this month in japan
January 睦月
January at a glance
- The quietest, clearest month of the year, once the New Year rush ends.
Weather
- Tokyo: 10°C / 1°C. Dry, bright, cold at night.
- Kyoto: averages 4.8°C. Temple floors are cold, so bring thick socks.
- Sapporo: −0.4°C / −6.4°C. Snow underfoot all month.
- Okinawa (Naha): 20°C / 15°C.
- Pack: a proper winter coat, thermals, shoes you can slip off fast. For Sapporo, boots with grip. Naha needs a light jacket.
What's happening
- 1 January, New Year's Day. Hatsumode, the first shrine visit of the year, fills Meiji Jingu in Tokyo, Fushimi Inari in Kyoto and Sumiyoshi Taisha in Osaka.
- Second Monday: Coming of Age Day.
- Grand Sumo, January tournament — Ryogoku Kokugikan, Tokyo, mid-month.
- Fourth Saturday: Wakakusa Yamayaki, Nara. The whole grass hillside above the city is set alight.
- Late January to February, usually: cherry blossoms open first in Okinawa, weeks ahead of the mainland.
What's in season
- Snow crab — January is crab season in Hokkaido and on the Sea of Japan coast.
- Buri (yellowtail), fat with winter.
- Hakusai and daikon, simmered in nabe.
- Mikan, the small citrus that sits on every kotatsu.
The 72 seasons
| 候 | Romaji | Meaning | From c. |
|---|---|---|---|
| 芹乃栄 | seri sunawachi sakau | Water parsley flourishes | 5 Jan |
| 水泉動 | shimizu atataka o fukumu | Springs thaw underground | 10 Jan |
| 雉始雊 | kiji hajimete naku | Pheasants start to call | 15 Jan |
| 款冬華 | fuki no hana saku | Butterbur buds | 20 Jan |
| 水沢腹堅 | sawamizu kōri tsumeru | Ice thickens on streams | 25 Jan |
| 鶏始乳 | niwatori hajimete toya ni tsuku | Hens start to lay | 30 Jan |
Crowds
1 January is the big day for hatsumode, and most restaurants and attractions close over the New Year holidays. Once those holidays end, the pressure comes off.
psst,
Land after the New Year holidays. The shops reopen, the sumo is on, and Tokyo's skies are about as dry as they get.