Tokyo weather in December

December in Tokyo: cold, a little rain — a good time to visit.

Updated September 2026 · climate normals from ERA5 reanalysis

Tokyo🇯🇵 Japan · Mainland Japan · City69
  1. 67Jan
  2. 72Feb
  3. 70Mar
  4. 80Apr
  5. 85May
  6. 71Jun
  7. 58Jul
  8. 62Aug
  9. 66Sep
  10. 75Oct
  11. 77Nov
  12. 69Dec

#8 of 12 months in Tokyo · #764 of 1413 destinations to visit in December · comfort 69/100 (tier C)

Days
12°C
Nights
4°C
Wet days
7
Sun
7.5 h
Humidity
73%
Daylight
10 h
Tokyo, Japan
Photo: Rin Gakusho · Pexels

What December is like in Tokyo

Cold, dry and lit up. The city works to the very end of the month and then shuts almost completely for New Year.

closedfestival

confidence: high

Traveller notes on Tokyo in December

Other months in Tokyo

Tokyo-forum threads asking if August really is that hot get a consistent yes, posters comparing the combination of heat and humidity to Houston or Dallas at their peak, occasionally worse. A long, steady multi-day soak is called rare unless a typhoon happens to track nearby - the more typical pattern is a sudden, heavy afternoon squall once the air turns oppressively muggy, clearing within an hour or so. The Obon holiday falls mid-month, when many businesses close and inter-city trains get noticeably more crowded. Regulars recommend planning around the worst midday heat - museums, department stores and shaded shrine grounds over long outdoor stretches - and treating frequent convenience-store stops for cold drinks as a genuine survival strategy. The record: 32.1C days feeling like a punishing 37C, 24.6C nights, 116mm across 11.6 days, an 28.8C sea, 80 percent humidity and 9.9 hours of sun.
ShinjukuAugustRegular · August · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Tokyo-forum threads on February weather describe a month that's genuinely cold but reliably clear - sunny, dry, 'brisk' days rather than the grey damp of a European winter. The packing advice is thorough: a proper coat, thermal base layers, gloves and a scarf for outside, but posters are equally insistent that trains and indoor spaces run heated to the point of overheating, so the layers need to come off easily rather than staying zipped up all day. The payoff for the cold is lower crowds than any other season. The record: 11.6C days feeling like 8C, 2C nights, 48mm of rain across 7.1 days, 3.8cm of snowfall and 8.4 hours of sun - genuinely cold, with enough rain and a little snow mixed through the month's clear stretches.
ShinjukuLayerRegular · February · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Tokyo-forum threads on Golden Week (the run of holidays through early May) make a distinction worth knowing: Tokyoites leave the city for the break, so ordinary neighbourhoods and trains actually get quieter even as sightseeing spots and shopping districts fill with domestic travellers. Regulars steer visitors toward the second half of the month instead, once the holiday clears, for the same pleasant weather with thinner crowds. May's record: 24.1C days, 14.9C nights, 128mm of rain across nearly twelve days, 8.7 hours of sun and an AQI of 75 - warm and humid enough to read as early summer, not spring.
ShibuyaGoldenWeek · May · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗
Forum posters consistently rate October as one of the best months to visit Japan, with average Tokyo temperatures around 17C - not too hot, not too cold. Posters describe early October as sometimes still a bit warm, cooling further as the month progresses, with short sleeves comfortable by day and a jacket or sweater needed once temperatures drop at night. Posters generally describe October and November as reliably dry with great weather, though they flag a real caveat: lingering typhoon risk means rainfall totals can vary a lot from year to year even in this generally favorable stretch. Posters consistently note October isn't Tokyo's busiest tourist season, a real bonus alongside the comfortable weather.
Tripadvisor community · October · 1 month ago · Read more on Tripadvisor ↗

Year-round notes are on Tokyo's overview. Add your own note from Tokyo's card on the map.

Tokyo climate normals — December

Daytime high12°C / 54°F🧥 cold
Nighttime low4°C / 38°F
Feels like (high)9°C / 48°F
Sea temperature14°C / 58°F🥶 cold sea
Rainfall52 mm / 2 in🌦 some rain
Rainy days7 days
Humidity73%💧 humid
Dew point0°C / 31°F
Sunshine7.5 h/day
Daylight9.8 h
Wind19 km/h / 12 mph
Air quality (US AQI)98🙂 moderate

Monthly averages from ERA5 reanalysis. AQI is the mean US Air Quality Index for the month.

Crowds in Tokyo in December

How busy the place itself is — school and mass holidays, the months an editor tagged, and how sought-after the weather makes them. Never part of the comfort score.

Peak crowdsNew Year shutdown, Winter break (fuyuyasumi) in Japan, school holidays in 4 of the markets that fill it(estimated)

JFMAMJJASOND

Peak crowdsBusyShoulder seasonQuiet

Best months for Tokyo's weather

Ranked by this destination's own climate comfort score across the year — a different thing from how busy it gets (see Crowds above).

Fair weatherTokyo's best weather comes in April, May and November — separate windows, not one continuous season.

JFMAMJJASOND

Best weatherFair weatherToughest weather

What's on in Tokyo in December

Recurring seasonal events, natural spectacles, closures and holidays — curated and sourced.

  • Nature

    Autumn colour

    15 Nov – 10 Dec · usually

    The gingkos and maples in the city gardens turn very late, usually peaking around the start of December, weeks after the mountains west of Tokyo.

  • Holiday

    New Year shutdown

    29 Dec – 3 JanSchool holidaysClosures

    The city closes almost completely for the first three days of January: offices, most restaurants, many museums. The shrines are the exception and they are packed. Source ↗

What's on around the world in December →

Nearby, and something's on

Within 300 km of Tokyo — a day trip or a short hop — with something on this month. Never part of the comfort score.

Where is Tokyo?

Loading map…

Tokyo in December — FAQ

Is December a good time to visit Tokyo?
December in Tokyo: cold, a little rain — a good time to visit. It ranks #8 of 12 months for Tokyo on SeasonMap's comfort score (69/100).
What is the weather like in Tokyo in December?
In December, Tokyo averages a daily high of 12.3°C and a low of 3.5°C, with about 51.7 mm of rain over roughly 6.6 rainy days.
What is the air quality in Tokyo in December?
Tokyo has a mean US Air Quality Index of about 98 in December.

Within 300 km: Karuizawa's First lifts in Japan on 1 Nov – 31 Mar, and Fujikawaguchiko's The clearest views of Fuji on 1 Dec – 28 Feb.