When to go · Nikko
Nikko in January
Avoid month. Listed as a month to avoid: Golden Week, mid-Oct weekends (crowds), Jan–Feb for the high plateau.
Key facts
- Verdict
- Avoid
- Temperature
- 4°C (39°F)39°F (4°C) / −5°C (23°F)23°F (−5°C)
- average high / low
- Rain days
- 5
- Crowds
- Low
- Japan overall
- Prices
- Low
- Japan overall
Verdict
Listed as a month to avoid: Golden Week, mid-Oct weekends (crowds), Jan–Feb for the high plateau.
Is another month better than January?
January is rated avoid. These months rate higher:
Weather in January
- NikkoHighs around 4 °C (39 °F), lows around -5 °C (23 °F), rain on about 5 daysHighs around 39 °F (4 °C), lows around 23 °F (-5 °C), rain on about 5 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 Nikko, side by side.
Verdict
Jan: Avoid
May: Great (better)
Daytime high
Jan: 4 °C (39 °F)39 °F (4 °C)
May: 19 °C (66 °F)66 °F (19 °C)
Night low
Jan: -5 °C (23 °F)23 °F (-5 °C)
May: 8 °C (46 °F)46 °F (8 °C)
Rain days
Jan: 5 (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: Golden Week, mid-Oct weekends (crowds), Jan–Feb for the high plateau.
May: Inside Nikko's best window: May–Jun, mid-Oct.
Nikko: figures are long-term averages from this guide, not a forecast.
What to pack
- A warm coat, hat and gloves for mornings and evenings