Tokyo in December
☀️ ~12°
Typical daytime high ~12°C · usually dry
Cold, dry and bright; winter illuminationsWhat's on in December
Around Autumn colourWorth timingBook ahead
Maples at their peak — Kyoto especially. Spectacular, and busy with it. Go at dawn; book the illuminations.
Around Winter illuminationsWorth timing
Illuminations and Christmas markets — a draw, not a crush.
New YearWorth timingBook ahead
Shrines are at their busiest and liveliest — hatsumōde, the first visit of the year. Many shops and restaurants close.
In short: Cold, dry and bright; winter illuminations. Autumn colour is the season's draw — lovely, and busy with it.
Going in December?
We'll plan Tokyo around your dates — weather and crowds factored in — in about a minute, free.
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