When to go · Karuizawa
Karuizawa in January
Avoid month. Listed as a month to avoid: Jul–Aug weekends (crowded, wet), Jan–Feb (cold, icy roads).
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 0°C (32°F)32°F (0°C) / −8°C (18°F)18°F (−8°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 8
- Crowds
- Low
- Japan overall
- Prices
- Low
- Japan overall
Verdict
Listed as a month to avoid: Jul–Aug weekends (crowded, wet), Jan–Feb (cold, icy roads).
Is another month better than January?
January is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in January
- KaruizawaHighs around 0 °C (32 °F), lows around -8 °C (18 °F), rain on about 8 daysHighs around 32 °F (0 °C), lows around 18 °F (-8 °C), rain on about 8 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 Karuizawa, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Avoid
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Jan: 0 °C (32 °F)32 °F (0 °C)
May: 17 °C (63 °F)63 °F (17 °C)
Night low
Jan: -8 °C (18 °F)18 °F (-8 °C)
May: 8 °C (46 °F)46 °F (8 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 8 (better)
May: 11
Crowds
Jan: Low
May: Medium
Prices
Jan: Low
May: Medium
Festivals listed
Jan: 1
May: 1
January: Listed as a month to avoid: Jul–Aug weekends (crowded, wet), Jan–Feb (cold, icy roads).
May: Inside Karuizawa's best window: May–Jun, Oct–Nov.
Karuizawa: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings