Japan in winter: snow, skiing, festivals, and what closes at New Year

Winter at a glance

How winter compares with the rest of the year, month by month: the best time to visit Japan.

Weather and what to wear

Japan Meteorological Agency normals for 1991–2020: mean daily maximum and minimum in °C, and Sapporo’s mean deepest snow cover. Averages, not forecasts.

• Tokyo and Osaka: little rain (Tokyo averages 60 mm in January) and cold mornings and evenings; JNTO notes sunny days in Tokyo can feel warm. A warm coat and layers are enough.
• Kyoto: JNTO notes it gets surprisingly cold. Bring warm socks for the temple halls where you take your shoes off.
• Snow country (Hokkaido, Nagano, Niigata, Tohoku, Shirakawa-go): waterproof, insulated boots with grip. The Shirakawa-go organisers expect −10°C to 0°C on light-up nights and icy paths; the snow monkey park recommends snow boots and simple crampons. In Sapporo the festival committee suggests winter shoes or slip-on grips, sold at convenience stores.
• Heat packs (kairo) are sold in convenience stores (JNTO), handy for long waits outside.

Skiing and snowboarding

JNTO says most popular resorts are running by mid to late December, and January is generally dry with good snowfall; late February can already be warming up in some places. Opening dates vary from year to year, so check each resort before you book. Four areas that work without a car:

Approximate times from each area’s official access page; bus timetables change for the winter season, so check the current one. JNTO also names Shiga Kogen (one lift pass for its many resorts), Myoko and Echigo-Yuzawa in Niigata, and Appi Kogen. Zao’s night light-up of the snow monsters runs on set evenings; last season it was 27 December to 22 February (JNTO events calendar), and the 2026–27 evenings were not yet on the ropeway’s site on 24 October 2026.

Many ski resorts double as hot-spring resorts (JNTO). Before your first bath, read onsen etiquette and tattoo rules; many baths still ask about tattoos.

Check that your travel insurance covers skiing and snowboarding, and off-piste if you plan to leave the groomed runs: travel insurance for Japan.

The snow monkeys (Jigokudani Yaen-koen)

Wild Japanese macaques come down to a hot spring at Jigokudani, in a snowy valley 850 m up in northern Nagano. It is not a zoo: staff attract the monkeys with regular feeding, and on some days few appear. They use the bath from December to March, when it is coldest, but not at every hour.

• Hours: 9:00–16:00 from November to March (8:30–17:00 in summer); be there by 30 minutes before closing. No set closing days, but it can close or shorten hours for weather.
• Admission: ¥1,000 for adults from 1 December 2026 (was ¥800); children half. Cards and electronic money accepted, not QR payments. From December to April visitors with online tickets get priority entry, so buy online for a winter weekend.
• The walk: no paved path, no wheelchairs or pushchairs. Wear snow boots; the park suggests buying simple crampons in advance. The road via Shibu Onsen is closed in winter, so drivers park at Kanbayashi Onsen.
• Rules: keep your distance, no selfie sticks, no pets. People may not bathe with the monkeys. The park posts a weekly monkey forecast on its site.

The trip is easy to do yourself, but it is a long day from Tokyo with two changes and a walk. A tour handles the connections; check how much time you get at the park and whether entry is included.

Sapporo Snow Festival 2027: 4–11 February

The 77th festival runs from Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027 at Odori Park (West 1 to West 11-chome, with five large snow sculptures), Tsudome, and Susukino on Ekimae-dori. Those are the executive committee’s official dates, announced on 13 July 2026. JNTO says it draws over 2 million visitors, so book a room early. Getting there, Otaru and winter trains in Hokkaido: our Sapporo and Hokkaido guide.

Shirakawa-go light-up: 4 evenings, reservation only

The 41st light-up of the thatched village runs on 11, 17, 24 and 31 January 2027, 17:30–19:30. Every visitor needs an advance admission ticket; none are sold on the day, and from 15:30 the village is closed to anyone without one (daytime bus visitors must arrive by 15:20). The famous viewpoint needs a separate ticket that comes only with a light-up stay in the village or a light-up tour by one of five bus companies. It may be cancelled in a severe cold wave. Buses, the lottery for village rooms and the rest of the rules: our Takayama and Shirakawa-go guide.

