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

Averages for 1991–2020 at the JMA's Yakushima station (37 m above sea level).

High

14.7°C (58°F)

Low

8.9°C (48°F)

Precipitation

294.6 mm

Wet days

15.5 days

Sunshine

75 hours

• Highs are 2.1°C below December and 0.8°C below February.
• That is 8.2°C below Yakushima's yearly average high of 22.9°C.
• Of our 34 places with temperature records, Yakushima is the 4th warmest in January: 5.1°C cooler than Naha and 1.6°C warmer than Kagoshima.
• January is Yakushima's 4th driest month (294.6 mm).
• Of our 35 places, Yakushima gets the most precipitation in January: 12.8 mm more than Shirakawa-go.
• Rain of 1 mm or more falls on 15.5 days, and 10 mm or more on 7.5 days.
• Rain of 30 mm or more in one day falls on 3.3 days, and 50 mm or more on 1.2 days.
• The sun is out for 40% or more of the possible hours on 8.0 days, and 7.5 days have under 0.1 hours of sunshine.

Average temperature

11.8°C (53°F)

Humidity

68%

Early, mid and late January

By the last ten days of January the average high in Yakushima is 0.8°C lower than in the first ten.

By ten-day totals, 21–31 January is the wettest (111.5 mm) and 1–10 January the driest (77.6 mm).

Is Yakushima cold in January?

Yes, it is chilly. Yakushima averages 14.7°C (58°F) by day and 8.9°C (48°F) at night in January. 21–31 January is the coldest stretch of the year, with highs of 14.3°C.

Chilly: highs around 14.7°C

• A warm jacket or light coat over a sweater.
• Rain gear every day: a sturdy umbrella and a water-resistant jacket. Rain falls on 15.5 days.

Pack

• Sturdy umbrella and rain jacket

• Our clothing rules

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 Kagoshima Prefecture were 47.9% full on average (10th busiest of 12 months). Foreign guests spent 69,450 nights there that month (Japan Tourism Agency). That compares with 52.5% in December and 57.0% in February.

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