Japan
Hakone in December
❄️ WinterCold and some showers.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings
Why December scores 8.2What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.1
- !Cold (9°C highs / 3°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 2.3°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~92 mm rain)
- Air quality8.8
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~12 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.2 Very good | 8.7 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Winter | 🌿 Late spring |
| High / low | 9° / 3° | 20° / 12° |
| Rain | 92 mm | 193 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 2° | dew pt 12° |
| PM2.5 | 12 µg/m³ | 14 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Hakone weather-station normals. Rainfall: Hakone weather-station normals (national met service).
Holidays & crowdsDecember 2026
Holiday weekA long local holiday falls this month. Expect crowds at sights, fuller trains and flights, and higher hotel prices on those dates. Book ahead.
- Year-end & New Year break 29 Dec – 3 Jan
Most businesses and some attractions close; trains and flights are busy around the start and end. Source: Japan National Tourism Organization
National holidays only; regional holidays and school breaks aren't included. Source: holidays (open-source public-holiday calendar).
Nature calendarBlossoms, leaves & seasons in Hakone
- Autumn leaves: Hakone Gora ParkIn DecemberTypical datesUsually late-Nov to early-Dec
Usual peak viewing window for this spot.
- Autumn leaves: Hakone Museum of ArtTypical datesUsually mid-Nov to late-Nov
Usual peak viewing window for this spot.
Explore HakoneEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyA mountain hot-spring resort area near Mount Fuji, popular from Tokyo for onsen, Lake Ashi cruises, volcanic scenery and art museums.
Autumn Foliage SeasonAcross Japan
Koyo maple viewing, especially in Kyoto, Nikko and the Japanese Alps.
Christmas & New Year IlluminationsAcross Japan
City light displays and year-end temple bell-ringing.
Coming up later
Hakone EkidenEvery year2 to 3 January every year
A famous university relay race televised nationwide, with the turnaround at Lake Ashi.
Why go: Roads along the route close and crowds line the course.
Where: Route between Tokyo and Lake Ashi
Hydrangea seasonDate variesUsually mid-June to mid-July
Hydrangeas bloom beside the railway tracks.
Why go: Some seasonal evening trains run to view illuminated flowers.
Where: Along the Hakone Tozan Railway
Hakone Daimyo GyoretsuEvery year3 November every year
A costumed procession re-enacting a feudal lord's journey along the Tokaido.
Why go: Falls on Culture Day, a national holiday, so the area is busy.
Where: Hakone-Yumoto
Lake Ashi
A crater lake with sightseeing boats and, on clear days, views of Mount Fuji.
💡 Fuji views are most likely on clear winter mornings.
Hakone Shrine
A forest shrine known for its red torii gate standing in the waters of Lake Ashi.
Owakudani
A volcanic valley with steaming vents and sulphur, reached by the Hakone Ropeway.
💡 Access can be restricted when volcanic gas levels rise; check before going.
Hakone Open-Air Museum
An outdoor sculpture park with works by modern artists and a Picasso pavilion.
Hakone Tozan Railway
A mountain railway that climbs through switchbacks, lined with hydrangeas in early summer.
Old Tokaido Road
A preserved stretch of the old Edo-period highway with cedar trees and stone paving.
Kuro-tamago
Eggs boiled in Owakudani's hot springs, whose shells turn black.
💡 Owakudani
Yuba
Tofu skin, served in various dishes and set meals.
💡 Restaurants in Hakone-Yumoto
Soba
Buckwheat noodles served hot or cold.
💡 Hakone-Yumoto
Onsen manju
Steamed buns with sweet bean filling, sold in hot-spring towns.
Yosegi-zaiku
Traditional Hakone wood marquetry, including famous secret puzzle boxes.
Kamaboko
Fish cakes from nearby Odawara, a well-known regional speciality.
💡 Odawara and Hakone-Yumoto shops
Kuro-tamago
Black eggs and themed snacks.
💡 Owakudani