Winter illuminations

JNTO says many light displays start in mid-November and run through the winter. In Tokyo it names the Caretta illumination near Shimbashi and Tokyo Midtown in Roppongi (until 25 December), and Marunouchi and Ginza around Tokyo Station; further out, the Sagamiko Illumillion in Kanagawa, the Sendai Pageant of Starlight, the Ashikaga Flower Fantasy in Tochigi, Nabana no Sato in Mie, Osaka Hikari Renaissance and the Kobe Luminarie. Each sets its own dates and hours every year, so check the venue before you go.

New Year: what closes, and when to travel

• The holiday: JNTO says oshogatsu typically runs from 29 December to 3 January, depending on how the days fall. Some businesses close for a few days, prices are higher and hotels and trains book up.
• Trains: every Nozomi seat on the Tokaido and Sanyo Shinkansen is reserved from Fri 25 Dec 2026 to Tue 5 Jan 2027, with no non-reserved cars (JR Central and JR West). Reserve as soon as seats go on sale.
• Open anyway: many convenience stores run 24 hours, even on holidays (JNTO), and shrines are at their busiest: many hold events on New Year’s Eve, and hatsumode, the first visit of the year, draws crowds in the first days of January.
• Sales: department stores and shops open their New Year sales from 1 or 2 January, with fukubukuro lucky bags (JNTO).
• Plan it: make 29 December to 3 January a slow city stay or a night at an onsen, and do long journeys before or after.

Booking Shinkansen seats, and when they go on sale: Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka by Shinkansen.

Snow and the trains

• Tokaido Shinkansen: JR Central runs trains more slowly when snow lies between Gifu-Hashima and Kyoto, around Sekigahara and Maibara, because snow thrown up at speed sticks to the train as ice and can fall onto the track. It clears snow and sprays the line to limit this, but snowy days mean delays. Check JR Central’s live operation status.
• Hokkaido: when a blizzard affecting all of Hokkaido or the Sapporo area can be forecast at least 24 hours ahead, JR Hokkaido cancels trains in advance, warning two days before and naming the lines the day before.
• Driving: the Hokkaido Government says icy roads are about ten times as slippery as dry roads; keep more than three times the summer following distance. Shirakawa-go requires studless winter tyres on every car. If you don’t drive on snow, take the train, bus or a tour.
• Our suggestion: coming from snow country, spend your last night near the departure airport.

Passes and luggage

The JR EAST PASS (¥35,000 for 5 days, ¥50,000 for 10) covers JR East trains, including the Shinkansen towards Nagano, Iiyama and Yamagata and the winter-only Gala Yuzawa station; private railways and buses such as the Nagano Electric Railway are extra. Whether it beats single tickets for your route: JR Pass or a regional pass.

Skis, boots and winter coats are bulky on crowded trains. Send the suitcase ahead to your hotel and travel light: luggage storage and forwarding. Winter is also oyster season in Hiroshima (the prefecture is Japan’s largest producer); what else to eat, city by city, is in what to eat in Japan.

Quick answers

When is the best time to see the snow monkeys?

December to March. The park says the monkeys use its hot spring when it is coldest, from December to March, though not at every hour of the day. In winter (November to March) it is open 9:00–16:00; aim to arrive at least 30 minutes before closing. The monkeys are wild, so on some days few come down.

How much is the snow monkey park?

¥1,000 for adults at the gate from 1 December 2026 (it was ¥800), half for children. From December to April, visitors with online tickets get priority entry.

When is the Sapporo Snow Festival 2027?

From Thursday 4 to Thursday 11 February 2027 at Odori Park, Tsudome and Susukino, as announced by the festival’s executive committee on 13 July 2026.

Is everything closed in Japan over New Year?

No, but plan for it. JNTO says the oshogatsu holiday typically runs from 29 December to 3 January and some businesses close for a few days; trains are at their busiest, and many convenience stores stay open. Department stores hold New Year sales from 1 or 2 January.

Where can I ski in Japan without a car?

Niseko (reserved ski buses from New Chitose Airport in winter), Hakuba (Shinkansen to Nagano, then the express bus, as little as 2 hours 50 minutes from Tokyo), Nozawa Onsen (Shinkansen to Iiyama, then a 25-minute bus) and Zao Onsen (Shinkansen to Yamagata, then a bus) are all reachable by public transport.

