Japan in December With Kids: Where to Go in the UAE Winter Break

On this page

1. Japan in the UAE winter break: when to go
2. Where to go in Japan in December with kids
3. December weather in Japan
4. 8 things to enjoy in Japan in December
5. Hokkaido or Nagano? How to choose your snow
6. Things to watch out for in winter
7. Sample plans for the winter break
8. What to wear
9. What to book, and when
10. For Muslim travellers
11. Let a Japanese local plan your winter trip

Here is where to go and what to do in Japan during the children’s school winter holidays. Travelling after the New Year? See our guide to Japan in January and February.

Japan in the UAE winter break: when to go

The UAE school winter break runs from about mid December to early January. The same break can feel very different in Japan depending on the week you choose.

When	What it is like
14 to 24 December	Quieter, with steadier prices. The winter lights and Christmas at Tokyo Disney are on
25 to 27 December	The lights start to end. A fairly easy few days before New Year
28 December to 3 January	Japanese New Year. Hotel prices rise and many shops and sights close, but you can see New Year shrine visits and celebrations

Our advice: if you can, travel in the first half of the break, from about 14 to 24 December. You get the winter lights, Christmas and snow, with fewer crowds and better prices.

Where to go in Japan in December with kids

Where	Best for	Days to give it
Tokyo	Winter lights, Christmas at Tokyo Disney, New Year shrine visits	3 to 4 nights
Hokkaido (Niseko, Rusutsu, Sapporo)	Reliable snow, ski schools for children	3 to 4 nights, on a trip of 7 nights or more
Nagano (Hakuba, Shiga Kogen, the snow monkeys)	Snow 1.5 hours from Tokyo by bullet train	1 to 2 nights, on a trip of about 5 nights
Mount Fuji and Hakone	Clear Mount Fuji views, a ryokan with a private open-air bath	1 night

The details for each are below.

December weather in Japan

Place	Daytime high	Night-time low	Snow?
Tokyo	12°C	4°C	Rare
Kyoto	12°C	2°C	Rare
Nagano	7°C	-2°C	In the mountains
Sapporo (Hokkaido)	2°C	-4°C	Yes

8 things to enjoy in Japan in December

#	What	In one line
1	Winter lights in Tokyo	Omotesando, Marunouchi, Roppongi and more
2	Christmas at Tokyo Disney	Winter-only shows and decorations
3	Snow in Hokkaido (longer trips)	Skiing and snow play in Niseko and Rusutsu; snow is reliable
4	Snow in Nagano (shorter trips)	1.5 hours from Tokyo by bullet train; snow play and the snow monkeys
5	Mount Fuji in winter	Clear air gives the best views of the year
6	A ryokan with a private open-air bath	A hot bath while you watch the snow
7	Winter hot pots	The freshest seafood of the year, cooked at the table
8	Japanese New Year	Temple bells, shrine visits, the first sunrise and lucky bags

1. Winter lights in Tokyo

• What it is: from November, streets and buildings across Tokyo are decorated with millions of lights
• Why families love it: the tree-lined avenue of Omotesando, the golden trees of Marunouchi and the blue lights of Roppongi’s Keyakizaka, with Tokyo Tower behind them, are free to walk through
• When: most displays run until Christmas Day; Marunouchi usually stays lit until February
• Tip with children: go just after sunset, around 17:00, before the evening crowds
• Where: all in central Tokyo

2. Christmas at Tokyo Disney

• What it is: from November to Christmas Day, Tokyo Disneyland and DisneySea hold their Christmas season, with special parades, shows and decorations
• Why families love it: it is only held once a year, and the parks feel completely different
• Tip: tickets are for a set date, and the days before Christmas sell out. Book as soon as your dates are fixed. We can book them for you
• Where: about 30 minutes from central Tokyo

3. Snow in Hokkaido: for longer trips

• What it is: Japan’s northern island, famous for deep, dry powder snow
• Why families love it: the snow is reliable in winter, and big resorts such as Niseko and Rusutsu have ski schools for children, snow play areas and family hotels. In Sapporo you can also see the White Illumination
• When: the ski resorts usually open from late November to mid-December
• Where: about 1.5 hours from Tokyo by plane, then about 1.5 to 2 hours by car from New Chitose Airport to the resorts
• We can arrange: flights, a private car from the airport, ski lessons and family rooms
• More ideas: see our guide to Hokkaido in winter with kids

4. Snow in Nagano: for shorter trips

• What it is: a mountain region close to Tokyo, with ski resorts such as Hakuba and Shiga Kogen
• Why families love it: you can reach the snow by bullet train in about 1.5 hours, with no flight. Near Nagano, at Jigokudani, wild monkeys bathe in a hot spring in the snow, which children love
• When: the snow usually builds up from mid to late December, and there can be little snow early in the month, so we check conditions before you go
• Where: about 1.5 hours from Tokyo to Nagano Station by the Hokuriku Shinkansen
• We can arrange: bullet train tickets, a private car to the monkeys and a ryokan stay

5. Mount Fuji in winter

• What it is: in winter the air is dry and clear, so Mount Fuji is seen most clearly, covered in white snow
• Why families love it: on many winter days you can see the whole mountain, which is often hidden by clouds in summer
• Tip: go early in the morning, when the views are clearest
• Where: Lake Kawaguchi is about 2 hours from Tokyo by car, and Hakone about 1.5 hours

