Japan in December
Quiet and bright, with the winter illuminations, until the last week shuts down for New Year. Good through December 28. After that, no. The country shuts down from December 29.
Temperature
12°C (54°F) / 4°C (39°F)
in Tokyo, afternoon and night
Crowds
busy
across the cities we track (checked Oct 16)
Ryokan booking
already open
traditional inns · don't wait for a discount
Japan weather in December, north to south
| City | Afternoon / night | Rain or snow |
|---|---|---|
| Sapporo north (Hokkaido) | 2°C (36°F) / -4°C (25°F) | about average 115 mm, one day in 2 |
| Tokyo central (Kanto) | 12°C (54°F) / 4°C (39°F) | little rain 58 mm, one day in 6 |
| Kyoto central (Kansai) | 12°C (54°F) / 4°C (39°F) | little rain 57 mm, one day in 5 |
| Osaka central (Kansai) | 12°C (54°F) / 5°C (41°F) | little rain 56 mm, one day in 5 |
| Naha far south (Okinawa) | 22°C (72°F) / 17°C (63°F) | about average 110 mm, one day in 3 |
The snow returns to Sapporo, 113 cm over the month. See “The four seasons” in the month-by-month overview
Thirty-year averages (1991-2020) recorded by the Japan Meteorological Agency, which tell you the month's usual climate and not the weather you will actually get on the dates you have chosen. Last checked August 8, 2026.
Roughly what it costs
Occupancy (official statistics, 2023-2025)
busy
63%
Price range per night
per night, two people
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The dates in December
December has no public holiday in Japan, and it still ends on the busiest stretch of the year: New Year, when the whole country is on the move.
Chichibu Yomatsuri, Chichibu, Saitama
Illuminated floats move through the streets of Chichibu on the evening of the 3rd, followed by fireworks.
Chichibu, Saitama fills up
New Year
Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, which many people make in kimono. Museums and restaurants often stay shut until January 3.
everything fills up
quiet
nothing to plan around
If your dates can move: shift by a day to miss the nights before a holiday.
If they are fixed: book those nights first, they are the ones that go fastest. The rest of the month can wait.
Where to start
The order matters more than how early you get to it.
Kyoto and the small stops first
Kyoto, Kanazawa, Takayama, and any night in a ryokan: few rooms, and the whole of Japan is aiming at the same dates, so this is where rooms run out first, not in Tokyo.
Tokyo and Osaka can wait
Tens of thousands of rooms. These cities are never really full. The simplest approach is still to book it all in one go, on free cancellation rates for whatever might still move.
Three questions about December
Is December cold in Japan?
In Tokyo, 12°C (54°F) in the afternoon and 4°C (39°F) at night on average, while at the same moment Sapporo sits at 2°C (36°F) and Naha at 22°C (72°F). The snow returns to Sapporo, 113 cm over the month.
Is December cheaper?
Across the cities we track, hotel occupancy sits at the average for the year. The price range for the month is in the budget block, city by city.
Can you still book at the last minute in December?
Up to December 28, yes, the month stays quiet. From the 29th everything shuts at once for New Year, so that part is worth booking in advance.
Going further
Calendar
How to book hotels in Japan: when sales open
The costly mistake is reading an empty calendar as a full one.
Calendar
The worst time to visit Japan, week by week
Three weeks carry almost all of the pressure, and one of them is not even a public holiday. The other 49 are far more open than the month-level lists suggest.
The next step
Which site to book on
Every site holds a different slice of Japan. See which site holds what.
Before you book: what a ryokan rate includes. It counts people rather than rooms, and dinner is nearly always part of it, served at a fixed time that you pick when you book rather than on the evening itself. Read the ryokan page.
Bookings for your dates open on a fixed date. We write that day.
Say you're after the cherry blossoms in April 2027: ryokan inns open around October. On the day, you get an email, you book, and it's done.
Temperature and rainfall: 1991-2020 normals from the Japan Meteorological Agency. Occupancy from Japan's official tourism statistics, public holidays from the official calendar. Tanuki Trip never books on your behalf. You book it yourself, wherever you want.