Tokyo in December: weather, what to wear and events

Tokyo weather in December

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Tokyo station (25 m above sea level).

High: 12.0°C (54°F)
Low: 3.8°C (39°F)
Precipitation: 57.9 mm
Wet days: 5.2 days
Sunshine: 174 hours

Highs fall 4.7°C from November and drop another 2.2°C into January.

That is 8.3°C below Tokyo's yearly average high of 20.3°C.

Of our 14 places with temperature records, Tokyo is the 5th warmest in December: 0.1°C cooler than Hiroshima and 0.3°C warmer than Nagoya.

December is Tokyo's 2nd driest month (57.9 mm).

Of our 15 places, Tokyo has the 8th highest precipitation in December: 9.6 mm less than Fukuoka and 0.6 mm more than Kyoto.

Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 5.2 days, and 10 mm or more on 1.8 days.

The temperature drops below 0°C on 1.6 nights.

Snow or sleet falls on 0.6 days.

The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 21.7 days, and 3.4 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

By the JMA's cloud records, 7.3 days are clear and 5.9 are overcast.

On 15 December 2026 the sun rises at 6:43 and sets at 16:29 in Tokyo, giving 9 hours 46 minutes of daylight (NAOJ).

Average temperature: 7.7°C (46°F)
Humidity: 56%

Early, mid and late December

Tokyo in December by ten-day period: averages for 1991–2020 (JMA)
Days	High	Low	Precipitation
1–10 December	13.3°C	5.3°C	23.3 mm
11–20 December	11.9°C	3.6°C	15.3 mm
21–31 December	11.0°C	2.5°C	19.3 mm

By the last ten days of December the average high in Tokyo is 2.3°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 1–10 December is the wettest (23.3 mm) and 11–20 December the driest (15.3 mm).

What to wear in Tokyo in December

Chilly: highs around 12.0°C

A warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.
Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 1.6 nights.
A folding umbrella: rain falls on 5.2 days.

Pack

Folding umbrella
Gloves and a warm hat

Our clothing rules

Flowers and autumn colour in Tokyo in December

Autumn leaves (maple)

The JMA's sample maple in Tokyo turns red around 28 November and has lost most of its leaves by 13 December in an average year (1991–2020). In 2025: 23 November.

Ginkgo turns yellow

The JMA's sample ginkgo in Tokyo turns yellow around 23 November and has lost most of its leaves by 3 December in an average year (1991–2020). In 2025: 22 November.

Dates are for one sample tree at or near the JMA observatory, not for every park in the city.

Tokyo autumn leaves: every year since 2016

December records in Tokyo

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

Hottest December day: 24.8°C (77°F) on 5 December 2004 (records since 1875)
Coldest December night: −6.8°C (20°F) on 29 December 1880 (records since 1875)
Wettest December day: 154.5 mm on 26 December 2006 (records since 1875)
Deepest December snow: 18 cm on 16 December 1913 (records since 1875)
Most snow in one December day: 3 cm on 31 December 2004 (records since 1953); also on 9 December 2002 and 13 December 1987

Holidays and crowds in December

There are no national holidays in December 2026.

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Tokyo were 78.2% full on average (4th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 5.57 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 79.8% in November and 71.1% in January.

What's on in Tokyo in December

Events in Tokyo in December: dates from each organizer's official page
Event	When	Where and what
Hagoita-ichi (Battledore Fair) at Senso-ji羽子板市（浅草寺納めの観音ご縁日）	17 to 19 December	Senso-ji temple grounds, Asakusa, Tokyo. Dozens of stalls selling hagoita (decorated battledore paddles) stand in the temple grounds for three days. 18 December is called Osame no Kannon, the last Kannon festival day of the year, and draws especially many worshippers. Official page

Tokyo before and after December

Tokyo: November, December and January (JMA, 1991–2020)
Month	High	Low	Precipitation	Wet days
November	16.7°C (+4.7°C)	8.8°C (+5.0°C)	96.3 mm (+38.4 mm)	7.4 days (+2.2 days)
December	12.0°C	3.8°C	57.9 mm	5.2 days
January	9.8°C (−2.2°C)	1.2°C (−2.6°C)	59.7 mm (+1.8 mm)	4.5 days (−0.7 days)

Other places in December

December: Tokyo against five other places (JMA, 1991–2020)
Place	High	Against Tokyo	Wet days	Against Tokyo
Kyoto	11.6°C	−0.4°C	6.6 days	+1.4 days
Osaka	12.3°C	+0.3°C	6.1 days	+0.9 days
Sapporo	2.0°C	−10.0°C	16.0 days	+10.8 days
OkinawaNaha	21.5°C	+9.5°C	9.3 days	+4.1 days
Fukuoka	12.6°C	+0.6°C	8.5 days	+3.3 days

All 15 places in December

Frequently asked questions

What is the weather like in Tokyo in December?

The average high is 12.0°C (54°F) and the average low 3.8°C (39°F). 57.9 mm of rain falls on about 5.2 days (JMA, 1991–2020).

What should I wear in Tokyo in December?

A warm jacket or light coat over a sweater. Gloves and a hat for mornings and nights: the temperature drops below 0°C on 1.6 nights. A folding umbrella: rain falls on 5.2 days.

Is Tokyo busy in December?

In December 2025, hotels and inns across Tokyo were 78.2% full on average (4th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 5.57 million nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency).

What are the record temperatures for December in Tokyo?

The highest temperature the JMA has recorded in Tokyo in December is 24.8°C (77°F), on 5 December 2004. The lowest is −6.8°C (20°F), on 29 December 1880.

What events are on in Tokyo in December?

Hagoita-ichi (Battledore Fair) at Senso-ji: 17 to 19 December.

When do the leaves turn red in Tokyo?