Winter in Japan

December – FebruaryWhat to see in winter

These are the places the prefecture pages name for this season. Each one links to its own page, with opening times, prices and a MAP button.

Shirakawa-go白川郷

A village of steep thatched farmhouses, still lived in. Winter light-up dates sell out months ahead.

Gifu

MAP

Alpine Route立山黒部アルペンルート

A mountain crossing by cable car, bus and ropeway. Snow walls up to 20 m in April and May.

Toyama

MAP

Hakone箱根

A hot-spring valley with a lake, a boat and a ropeway over a steaming slope. One pass covers it all.

Kanagawa

MAP

Choshi銚子

The eastern tip, where the sun rises earliest on the main island, with a lighthouse and fishing port.

Chiba

MAP

Kawagoe川越

A street of black clay warehouses, a bell tower and a sweet-shop lane. Thirty minutes from Tokyo.

Saitama

MAP

Ouchi-juku大内宿

A village of thatched houses on one unpaved street, still working, on the old road north.

Fukushima

MAP

All 47 prefecturesWhat winter is like, prefecture by prefecture

Pick the season first, then the place.

Prefecture	December – February
Aichi	Cold and dry, little snow. Eel and hotpot season, and the museums are quiet.
Akita	Among the heaviest snowfall in the world for an inhabited place. Hot springs, and trains that still run.
Aomori	Heavy snow — among the deepest in Japan. Trains run; mountain roads may not.
Chiba	Mild for the region, and the sunrise at Choshi on New Year’s morning is a local tradition.
Ehime	Mild for Japan. The bath house is at its best, and the bridges are empty.
Fukui	Snow, grey sea and crab. The cliffs in winter are dramatic, and the path is exposed — stay back from the edge.
Fukuoka	Cold but rarely snowy in the city. Ramen weather, and the quietest season for the stalls.
Fukushima	Deep snow at Ouchi-juku, which is when the thatched village looks like the photographs. Swans on the lake.
Gifu	Deep snow at Shirakawa-go, which is when it looks like the photographs. Roads can close.
Gunma	An outdoor bath in falling snow is the point of this prefecture. Ski areas open, and roads may need chains.
Hiroshima	Cold but rarely snowy. Oysters are in season, grilled at stalls on the island.
Hokkaido	Dry powder snow, the snow festival in February, and drift ice on the north coast. Roads need winter tyres.
Hyogo	Snow crab season at Kinosaki, which is when that town is fully booked. Reserve early.
Ibaraki	Cold and dry. The falls freeze in a hard winter, and the plum garden starts at the end of it.
Ishikawa	Snow on the garden is the reason to come now. Grey skies, snow crab, and very few people.
Iwate	Cold and snowy inland, milder on the coast. The gold hall is at its quietest.
Kagawa	Cool and dry. Some island museums close on certain days
Kagoshima	Mild. Sand baths are at their best in cold weather, and the ferry still runs.
Kanagawa	Cold and dry. The best months for seeing Mt. Fuji from Hakone, and the baths are at their best.
Kochi	Mild on the coast. The Sunday market runs all year, whatever the weather.
Kumamoto	Snow at the hot springs, which is what most people want from an onsen. Some mountain roads close
Kyoto	Cold, clear and quiet. Snow on a temple roof is rare, and the best thing in the city when it happens.
Mie	Cold and quiet. New Year is the shrine’s busiest week — come for it, or come from the fourth of January.
Miyagi	Cold and snowy inland, milder on the coast. Oysters are in season, and the foxes are at their thickest.
Miyazaki	The mildest winter in Kyushu. Mangoes are out of season, but the coast is empty.
Nagano	Deep snow, skiing, and the monkeys in the hot spring — which is the picture people come for.
Nagasaki	Cold wind off the sea. The Chinese quarter lights up for the lantern festival in winter.
Nara	Cold and very quiet. The deer stay all winter, and so do the lanterns.
Niigata	Several metres of snow. The closest reliable powder to Tokyo, and the reason to come.
Oita	The best season for an outdoor bath. Snow on the highway
Okayama	Cold and dry, with very little snow. The garden is at its emptiest and quietest.
Okinawa	Around 18–20°C. Too cool for swimming, right for walking, and the whales pass offshore.
Osaka	Cold but rarely snowy. Winter is hotpot season, and Osaka does it well.
Saga	Quiet and cold. Hot springs and porcelain, which is a good enough day.
Saitama	Cold and dry, with the icicles lit in January and February. Kawagoe is quiet and pleasant.
Shiga	Snow on the northern shore and on the mountain temples. The gate in the lake in snow is worth the cold.
Shimane	Grey and cold off the sea, with some snow. Crab season, and very few visitors.
Shizuoka	The clearest views of the mountain, and Izu is the mildest winter within reach of Tokyo.
Tochigi	The shrines in snow are worth the cold.
Tokushima	Cold in the mountains, mild on the coast. The vine bridge is lit on winter evenings.
Tokyo	Cold, dry and bright, with very little snow. Mt. Fuji is visible from tall buildings on clear mornings.
Tottori	Heavy snow on the Japan Sea side. Snow crab is the reason people come now.
Toyama	The Alpine Route is closed. The coast view of the mountains is at its sharpest now.
Wakayama	Snow on the plateau and freezing mornings in the temples. Coastal Shirahama stays mild.
Yamagata	Deep snow. Snow monsters in February, and the gas-lit street under snow. Book far ahead.
Yamaguchi	Cold wind off the sea. Fugu is at its best now, and Shimonoseki is busy with it.
Yamanashi	The best months to see it. Cold, dry mornings, snow on the cone, and the lakes still.