Japan
Nagoya in December
❄️ WinterCool and some showers.
🎒 Pack: warm jacket for evenings
Why December scores 8.6What goes into the score
How it works- Weather comfort7.9
- !Cool (12°C highs / 3°C lows)
- ✓Comfortable humidity (dew point 3.8°C)
- ✓Mostly dry (~57 mm rain)
- Air quality8.5
- ✓Good (within WHO guideline) (PM2.5 ~14 µg/m³)
- Seasonal hazards10.0
- ·No notable seasonal hazards
- Safety baseline9.0
- ·Normal precautions
| Dec | May | |
|---|---|---|
| Score | 8.6 Excellent | 8.9 Excellent |
| Season | ❄️ Winter | 🌿 Late spring |
| High / low | 12° / 3° | 25° / 15° |
| Rain | 57 mm | 150 mm |
| Humidity | dew pt 4° | dew pt 14° |
| PM2.5 | 14 µg/m³ | 16 µg/m³ |
Typical-month data: NASA POWER (MERRA-2 reanalysis) 2015–2024 (modelled, not a forecast). Temperatures: Nagoya weather-station normals. Rainfall: Nagoya 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 Nagoya
- Autumn leaves: Higashiyama Zoo & Botanical GardensIn DecemberTypical datesUsually late-Nov to early-Dec
Usual peak viewing window for this spot.
- 2026 forecast: Korankei2026 forecastPeak from ~16 Nov 2026
Last year the peak began 17 Nov. JWA expects most of Japan to be on time or a little later than usual this year.
Source: Japan Weather Association (tenki.jp), forecast 14 Oct 2026
- Cherry blossom 2026 (what actually happened)2026 actualFirst blooms 17 Mar 2026, full bloom 30 Mar 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 ~24 Mar, full bloom ~2 Apr
Typical dates (1991–2020 normal). In 2021–2026 first blooms came between 17 Mar and 28 Mar (17 Mar in 2026). Blossoms last about a week after full bloom.
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency
- Autumn leaves: Korankei (day trip)Typical datesUsually mid-Nov to late-Nov
Usual peak viewing window for this spot.
Explore NagoyaEvents, sights, food & souvenirs
Check event dates locallyJapan's fourth-largest city and centre of the Chūkyō industrial region, known for its castle, Atsuta Shrine, Toyota heritage and distinctive local food.
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
Nagoya Women's MarathonDate variesUsually March
One of the world's largest women's marathons.
Why go: Roads close in the centre on race day.
Where: City streets, starting and finishing at Vantelin Dome
Cherry blossom seasonDate variesUsually late March to early April
Peak bloom brings hanami picnics and evening illuminations.
Why go: Bloom dates vary each year by about a week.
Where: Nagoya Castle, Tsuruma Park and the Yamazaki River
Atsuta FestivalEvery year5 June every year
The shrine's most important festival, with martial arts displays, lanterns and evening fireworks.
Why go: The shrine and nearby stations are very crowded in the evening.
Where: Atsuta Shrine
Nagoya Castle
A castle with golden shachihoko ornaments and the reconstructed Honmaru Palace.
💡 The main keep has been closed for rebuilding; check before visiting.
Atsuta Shrine
One of Japan's most important Shinto shrines, said to house the sacred Kusanagi sword.
Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology
A museum in an old Toyota textile mill covering looms and car manufacturing.
SCMAGLEV and Railway Park
A JR Central railway museum with Shinkansen and maglev trains.
Ōsu and Ōsu Kannon
A shopping district of covered arcades, street food and second-hand shops around a Buddhist temple.
Tokugawa Art Museum
Treasures of the Owari Tokugawa family, including samurai armour and scrolls.
Hitsumabushi
Grilled eel over rice, eaten three ways: plain, with condiments, and with broth.
Miso katsu
Pork cutlet topped with a rich red miso sauce.
Tebasaki
Peppery, sweet-savoury fried chicken wings.
Kishimen
Flat, wide udon noodles in broth.
Ogura toast
Toast spread with sweet red bean paste and butter, a cafe breakfast staple.
💡 Kissaten coffee shops with morning sets
Uirō
A chewy steamed rice-flour sweet that is a classic Nagoya souvenir.
💡 Nagoya Station shops
Arimatsu shibori
Traditional tie-dyed cotton from the historic Arimatsu district.
Seto ware
Ceramics from nearby Seto, a pottery centre for centuries.