When to go · Hakuba
Hakuba in January
Great month. Inside Hakuba's best window: Jan–Feb for snow; Jul–Aug for hiking and lakes.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Great
- Temperature
- 1°C (34°F)34°F (1°C) / −7°C (19°F)19°F (−7°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 15
- Crowds
- Low
- Japan overall
- Prices
- Low
- Japan overall
Verdict
Inside Hakuba's best window: Jan–Feb for snow; Jul–Aug for hiking and lakes.
Is another month better than January?
No other month rates higher than January for Hakuba in this guide.
Weather in January
- HakubaHighs around 1 °C (34 °F), lows around -7 °C (19 °F), rain on about 15 daysHighs around 34 °F (1 °C), lows around 19 °F (-7 °C), rain on about 15 days
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.
New Year (Shōgatsu) big impact
29 Dec – 3 Jan · Japan
Shops, museums and many restaurants close; shrines packed on 1–3 Jan; trains full on 29–30 Dec and 2–3 Jan.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- Low
- Prices · Japan overall
- Low
Japan overall: Cold, dry and clear in the cities after 3 Jan; ski season in Hokkaidō and the Alps.
Compare two months
Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in Hakuba, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Great
Feb: Great
Daytime high
Jan: 1 °C (34 °F)34 °F (1 °C)
Feb: 2 °C (36 °F)36 °F (2 °C)
Night low
Jan: -7 °C (19 °F)19 °F (-7 °C)
Feb: -7 °C (19 °F)19 °F (-7 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 15
Feb: 13 (better)
Crowds
Jan: Low
Feb: Low
Prices
Jan: Low
Feb: Low
Festivals listed
Jan: 1
Feb: 0
January: Inside Hakuba's best window: Jan–Feb for snow; Jul–Aug for hiking and lakes.
February: Inside Hakuba's best window: Jan–Feb for snow; Jul–Aug for hiking and lakes.
Hakuba: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast