Tokyo in December: Best Things to Do

Are you planning a trip to Tokyo in December? If you are wondering if it’s a good time to visit Japan in December or what to do and where to visit in Tokyo in December, please check out our December travel guide in Tokyo!

Besides regular tourist attractions in Tokyo that you can enjoy throughout the year, numbers of special attractions are available in December, such as winter illuminations,  jolly Christmas markets, winter activities and New Year’s countdown celebrations. Let’s check out unmissable tourist attractions, essential travel tips and the weather in December!

*Please note that this article contains affiliate links.

-Tokyo in December

In December, Tokyo transforms into a magical wonderland as it’s beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and decorations, and winter illumination events are held in the city, such as Shibuya Blue Cave, Roppongi Hills, and Tokyo Midtown, as well as authentic European-style Christmas markets.

In the beginning of the month, you can still view autumn leaves and enjoy the sunny and crisp weather outside in many days in Tokyo. Onsen towns are a popular side trip destination from the city, including Hakone, Atami and Kusatsu. Some ski resorts near Tokyo, such as in Nagano, Niigata and Shizuoka, open around mid to late December.

-Best Things to Do in Tokyo in December

1. Winter Illuminations

Winter illuminations are definitely the top attraction in Japan in winter. Numbers of illumination events are held in Tokyo in December with different themes and lighting effects. Top visited winter illumination spots in Tokyo are Shibuya Blue Cave, Marunouchi Illumination, Roppongi Hills and Yebisu Garden Place.

There are also many large-scale and spectacular winter illumination events held in Kanto area, which you can take a short trip from Tokyo, including Enoshima, Sagamiko Illumillion and Ashikaga Flower Park. Check the following links to find the best illumination in Tokyo and Kanto area this winter!

Tokyo ▶ Tokyo Illumination Guide

Kanto Area ▶ Best Winter Illuminations near Tokyo

2. Christmas Market

Christmas might not be an official holiday in Japan, but it is celebrated hugely across the country. Authentic European style Christmas market can be enjoyed at several locations in Tokyo during the Christmas season. Along with romantic Christmas lights, the markets are held with numbers of wooden stalls, selling delicious food, hot drinks and Christmas ornaments.

Related article ▶ Best Christmas Markets in Tokyo

3. Ice Skating

Ice skating is one of the most fun and festive activities this season, and Tokyo has several outdoor ice skating rinks in a central area. In the popular winter illumination spot, Tokyo Midtown offers a limited-time ice skating rink at their expansive Grass Square area, and visitors can enjoy the winter fun with hot snacks, drinks and illuminations all at the same time.

More info ▶ Best Ice Skating Spots in Tokyo

4. Disney Christmas

Tokyo Disney Resort (Disneyland and DisneySea) hosts a variety of seasonal events through the year, and the annual Christmas event “Disney Christmas” is the perfect one for the grand finale of the year. The entire park will be decorated with festive Christmas decoration, and there will be special program including attraction, shows, parades as well as limited-edition food and drinks, and merchandise collection 🙂

Date: 15 November to 25 December 2024

Book your tickets to Tokyo Disney Resort:
▶Tokyo Disneyland Tickets and Easy Pick-up
▶Tokyo DisneySea Tickets and Easy Pick-up

Related article: Tokyo Disney Christmas

5. Christmas Dessert Buffets

Christmas/winter theme all-you-can-eat dessert buffets will be available at numbers of venues in Tokyo this winter. From delightful chocolate desserts to traditional Christmas treats, pick your favourite dessert buffets and indulge yourself as the sweetest Christmas present!

More info ▶ Best Christmas Dessert Buffets in Tokyo

6. Puro Christmas

Sanrio Puroland is a theme park dedicated to Sanrio which produced numbers of popular Japanese characters such as Hello Kitty, My Melody, Gudetama, Pompompurin, etc. The Christmas event, Puro Christmas is held from early November to late December annually.You can meet adorable Sanrio characters in special Christmas costumes and enjoy fairy winter decorations, colourful illumination, photo spots, special shows, limited food and drink menu, and merchandise.

▶ Special Advance E-Tickets to Sanrio Puroland is available here!!

Date: 7 November to 25 December 2024

Related article ▶ Sanrio Puroland: Hello Kitty Theme Park in Tokyo

7. TOKYO COMIC CON

The world’s leading pop culture event, COMIC CON is held annually in Tokyo (Makuhari Messe International Exhibition Hall) for 3 days in early December. TOKYO COMIC CON is a sister event to the Silicon Valley Comic Con founded by the legendary creator, Stan Lee, and celebrates both Japanese and American pop culture. Visitors can enjoy a large range of elements; comics, animation, games, and movies, as well as meeting special guests from Hollywood.

