Season guide · Hiroshima · Japan
Hiroshima in winter
December–February: weather, crowds, prices and the best things to do this time of year.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Wiiii, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Cool, dry and quiet, with illuminations and the peak of oyster season. Expect highs up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 20 rainy days across December–February.
Key facts
- Months
- December–February
- Temperatures
- 2°C (36°F) to 12°C (54°F)
- Rainy days in the season
- About 20
- Crowds
- Quiet
- Hotel prices
- Low
Weather in winter
| Month | High | Low | Rainy days | Daylight | Crowds |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| January | 10°C (50°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 6 | 10.1 h | 2/5 |
| February | 11°C (52°F) | 2°C (36°F) | 7 | 10.9 h | 2/5 |
| December | 12°C (54°F) | 4°C (39°F) | 7 | 9.9 h | 2/5 |
Compared with the rest of the year: average highs of 11°C (52°F) against a yearly 21°C (70°F), and 20 of the year's roughly 106 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: Hatsumode New Year shrine visits at Itsukushima Shrine (1–3 January)
- February: Miyajima Oyster Festival (usually February)
- December: Hiroshima Dreamination continues (December)
Good choices for winter
Experience · Peace Park and Hondori
Okonomimura
Sit at the counter and eat straight off the griddle with the small spatula, as locals do; add oysters in winter.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Food
- Rainy day
- After dark
Street · Peace Park and Hondori
Hondori Shopping Arcade
Hiroshima's main covered shopping street runs for about 600 m from the Peace Park towards Hatchobori, with department stores, Hiroshima-brand shops, cafés and the Andersen bakery building at the far end.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Free
- Shopping
- Free
- Rainy day
Gallery · Hakushima and the castle
Hiroshima Museum of Art
Combine it with Hiroshima Castle's grounds and Shukkei-en, all within a 10-minute walk.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Art
- Rainy day
Gallery · Hiroshima Station area
Hiroshima City Museum of Contemporary Art
Japan's first public museum devoted to contemporary art sits in Hijiyama Park, a wooded hill south of the station, in a building by Kisho Kurokawa.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Architecture
Museum · Peace Park and Hondori
Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum
Go at opening or in the late afternoon; school groups pack the galleries from mid-morning, especially in spring and autumn.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Rainy day
- Iconic
Day trips in winter
- Okunoshima (About 2 hours by train and ferry) — Known as 'rabbit island' for its hundreds of free-roaming rabbits, Okunoshima also has a sobering Poison Gas Museum, as the island secretly made chemical weapons before 1945.
- Takehara (About 1.5 hours by bus or train) — A preserved salt-merchant town of Edo-period houses, sake breweries and lattice-fronted streets, nicknamed 'little Kyoto of Aki'.
What to pack
- Layers, a warm sweater and a jacket for cool evenings
- Shoes with good grip for icy pavements
- A packable rain jacket for showers
- Comfortable walking shoes
Other times of year
Questions travellers ask
+Is winter a good time to visit Hiroshima?
It is a trade-off: Cool, dry and quiet, with illuminations and the peak of oyster season. The best months overall are March–May and October–November.
+What is the weather like in Hiroshima in winter?
Highs of up to 12°C (54°F) and lows around 2°C (36°F), with about 20 rainy days over the season.