When to go · Tokyo
Tokyo in December
Good month. Illuminations; closures Dec 29–Jan 3.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 12° / 4°
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 5
- Crowds
- Medium
- Japan overall
- Prices
- Medium
- Japan overall
Verdict
Illuminations; closures Dec 29–Jan 3.
Weather in December
- TokyoHighs around 12 °C, lows around 4 °C, rain on about 5 days
- Honshū cities, Japan · Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshimacool
Rainy season June to mid-July; humid heat July–August; typhoon risk peaks in September.
Winter season
Clear skies, Fuji visible from the city, illuminations, the New Year shrine visit at Meiji Jingū.
Watch: Closures from 29 Dec to 3 Jan (museums, some restaurants).
Festivals and holidays
Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.
Autumn leaves check
Late November – early December · Rikugien, Jingū Gaien ginkgo avenue, Shinjuku Gyoen, Koishikawa Kōrakuen
Evening garden illuminations with timed tickets; ginkgo avenue packed on weekends.
Winter illuminations
Mid-November to December or February · Marunouchi, Roppongi, Omotesandō, Shibuya
Free light displays along main streets; crowded on weekends before Christmas.
New Year
Dec 31–Jan 3
Meiji Jingū and Sensō-ji see millions of visitors; many restaurants closed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- Medium
- Prices · Japan overall
- Medium
Japan overall: Cold and clear until the New Year shutdown from 29 Dec.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket