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

Takayama weather in December

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Takayama station (560 m above sea level).

High

6.2°C (43°F)

Low

−1.7°C (29°F)

Precipitation

104.4 mm

Wet days

13.4 days

Sunshine

82 hours

Snow on ground

11.4 days

Highs fall 6.9°C from November and drop another 3.0°C into January.

That is 11.3°C below Takayama's yearly average high of 17.5°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Takayama is the 3rd coldest in December: 2.3°C cooler than Nikko and 0.3°C warmer than Shirakawa-go.

December is Takayama's 4th driest month (104.4 mm).

Of our 15 places, Takayama has the 6th highest precipitation in December: 3.5 mm less than Hakone and 36.9 mm more than Fukuoka.

Rain or snow of 1 mm or more falls on 13.4 days, and 10 mm or more on 3.3 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 23.1 nights.

On 1.6 days it stays below 0°C all day.

66 cm of snow falls in an average December; snow lies on the ground on 11.4 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 10.0 days, and 4.6 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

Average temperature

1.6°C (35°F)

Humidity

84%

Deepest snow (average of each year's deepest)

28 cm

Early, mid and late December

By the last ten days of December the average high in Takayama is 3.9°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 December is the wettest (40.0 mm) and 1–10 December the driest (30.5 mm).

What to wear in Takayama in December

Cold: highs around 6.2°C

• A winter coat over layers, and a scarf.
• Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 23.1 nights.
• A waterproof jacket with a hood: rain or snow falls on 13.4 days.

Shoes

• Waterproof boots with good grip: snow lies on the ground on 11.4 days (deepest 28 cm on average).

Pack

• Waterproof jacket with a hood
• Gloves and a warm hat
• Scarf
• Waterproof boots with grip

• Our clothing rules

December records in Takayama

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

Hottest December day

21.7°C (71°F) on 16 December 1929 (records since 1899)

Coldest December night

−19.5°C (−3°F) on 28 December 1926 (records since 1899)

Wettest December day

72.0 mm on 11 December 2015 (records since 1899)

Deepest December snow

110 cm on 29 December 1980 (records since 1899)

Most snow in one December day

58 cm on 1 December 1972 (records since 1953)

Holidays and crowds in December

There are no national holidays in December 2026.

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Gifu Prefecture were 50.0% full on average (11th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 153,770 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 60.6% in November and 50.5% in January.

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

What's on in Takayama in December

Takayama before and after December

• Takayama in November
• Takayama in January
• All 12 months in Takayama

Other places in December

• All 15 places in December

Related items

• Takayama by month
• Japan in December
• Takayama in November
• Takayama in January