6. A ryokan with a private open-air bath

• What it is: a Japanese inn where your room has its own outdoor hot spring bath
• Why families love it: sitting in a hot bath while snow falls around you is one of the best winter experiences in Japan, and with a private bath your family has it to yourselves
• Where: Hakone, around Mount Fuji, Nagano and Hokkaido
• Read more: private onsen for Muslim families and couples

7. Winter hot pots

In the cold Japanese winter, the best meal is a hot pot (nabe), cooked at your table. Winter is also when fish and shellfish are at their freshest and richest, so seafood hot pots are especially good. Sharing one pot as a family is a very Japanese way to spend a winter evening.

Hot pot	What it is
Crab hot pot and kani-shabu	Winter crab, simmered in the pot or swished briefly in hot broth
Buri-shabu	Thin slices of winter yellowtail, swished in hot broth
Oyster hot pot	Winter oysters; the dote-nabe of Hiroshima is famous
Fugu hot pot (tecchiri)	A winter delicacy, famous in Shimonoseki

• Many ryokan serve a winter hot pot for dinner
• In Hokkaido, a seafood rice bowl (kaisendon) is also a must

8. Japanese New Year

New Year (shogatsu) is the biggest holiday of the year in Japan, when families get together and wish for a good year ahead. As a visitor, these are the things you can enjoy:

• The first shrine visit (hatsumode): from 1 to 3 January, shrines and temples are full of people praying for a good year. Food stalls line the paths, and it feels like a festival. Children enjoy drawing an omikuji, a paper fortune for the new year. Meiji Jingu and Senso-ji in Tokyo are the busiest
• Rice cake pounding (mochitsuki): at the end of the year and over New Year, you can see rice being pounded into soft rice cakes with a big wooden mallet at shops, shrines and events, and often taste them freshly made
• Temple bells on New Year’s Eve (joya no kane): on the night of 31 December, temples ring their big bells to send off the old year. Some temples let visitors ring the bell
• The first sunrise (hatsuhinode): watching the sunrise on 1 January is a Japanese way to welcome the new year, from the coast, a mountain or a tall building
• Lucky bags and New Year sales (fukubukuro): from 1 or 2 January, department stores and brands sell bags of goods whose contents are a surprise, and the winter sales begin
• New Year decorations: pine and bamboo decorations (kadomatsu) appear at the entrances of shops, hotels and homes

Most visitors go to shrines and temples to see Japanese culture. You don’t need to take part in the prayers; just watching is enough to enjoy the atmosphere.

Hokkaido or Nagano? How to choose your snow

• 7 nights or more: Hokkaido. It takes half a day to fly there, but the snow is reliable and the resorts and hotels are excellent
• About 5 nights: Nagano. It is an easy bullet train ride from Tokyo, and one or two nights is enough to enjoy the snow. Early December can be short of snow, so we check before you go

Things to watch out for in winter

• From about 29 December to 3 January, many shops and restaurants close
• The famous shrines are extremely crowded on 1 January. With children, go on 2 or 3 January or early in the morning
• Trains and flights are very busy at the end of December
• Tokyo is not used to snow. Even a little snow can delay or stop trains. Snow in Tokyo is rare in December and more common in January and February, but if snow is forecast, leave extra time
• Snow can delay flights and bullet trains to Hokkaido and Nagano. Spend the night before your flight home in Tokyo

Sample plans for the winter break

5 nights: Tokyo (winter lights, Disney) → Nagano (snow play, the snow monkeys, a ryokan) → Tokyo

7 nights: Tokyo (winter lights, Disney) → Hokkaido (skiing, snow play, Sapporo). See our guide to Hokkaido in winter with kids

10 nights: Tokyo (winter lights, Disney) → Kyoto and Osaka, with a day at USJ (see our Osaka itinerary with kids) → snow in Nagano or Hokkaido → Tokyo

See our 7- and 10-night Japan itinerary for more ideas.

What to wear

• A warm winter coat, gloves and a hat, especially for children
• Boots or shoes with a good grip for snow and ice
• Layers: trains, shops and hotels are well heated

Coming from the Gulf, Japan in December will feel very cold, so pack warmer clothes than you think you need.

What to book, and when

Book two to three months before the school winter holidays:

• Ski resort hotels and family rooms in Hokkaido and Nagano
• Bullet trains and flights at the end of December
• Tokyo Disney tickets for the days before Christmas
• Ryokan with private open-air baths

For Muslim travellers

Seafood hot pots are an easy choice, but the broth and seasoning can contain sake or mirin, so ask the restaurant if this matters to you. We can check in Japanese for you. Visiting a shrine at New Year is a cultural visit, and you do not need to pray. For halal food and prayer spaces, see whether Japan is Muslim-friendly. Restaurants are very busy over Christmas and New Year, so book halal restaurants early. We can book them for you.

Let a Japanese local plan your winter trip

Tell us your dates and who is travelling, and we will plan your trip for the school winter holidays: the right snow destination for your days, family rooms, Disney tickets, bullet trains and a private car. Plan my trip, or see our Japan tour packages from Dubai.