yearsofweather

Kyoto in December:
chilly, occasional rain

Kyoto, Japan · Records from 2006 to 2025. Not a forecast.

Mean high12°Hottest day 23° (2018)
Mean low4°Coldest night −6.9° (2021)
Rain days7 days3-9 by year
Rainfall59mmDaylight 10.0 → 9.8 h
Kyoto's 12 months iBest: May and October
Trip types Sightseeing on foot Fine
Humidity74%0 muggy days
Clear days7 days5 overcast days
Mean wind9 km/hRarely windy
Sunrise / sunset (15th)06:58 / 16:47Daylight 10.0 → 9.8 h

Kyoto in December

Leaves are fading by early December and things quiet down. The monthly Toji flea market on the 21st has a year-end feel. On New Year's Eve temples such as Chion-in ring the bell, and Chion-in now works by advance application, so check ahead.

Highs of 12°C and lows of 4°C. Even at midday it stayed cool enough to want a jacket. 7 rain days in a typical December: noticeable, but most days stayed dry. Across 20 years the count stayed between 3 and 9, with little spread.

The month opened with 10.0 hours of daylight and closed with 9.8. Dusk came early. Frost touched 2 nights of the month on average, enough to glaze puddles and shaded steps at first light. The lowest night on record was −6.9°C in 2021.

Typhoons i No tropical storm passed within 300 km in this month over the last 20 years. Typhoons: June to October

Date by date i

‹ November December 2026 January ›
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Week
1-5rain on 20% of days14° 5°
6-12rain on 18% of days13° 5°
13-19rain on 24% of days11° 3°
20-26rain on 26% of days11° 3°
27-31rain on 22% of days10° 2°

0-5/206-8/209-11/2012-20/20

1-5rain on 20% of days14° 5°
6-12rain on 18% of days13° 5°
13-19rain on 24% of days11° 3°
20-26rain on 26% of days11° 3°
27-31rain on 22% of days10° 2°
Tap another date to change

2006none
2007none
20082mm
20091mm
201015mm
2011none
20126mm
20133mm
2014none
20158mm
2016none
2017none
20182mm
2019none
2020none
2021none
20222mm
2023none
2024none
20255mm
Holidays in December (2026)
  • December 29 to January 3 Year-end and New Year holidays
  • December 25 Christmas Day

1 Local public holiday or break (busier, pricier)1 US holidays (flights fill up)

Day by day temperature i

1°9°16°24° 1815222931

Mean high Mean low Coldest to warmest high in 20 years

Your trip dates, the past 20 years

Trip dates ~

You can also click two dates on the axis. Hover a cell to see that day's rain.
Trip rain days Month rain days
2006
3 d 8 d
2007
1 d 8 d
2008
1 d 7 d
2009
2 d 7 d
2010
0 d 8 d
2011
2 d 4 d
2012
1 d 9 d
2013
2 d 9 d
2014
1 d 8 d
2015
2 d 5 d
2016
0 d 8 d
2017
1 d 3 d
2018
3 d 9 d
2019
0 d 7 d
2020
0 d 4 d
2021
2 d 7 d
2022
0 d 6 d
2023
2 d 6 d
2024
1 d 4 d
2025
1 d 9 d
Years with rain
Tap a date to start, tap another to end. Each cell is that date in one year.
'06'07'08'09'10'11'12'13'14'15'16'17'18'19'20'21'22'23'24'25
of 20
3
3
7
4
3
3
2
2
4
3
6
5
5
7
4
5
7
2
3
1
9
8
4
5
5
4
4
7
2
6
3
Rain days on trip
31120212120130020211

No rain1-9 mm10 mm or more Dates outside your trip are dimmed.

One row per year, one cell per day. 2017 had 3 rain days, 2012 had 9.

Kyoto through the year

MonthHighLowRain daysRainfall
January 9°2°6 days49mm
February 10°2°8 days69mm
March 15°5°10 days111mm
April 20°10°9 days134mm
MayGood 25°15°9 days153mm
June 29°20°11 days201mm
July 33°24°13 days258mm
August 34°25°9 days178mm
September 30°22°10 days185mm
OctoberGood 24°15°9 days135mm
November 18°9°6 days69mm
December 12°4°7 days59mm

Common questions

Does it rain a lot in Kyoto in December?

Over the past 20 years December averaged 7 rain days (1 mm or more) out of 31. Individual years ran from 3 in the driest to 9 in the wettest.

What should I wear in Kyoto in December?

Days averaged 12°C and nights 4°C. Pack a compact umbrella and a sweater plus a light jacket.

Is December a good time to visit Kyoto?

On warmth and rain days alone, Kyoto's easiest months were May and October. December ranked 10 of 12.

How many clear days does Kyoto get in December?

About 7 clear days (under 30% cloud on average) and 5 overcast days (80% or more).