When to go · Kyoto
Kyoto in January
Good month. Cold, clear, fewer people (after Jan 3).
Key facts
- Verdict
- Good
- Temperature
- 9°C (48°F)48°F (9°C) / 1°C (34°F)34°F (1°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 9
- Crowds
- Low
- Japan overall
- Prices
- Low
- Japan overall
Verdict
Cold, clear, fewer people (after Jan 3).
All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.
Is another month better than January?
January is rated good. These months rate higher:
Weather in January
- KyotoHighs around 9 °C (48 °F), lows around 1 °C (34 °F), rain on about 9 daysHighs around 48 °F (9 °C), lows around 34 °F (1 °C), rain on about 9 days
- Honshū cities, Japan · Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Hiroshimacool
Rainy season June to mid-July; humid heat July–August; typhoon risk peaks in September.
Winter season
Quietest temples, rare snow on Kinkaku-ji, New Year shrine visits, special winter openings of closed halls.
Watch: Cold wooden halls; many close 29 Dec–3 Jan.
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
Dec 31–Jan 3
Huge shrine crowds (Yasaka, Fushimi Inari); many shops and restaurants closed.
Crowds and prices
- Crowds · Japan overall
- Low
- Prices · Japan overall
- Low
- Room rates · Kyoto
- Low
- 1–3 Jan New Year is high; the rest of the month is the cheapest of the year.
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 Kyoto, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Good
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Jan: 9 °C (48 °F)48 °F (9 °C)
May: 25 °C (77 °F)77 °F (25 °C)
Night low
Jan: 1 °C (34 °F)34 °F (1 °C)
May: 14 °C (57 °F)57 °F (14 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 9 (better)
May: 10
Crowds
Jan: Low
May: Medium
Prices
Jan: Low
May: Medium
Room prices
Jan: Low
May: Normal
Festivals listed
Jan: 1
May: 2
January: Cold, clear, fewer people (after Jan 3).
May: Avoid Golden Week (late Apr–early May).
Kyoto: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings
- Layers: a fleece or light jacket