The special guests to COMIC CON TOKYO in previous years included Sebastian Stan from Avengers series, Ron Weasley from Harry Potter series, Orlando Bloom from The Lord or the Rings and Zachary Levi Pugh from Shazam!.

Date: 6, 7, 8 December 2024
Map: http://bit.ly/2OR1DTx
Website: https://tokyocomiccon.jp/en/

8. Comic Market

The Comic Market (Comiket), one of Japan’s biggest comic related events, is held twice a year in August and December at Tokyo Big Sight. The event features thousands of manga published by professional and amateur artists, and also invites a large numbers of cosplayers.

Date: 29, 30 December 2024
Website: https://www.comiket.co.jp/info-a/TAFO/C105TAFO/cmkfor.html

9. Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks

A fireworks show “Odaiba Rainbow Fireworks” is held at Odaiba area every Saturday in December. The show starts at 7 pm and displays dramatic fireworks for 5 mins collaborating with illuminations and the magnificent night view of Odaiba area on its background. Along with the fireworks, you can also enjoy festive winter illuminations and Christmas decorations at several locations in Odaiba area.

Date: 7, 14, 21, 24, 28 December
Website: https://www.tokyo-odaiba.net/rainbow2024/

Check winter illuminations in Odaiba area ▶ Odaiba Winter Illumination

10. Visit Onsen Towns

Hot spring bath (onsen) is one of the most unique Japanese cultures and is a must-try experience for all tourists. Winter is a perfect season for hot spring bath as you can soak up in a hot bath and relax when it’s cold outside. There are several amazing onsen towns which you can access from Tokyo for a day trip, such as Kusatsu, Hakone and Atami. It’s also recommended to stay overnight to have a traditional Japanese inn experience with delicious food and sleeping on tatami mats.

More info ▶ Best Onsen Towns near Tokyo

11. Take a Trip to Ski Resorts

Along with onsen, ski resorts are a top side trip destination from Tokyo in winter. Ski resorts in Japan are renowned for their high-quality powder snow and beautiful mountain scenery. There are a plenty of ski resorts where you can access from Tokyo even for a day, such as around Mt Fuji, Nagano and GALA and Naeba in Niigata. Even if you don’t have any ski gear, most of resorts offer rental equipment including wear, boots, skis and snowboards. For first timers, many resorts offer lessons for beginners.

More info ▶ Best Ski Resorts near Tokyo

12. Countdown Events

Every year, there are numbers of special countdown events held in Tokyo on New Year’s Eve such as fireworks, cruise party and more. Check out the link below to see the list of countdown events and best places to spend New Years Eve in Tokyo.

Related article ▶ Best Countdown Events in Tokyo

-Weather in Tokyo in December

December marks the beginning of winter in Japan. Temperatures drop across the country and snow starts to fall in the northern and mountainous regions, marking the start of the official ski and snowboard season in these regions.

The average temperature in Tokyo in December is around 7°C to 12°C with many crisp and sunny days, making it an ideal month for sightseeing. Snow is relatively rare in Tokyo in December, with the first snow usually falling in January or February. Warm clothes such as coat, scarf, gloves and boots are recommended during winter in Tokyo.

-Is it good to visit Tokyo during Christmas?

Although Japan does not have a Christmas holiday, a busy period starts from the middle of the month as people from many countries spend their Christmas holidays in Japan, and the rates for hotels and flight tickets increase like in many other countries across the world.

On Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, everything is open in Japan including shops, restaurants and amusement facilities. It’s a unique Japanese culture but Christmas is considered to be the day for couples in Japan, so many restaurants and bars tend to be fully occupied by couples on these days.

From the end of December to the beginning of January is the New Year’s holiday in Japan, and most people visit their families or travel, so accommodations tend to have high occupancy and have higher room rates, and the public transportation may be crowded. During the New Year’s holiday, you should expect some irregular opening hours or closure for many establishments including shops, restaurants and tourist attractions such as museums and amusement parks.

For those who wish to travel Japan in low season, the beginning of December would be an ideal. There are usually fewer tourists between the autumn leaves season and the Christmas holidays, so it is a good time to travel Japan without the crowds.

Planning a trip to Tokyo in January? Then please check the following article!

Which events are you gonna visit in Tokyo in December? There are more special events available all over Japan this month! Check the following articles for more fun events and activities in December!

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