Japan
Kobe in December
❄️ WinterCool and mostly dry.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings
Why December scores 8.8What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort8.2
- !Cool (12°C highs / 6°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 4.9°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~49 mm rain)
- Air quality9.0
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~12 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | Nov | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.8 Excellent | 9.2 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Winter | 🍁 Autumn (koyo) |
| High / low | 12° / 6° | 18° / 11° |
| Rain | 49 mm | 62 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 5° | dew pt 10° |
| PM2.5 | 12 µg/m³ | 14 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Kobe weather-station normals. Rainfall: Kobe 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 Kobe
- Autumn leaves: Nunobiki Herb GardenIn DecemberTypical datesUsually early-Nov to early-Dec
Usual peak viewing window for this spot.
- Cherry blossom 2026 (what actually happened)2026 actualFirst blooms 27 Mar 2026, full bloom 5 Apr 2026
Observed by JMA at the city's official sample tree. The 2027 forecast isn't out yet: Japanese weather companies such as the Japan Weather Association usually publish the first one in January, and we add it then.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
- Cherry blossomTypical datesFirst blooms ~27 Mar, full bloom ~5 Apr
Typical dates (1991–2020 normal). In 2021–2026 first blooms came between 24 Mar and 1 Apr (27 Mar in 2026). Blossoms last about a week after full bloom.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
- Autumn leaves: Kobe Municipal ArboretumTypical datesUsually early-Nov to late-Nov
Usual peak viewing window for this spot.
Explore KobeEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyKobe is a port city between the sea and the Rokko mountains in Hyōgo, known for Kobe beef, its foreign settlement history, Chinatown and nearby hot springs.
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
1.17 Great Hanshin Earthquake memorialEvery year17 January every year
Candles are lit before dawn to remember the victims of the 1995 earthquake.
Why go: A solemn, early-morning gathering open to all.
Where: Higashi Yūenchi park and across the city
Nankinmachi Spring Festival (Chinese New Year)Date variesLunar calendar — late January to mid-February, date moves each year
Lion dances, dragon dances and parades in Chinatown.
Why go: The narrow streets get very crowded.
Where: Nankinmachi
Kobe FestivalDate variesUsually mid-May
The city's main civic festival with a large parade.
Why go: Some central roads close for the parade.
Where: Central Kobe
Kitano Ijinkan
A hillside district of preserved Western-style houses built by foreign residents after the port opened.
Meriken Park and Harborland
The waterfront area with Kobe Port Tower, an earthquake memorial and shopping.
Nankinmachi
Kobe's compact Chinatown, packed with street food stalls.
Mount Rokko
A mountain range above the city with walking trails and a famous night view.
Arima Onsen
One of Japan's oldest hot spring towns, known for its rust-coloured and clear springs, on the far side of Mount Rokko.
Nunobiki Falls
A waterfall reachable on foot from Shin-Kobe station, near the ropeway to the herb gardens.
Kobe beef
Highly marbled wagyu from Hyōgo's Tajima cattle, often cooked teppanyaki style.
💡 Steak and teppanyaki restaurants in Sannomiya
Sobameshi
Chopped yakisoba noodles and rice fried together on a griddle.
💡 Okonomiyaki shops, especially in Nagata
Akashiyaki
Soft egg-rich octopus dumplings dipped in broth, from nearby Akashi.
💡 Akashi and specialty shops
Nada sake
Sake from the Nada district, one of Japan's major brewing areas.
💡 Brewery museums and shops in Nada
Kobe sweets
Western-style cakes and pastries, a tradition dating from the city's foreign settlement.
💡 Patisseries in Sannomiya and Motomachi
Nada sake
Bottles of sake from the Nada brewing district.
💡 Brewery shops in Nada
Kobe pearls
Kobe is a major centre for sorting and trading pearls.
💡 Pearl shops in central Kobe
Kobe sweets
Boxed cookies, puddings and baked goods.
💡 Department stores and Sannomiya station
Arima ningyō fude
Decorative brushes with a small doll that pops out when the brush is tilted.
💡 Craft shops in Arima Onsen