December splits neatly in two. Until about the 27th it is one of the quietest and cheapest months in Japan – cold, dry, brilliantly clear at around 12°C in Tokyo with under 60 mm of rain, with winter illuminations in every city and the last of the autumn colour still on the trees in Kyoto. From the 28th the whole country stops for New Year, and stays stopped into January.
The two Decembers
There is no public holiday in December at all in Japan – the Emperor’s Birthday moved to February in 2020 – so the first three weeks run completely normally. Then:
- From about 28 December offices close, people travel to their home towns, and the New Year shutdown begins.
- 29 December to 3 January is the core: most restaurants, small shops, museums and many attractions close, and shinkansen and flights are at their annual peak price and occupancy.
- 31 December is Omisoka, New Year’s Eve – temple bells rung 108 times at midnight (joya no kane), long queues for the first shrine visit, and a quiet, family evening rather than a party.
Arrive before Christmas and leave before the 27th and December is superb value. Overlap the New Year and you need to plan it deliberately.
Christmas in Japan is not what you expect
25 December is an ordinary working day. Christmas in Japan is a secular, commercial and romantic occasion rather than a family or religious one:
- Christmas Eve is a date night, and restaurants book out weeks ahead.
- Fried chicken and Christmas cake are the traditional meal, and the chicken chains take reservations for it in November.
- Illuminations are the main event – enormous, technically ambitious light displays in Tokyo (Marunouchi, Roppongi, Shibuya, Yomiuri Land), Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe, most running from November into early January.
- Shops, museums and transport all run normally on the 25th.
Weather: cold, dry and the clearest views of the year
- Tokyo – about 12°C by day and 4°C at night, with roughly 58 mm of rain across five days. Dry, sunny and sharp; Mount Fuji is visible from the city on a large share of mornings.
- Kyoto and Osaka – around 11°C by day, close to freezing at night. The last of the autumn maples usually holds in Kyoto into the first week.
- The Japan Sea coast – Kanazawa, Takayama and Shirakawa-go under heavy, early snow while Tokyo stays blue.
- Hokkaido and Nagano – the ski season opens through December, reliably by mid-month at Niseko, Furano and Hakuba.
- Okinawa – around 21°C; pleasant walking weather, not swimming weather.
The last of the autumn colour
Kyoto’s koyo season peaks in late November, but the tail typically runs into the first week of December at lower-altitude temples – Tofuku-ji, Eikan-do and the Arashiyama temples among them. It is a genuine window: the colour is past its best, and so are the crowds and the hotel rates that go with it.
Skiing
The Japanese season opens progressively through December, and by the middle of the month the major Hokkaido and Nagano resorts are running. Early December is a gamble on snowfall; the last week of December is reliable but carries New Year pricing and full lift queues. Mid-December is the sweet spot for value.
Prices and crowds
The first three weeks are among the cheapest of the year for flights and city hotels, with foreign visitor numbers low and no domestic holiday rush at all. From about 27 December everything inverts: New Year is, with Golden Week and Obon, one of the three most expensive travel periods in Japan.
See the best time to visit Japan for the full comparison.
What to pack
A warm coat, layers and shoes that come off easily. Japanese buildings are less centrally heated than European ones and temple interiors are unheated, so the indoors is often colder than the street. Add thermals for Hokkaido, and note that Kyoto in the evening is colder than the daytime forecast suggests. See the Japan packing list.
The December 2027 calendar
- All month – winter illuminations in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kobe, most running from November into January.
- First week of December – the tail of Kyoto’s autumn colour at the lower-altitude temples.
- Mid December – the ski season is reliably open in Hokkaido and Nagano; the best value of the season.
- Saturday 25 December – an ordinary working day; illuminations and restaurants busy, everything open.
- From about 28 December – the New Year shutdown begins; transport at peak price.
- Friday 31 December – Omisoka; joya no kane temple bells at midnight.
- No public holiday falls in December; the next is New Year’s Day.
Read alongside
- Japan in November – peak autumn colour, and the crowds that follow it.
- Japan in January – New Year, and the clearest skies of the year.
- Best time to visit Japan – all twelve months compared.
- Tokyo in December – the city-level version of this month.
- Kyoto vs Hokkaido – how to choose between them in winter.
- Japan travel guide – regions, rail and how to combine them.
- Japan packing list – the winter version.
Frequently asked
Is December a good time to visit Japan?
The first three weeks are excellent value: cold, dry, brilliantly clear, with illuminations everywhere, no domestic holiday rush and low hotel rates. From about the 27th the New Year shutdown and peak pricing begin.
Is Christmas a holiday in Japan?
No – 25 December is an ordinary working day. Christmas in Japan is a secular, romantic and commercial occasion: date nights on Christmas Eve, fried chicken and Christmas cake, and large public illuminations.
What closes over New Year in Japan?
Most restaurants, small shops, museums and many attractions, roughly from 29 December to 3 January. Trains and convenience stores keep running, and shrines and temples are busier than at any other time of year.
How cold is Japan in December?
Tokyo averages about 12°C by day and 4°C at night with under 60 mm of rain – dry, sunny and sharp. Kyoto is close to freezing at night, the Japan Sea coast is under heavy snow, and Hokkaido is in ski season.
Can you still see autumn leaves in December?
Usually into the first week, at Kyoto’s lower-altitude temples such as Tofuku-ji, Eikan-do and those in Arashiyama. The colour is past its peak, and so are the November crowds and prices.
Is the ski season open in December?
Progressively. Early December depends on snowfall; by mid-month the major Hokkaido and Nagano resorts are reliably running, and mid-December is the best value of the season before New Year pricing starts.
Is there a public holiday in Japan in December?
No. The Emperor’s Birthday moved to 23 February in 2020, so December has none at all. The first three weeks therefore run entirely normally.
Is Japan cheap in December?
For the first three weeks, yes – among the cheapest of the year for flights and city hotels. From about 27 December it becomes one of the three most expensive periods in the Japanese calendar.
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Written by
John Morrison is the founder and lead travel writer at Packzup. Over the past decade he has explored destinations across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania — always self-funded, never on a press trip.
