°C	15.2°C	214.5 mm	13.2 days	125 hours
October	19.2°C	8.8°C	167.9 mm	12.6 days	121 hours
November	12.9°C	2.8°C	181.6 mm	15.4 days	89 hours
December	5.9°C	−1.7°C	282.8 mm	21.2 days	47 hours

Average high in Shirakawa-go, month by month (°C)

Jan2.8°C

Feb3.8°C

Mar8.3°C

Apr15.6°C

May21.8°C

Jun24.9°C

Jul28.2°C

Aug29.6°C

Sep25.1°C

Oct19.2°C

Nov12.9°C

Dec5.9°C

When to go to Shirakawa-go, by the numbers

No month has average highs between 15°C and 25°C with fewer than 10 wet days.
Fewest wet days: August (11.4 days).
Quietest hotels in 2025 (Gifu Prefecture): June (49.5%), December (50.0%) and January (50.5%).
Busiest hotels in 2025 (Gifu Prefecture): October (63.6%), August (62.9%) and November (60.6%).

What to wear in Shirakawa-go, month by month

Shirakawa-go: our clothing level for each month (from the JMA's averages)
Month	Level	Average high	Wet days
January	Freezing	2.8°C	22.2 days
February	Freezing	3.8°C	17.1 days
March	Cold	8.3°C	16.7 days
April	Cool	15.6°C	13.2 days
May	Mild	21.8°C	11.7 days
June	Mild	24.9°C	11.8 days
July	Warm	28.2°C	15.0 days
August	Warm	29.6°C	11.4 days
September	Warm	25.1°C	13.2 days
October	Cool	19.2°C	12.6 days
November	Chilly	12.9°C	15.4 days
December	Cold	5.9°C	21.2 days

Our clothing rules

How busy Shirakawa-go is, month by month

How full hotels across Gifu Prefecture were, month by month in 2025 (%)

Average room occupancy for all hotels and inns (Japan Tourism Agency).

Jan50.5%

Feb55.0%

Mar53.6%

Apr59.5%

May55.9%

Jun49.5%

Jul53.7%

Aug62.9%

Sep56.9%

Oct63.6%

Nov60.6%

Dec50.0%

Events in Shirakawa-go through the year

Events in Shirakawa-go: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	Month	When
Shirakawa-go Winter Light-up白川郷ライトアップイベント	Jan	Four evenings in January (11, 17, 24 and 31 January in 2027), 17:30 to 19:30 Official page
Snow season in Shirakawa-go白川郷の降雪期	Dec, Jan, Feb and Mar	Snow falls from late December to early March Official page
Haru-koma New Year's Day performance春駒（元日）	Jan	1 January (New Year's Day) Official page
Cherry blossoms in Shirakawa-go, including the Ota cherry桜の開花・おおたザクラ	Apr and May	Mid-April to early May; the Ota cherry in early to mid May Official page
Shirakawa-go Rice Planting Festival白川郷田植え祭り	May	Late May Official page
Opening of the Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road for the season白山白川郷ホワイトロード全線開通	Jun	Early June (12 June in 2026); the toll section stays open until early November Official page
Fireflies in Shirakawa-go白川郷のホタル	Jul	Early to mid-July (the timing varies from year to year) Official page
Golden rice ears and pampas grass in Shirakawa-go白川郷の稲穂とススキ	Sep	September Official page
Shirakawa-go Doburoku Festivalどぶろく祭	Oct	Mid-October: 14 and 15 October (Shirakawa Hachiman Shrine), 16 and 17 October (Hatoya Hachiman Shrine), 18 and 19 October (Iijima Hachiman Shrine) Official page
Autumn colours in Shirakawa-go白川郷の紅葉	Oct and Nov	From early to mid October; the mountain roads close for winter, so colour there can be seen until around the end of October Official page
All-at-once water discharge fire drill一斉放水	Nov	Around early November (the village calendar gives no exact date) Official page

Frequently asked questions

When is the best time to visit Shirakawa-go?

No month has average highs between 15°C and 25°C with fewer than 10 wet days. Fewest wet days: August (11.4 days).

What is the hottest month in Shirakawa-go?

August has the highest average high, 29.6°C (85°F). January has the lowest, 2.8°C (37°F) (JMA, 1991–2020).

What is the rainiest month in Shirakawa-go?

December has the most precipitation (282.8 mm), and January has the most wet days (22.2 days) (JMA, 1991–2020).

Related items

Sources for this page

Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Shirakawa (白川), month by month (平年値年・月ごとの値)checked October 2, 2026
Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) Normals for 1991–2020: Shirakawa (白川), rain days, temperature days and snow (詳細)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
Shirakawa-go Tourist Association Shirakawa-go Winter Light-up (白川郷ライトアップイベント)checked October 2, 2026
Shirakawa Village (official Shirakawa-go tourism pages) Snow season in Shirakawa-go (白川郷の降雪期)checked October 2, 2026
Shirakawa Village (official Shirakawa-go tourism pages) Cherry blossoms in Shirakawa-go, including the Ota cherry (桜の開花・おおたザクラ)checked October 2, 2026
Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road (official site, road management offices) Opening of the Hakusan Shirakawa-go White Road for the season (白山白川郷ホワイトロード全線開通)checked October 2, 2026
Shirakawa Village (official Shirakawa-go tourism page) Fireflies in Shirakawa-go (白川郷のホタル)checked October 2, 2026
Shirakawa Village (official Shirakawa-go tourism page) Golden rice ears and pampas grass in Shirakawa-go (白川郷の稲穂とススキ)checked October 2, 2026
Shirakawa Village (official Shirakawa-go tourism pages) Shirakawa-go Doburoku Festival (どぶろく祭)checked October 2, 2026

Shirakawa-go weather by month: temperature, rain and what to wear