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Updated: December 18, 2023

Is January a good time to visit Tokyo?

You can pick up some bargains in Tokyo's January sales, and check out the authentic festivals and special events the new year has to offer.

What is the weather like in Tokyo in January?

The average temperature is around 5.4ºC (41.7°F) during the day, and can fall to 1.2ºC (34.2°F) at night, so make sure to wrap up warm. This is especially true in mid to late January. The month has just 60 mm (2.4 in) of rainfall on average, and little chance of snow. Expect around 6 hours of daylight a day.

Best events, festivals, and other things to do in January

Hatsumode (New Year's visit to a shrine or temple)

Hatsumode is the act of offering prayers at a shrine or temple to welcome the new year. While New Year Countdown events are popular, many people visit a shrine or temple late at night on New Year's Eve, and observe the custom of hatsumode as the clock ticks past midnight, and January 1 arrives. Others visit on New Year's Day, January 2, or January 3. Meiji-jingu Shrine and Sensoji Temple are two of Tokyo's top hatsumode spots.

 

January sales

You can find some incredible bargains during the Tokyo January sales period. Starting from January 2, department stores across the capital sell a range of items at the cheapest prices you'll see all year. Don't know what to pick? Line up and buy a fukubukuro—a great value bag filled with mystery items.

Tondo-yaki

Held annually at Torikoe-jinja Shrine, this Shinto tradition dates back centuries. Decorations bought for the New Year are burned on a bonfire—an act known as "tondo-yaki." It's said that eating mochi cooked on this fire will offer protection from illness and disaster in the year ahead.

 

Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden's Fuyu Botan Festival

Tucked away within Ueno Park, Ueno Toshogu Peony Garden(JPN) is home to a wondrous display of peony flowers. While this garden is closed to the public for most of the year, the Fuyu Botan event grants visitors a rare opportunity to take in this garden's immaculate floral displays.

 

 

Daruma Market

Daruma are believed to bring longevity, business prosperity, and even assistance in achieving goals. They make fantastic good luck charms, and January is the perfect time of year to pick one up. You can buy daruma at various market events held throughout Tokyo, which offer a variety of sizes and colors.
Vitality Market, Daruma Market – Hamura City
Daruma-ichi (Fair) – Hino City
Ome Daruma Market – Ome City

 

Shinnen Ippan Sanga (New Year's visit of the public to the Imperial Palace)

This special New Year's event—held annually on January 2—offers members of the public an opportunity to visit the grounds of the Imperial Palace, and convey good wishes to the Imperial Family for the year to come. It's a unique chance to see the Emperor, Empress, and other members of the Imperial Family, who make several scheduled appearances during the day.
Shinnen Ippan Sanga

 

Setagaya Boro-ichi (Flea Market)

This flea market—recognized as one of Tokyo's Intangible Folk Cultural Properties—dates back to the late 16th century. It is held over four days in total: December 15-16, and January 15-16. Back in the Meiji Period (1868-1912), scraps of fabric known as "boro" were traded at the market. Nowadays, the Setagaya Boro-ichi flea market features a wide array of vendors selling everything from food to antiques.

ⒸSETAGAYA

Hatsu Basho (New Year Grand Sumo Tournament) at Ryogoku

Grand sumo tournaments are held six times a year, once every two months. The New Year Grand Sumo Tournament is held in January, at the Ryogoku Kokugikan arena, a must-see spot for sumo fans. Spectators can even enjoy chanko-nabe—known as the food of sumo wrestlers—at a number of on-site restaurants.
Beginner's Guide to Sumo

Event on This Month

 

Calendar

January January in Tokyo speaks of traditions. Start the New Year in good spirits and head to a temple or shrine for Hatsumode on January 1 and pray like the locals do for peace and good health. Some begin their sojourn the night before on New Year's Eve to hear temple bells chime 108 times as the new year dawns, but Hatsumode is drawn out and takes place over 2-3 days.
February Tokyo's festival and event card is varied in February. Visit Tokyo at this time of year and you'll be witness to festivals and events that honor ume (plum blossoms), banish devils, celebrate the efforts of runners and see an unusual take on Valentine's Day—only men are supposed to receive chocolate.
March Temperatures and moods begin to thaw in March, the month heralding the start of spring. While cherry blossoms or sakura appear at month's end and are eagerly awaited, the rest of March offers much to see and do.
April April in Tokyo is blooming marvelous. Many of spring's events have a floral focus, with the highly anticipated Sakura or cherry blossom season reigning supreme. Join in the hanami or flower viewing parties all over the city.
May May festivals and events begin with the latter half of cluster of Golden Week holidays. Greenery or Arbor Day (May 4) sees entry fees waived in many of the cities parks and gardens, while Children's Day (May 5) heralds the arrival of brightly colored carp or koi streamers festooned around the city.
June Visit Tokyo in June, and the weather begins to get steamy. Rainy season arrives, but not all days are marked by wet weather. Embrace the increasing humidity with the official opening of Tokyo's many beer gardens and imbibe in a glass of your favorite ale. From the lofty heights of the beer garden atop Mt. Takao to the elegant surrounds of Meiji Kinenkan, you'll find a beer garden for every occasion.
July From the booming sound of fireworks lighting up the night sky to the soothing sounds of fuurin wind chimes tinkling in the breeze, July in Tokyo is a sensory experience. Festivals and events ranging from spectacular fireworks shows and ancestral bon odori rites to the sonic wizardry of summer music festivals that attract the best of domestic and international artists.
August August sees Tokyo at it’s hottest, but a continuing cascade of fireworks, traditional obon dances, multicolored tanabata lantern events, and the height of official water park and beach season all provide welcome distractions.
September September means sayonara, or goodbye, to the soaring heat of summer. Nights begin to cool and temperatures become more bearable, but these changes also see the occasional typhoon. Many of the city’s beer gardens remain open, however, a reminder that there’s still fun to be had outdoors yet.
October October, the height of autumn, is one of the best times of year to visit Tokyo. From ongoing traditional festivals to art and cultural soirees to culinary-focused events celebrating the bounty of the season—the city's event card is full.
November Visit November in Tokyo and shade yourself in hues of yellow, orange, red and golden brown. With seasonal foliage at its finest, the month sees the arrival of Koyo, or changing autumn leaves. Bask in the rich-jeweled tones of the season at Rikugien Gardens—at night the grounds are illuminated—or delight in the vibrant yellows of the city's numerous ginko trees.
December Tokyo is dazzling in December–literally–when the city lights up with illuminations. The dark nights are an ideal canvas for intricate and elaborate light displays and the illuminations are a signature winter sight.

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