Does snow delay the Shinkansen?

Sometimes. JR Central slows Tokaido Shinkansen trains when snow lies between Gifu-Hashima and Kyoto, around Sekigahara and Maibara, because snow thrown up by fast trains freezes onto them. Leave slack before a flight. In Hokkaido, JR plans suspensions ahead of forecast blizzards.

Put your dates, ski bus and Shinkansen bookings in the trip planner, which lists when each one opens.

Sources

Checked against these pages on 24 October 2026. Official pages take precedence over this summary.

1. Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Tokyo: monthly temperature, precipitation, sunshine (Japanese)
   National weather agency.
2. Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Kyoto (Japanese)
   National weather agency.
3. Japan Meteorological Agency: Climate normals 1991–2020, Sapporo, including snowfall and snow depth (Japanese)
   National weather agency.
4. JNTO: Japan in December: the New Year period and early-season skiing
   National tourism organisation.
5. JNTO: Japan in January: New Year, peak ski season and illuminations
   National tourism organisation.
6. JNTO: Japan in February: snow festivals, skiing in Hokkaido, Nagano and Niigata
   National tourism organisation.
7. JNTO: Business hours and holidays: New Year, Golden Week and Obon
   National tourism organisation.
8. JR Central and JR West: Fiscal 2026 periods when every Nozomi seat is reserved, with the added long weekends (press release PDF, 21 May 2026, Japanese)
   Railway operators.
9. Niseko United: Access to Niseko: trains via Otaru and Kutchan, reserved ski buses
   Official site of the Niseko resorts.
10. Hakuba Valley: Access to Hakuba from Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya and Kanazawa
    Official site of the Hakuba Valley resorts.
11. Nagano Prefecture (Go! NAGANO): The Hakuba Valley: location and access, including winter buses
    Official prefectural tourism site.
12. Nozawa Onsen Tourism Association: Access: Nozawa Onsen Liner from Iiyama Station, fare and journey time (Japanese)
    Official village tourism body.
13. Zao Onsen Tourist Association: Access: Yamagata Station to Zao Onsen bus timetable and fare
    Official tourism body.
14. Zao Ropeway: Zao in winter: snow monsters (juhyo), light-up, ropeway fares and hours
    Ropeway operator.
15. JNTO: Events calendar, January 2026: Zao Juhyo light-up and other winter events (PDF)
    National tourism organisation; last season’s dates.
16. Jigokudani Yaen-koen: Guide: opening hours by season, admission and payment
    Official park site.
17. Jigokudani Yaen-koen: Important notice: admission fee revision from 1 December 2026
    Official park site.
18. Jigokudani Yaen-koen: Home: online tickets get priority entry in winter; daily monkey forecast
    Official park site.
19. Jigokudani Yaen-koen: Access by train and bus from Tokyo and Nagano
    Official park site.
20. Jigokudani Yaen-koen: First-time visitor’s guide: when the monkeys bathe, the walk in, footwear and rules
    Official park site.
21. Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee: 2027 Sapporo Snow Festival (77th): dates and venues (Japanese)
22. Sapporo Snow Festival Executive Committee: How to walk on icy roads (Japanese)
23. Shirakawa-go Tourist Association: Overview of the 41st Shirakawa-go Light-Up (2027): dates and reservation rules
    Official tourist association.
24. JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen snow measures: why trains slow down between Gifu-Hashima and Kyoto (PDF, Japanese)
    Railway operator.
25. JR Central: Tokaido Shinkansen operation status (live)
    Railway operator.
26. JR Hokkaido: Planned suspensions ahead of storms and blizzards (Japanese)
    Railway operator.
27. JR Hokkaido: Train operation information (live)
    Railway operator.
28. Hokkaido Government: Driving on winter roads (Drive Hokkaido)
29. JR East: JR EAST PASS: price, area and example savings
    Railway operator.
30. Hiroshima Prefecture (Dive! Hiroshima): Hiroshima oysters: Japan’s largest producer, best in winter
    Official prefectural tourism site.

General information. Resort opening dates, bus timetables, event dates and admission change every season; each organiser’s own page is always right. JapanBenri is not affiliated with any resort, park, festival, railway or tour company.