Season guide · Fukuoka · Japan
Fukuoka in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Tomomarusan, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Quick answer
Cool, sometimes grey days, illuminations, hotpots and plum blossom at Dazaifu in February. Expect highs up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 28 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 4°C (39°F) to 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 28
- Sea
- 13°C (55°F) to 16°C (61°F)
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C (50°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 10 | 10.2 h | 2/5 |
| February | 12°C (54°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 9 | 10.9 h | 2/5 |
| December | 12°C (54°F) | 5°C (41°F) | 9 | 9.9 h | 3/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 21°C (70°F), and 28 of the year's roughly 111 rainy days fall in these 3 months. Crowds rate 2/5 and hotel prices 2/5 on average.
What's on in winter
Recurring events; dates move from year to year, so confirm with the organiser.
- January: Tamaseseri ball-grabbing festival at Hakozaki Shrine (usually 3 January)
- February: Plum blossom at Dazaifu Tenmangu (usually February to early March)
- December: Hakata Station illuminations (usually mid-November to December)
Good choices for winter
Religious site · Gion and Hakata Old Town
Tocho-ji
Walk the short pitch-dark tunnel behind the Buddha with one hand on the wall, as visitors are asked to do.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
Architecture · Nakasu
Canal City Hakata
A large mall built around an artificial canal with curving terracotta-coloured buildings, a theatre and cinemas, fountain shows set to music, and the Ramen Stadium, a floor of ramen shops from around Japan.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Rainy day
- Kids
- Food
- Free
Gallery · Nakasu
Fukuoka Asian Art Museum
Check the resident artists' open studio on the same floor, which visitors can sometimes visit for free.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
Gallery · Ohori Park and Ropponmatsu
Fukuoka Art Museum
Reopened in 2019 after a major renovation, the museum on the edge of Ohori Park holds Japanese and Asian art alongside 20th-century works by artists such as Dalí, Miró and Warhol, and Yayoi Kusama pieces.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Gion and Hakata Old Town
Hakata Machiya Folk Museum
Pair it with Kushida Shrine across the street for an hour on old Hakata.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Art
Day trips in winter
- Kitakyushu and Mojiko (About 20 minutes by Shinkansen to Kokura) — Kokura has a reconstructed castle and the Tanga market; Mojiko Retro preserves early-20th-century port buildings facing the Kanmon Strait, with a pedestrian tunnel under the sea to Honshu.
- Nanzo-in (About 20–30 minutes by train) — A forested temple complex in Sasaguri with a bronze reclining Buddha said to be about 41 m long, among the largest bronze statues in the world, plus hillside paths dotted with statues.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Fukuoka?
It is a trade-off: Cool, sometimes grey days, illuminations, hotpots and plum blossom at Dazaifu in February. The best months overall are March–May and October–November.
+What is the weather like in Fukuoka in winter?
Highs of up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 4°C (39°F), with about 28 rainy days over the season.