Kurashiki weather in December

In December, Kurashiki sees average daytime highs of 12°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 55 mm of rain across 7.5 wet days and about 9.7 hours of daylight. It is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Highs ease over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 10°C by the end. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, December is Kurashiki's 3rd-clearest and 2nd-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Kurashiki's year-round climate.

Daytime high
12°
10th warmest
Overnight low
3rd coldest
Rainfall
55 mm
7.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 42 min
7:10 AM – 4:52 PM
Cloud cover
52%
3rd clearest
Wind
16 km/h
2nd windiest
Solar energy
2.36 kWh/m²
Travel score
3.2
out of 10

Kurashiki is city in Okayama prefecture, Japan.

Density
1,360/km²
people per km²
Founded
1928

Air quality: WHO Ambient Air Quality Database. Density & description: Wikidata (CC0), GeoNames.

Temperature in December

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Highs ease over the month, from about 13°C in the first days to 10°C by the end.

A typical December day in Kurashiki reaches about 12°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 5°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 8°C and 15°C. Set against its neighbours, December runs about 5°C cooler than November and about 2°C warmer than January.

10°15°20°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1149
2149
3139
4139
5138
6138
7138
8128
9128
10128
11127
12127
13127
14127
15117
16117
17117
18117
19117
20117
21116
22116
23116
24116
25116
26106
27106
28106
29106
30106
31106

How December really feels in Kurashiki

Once humidity and wind are folded in, December averages 0 days that feel above 32°C and 0 that feel at or below 0°C — the comfort signal a plain temperature reading hides.

Days feeling ≥ 32°C
0
heat index over the day's high
Days feeling ≤ C
0
wind chill below the day's low

December sits comfortably in between — no days that feel dangerously hot or drop to a hard freeze once humidity and wind are folded in.

Kurashiki weather by month

How December compares with the rest of the year at a glance. December is the 10th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan / 517.80.59.92.0
Feb10° / 5980.510.72.2
Mar13° / 101100.111.73.5
Apr17° / 12°11510.3012.85.4
May21° / 16°13210.2013.86.4
Jun24° / 20°17811.8014.36.2
Jul28° / 24°17112.1014.15.6
Aug30° / 26°959.3013.35.3
Sep27° / 22°15310.6012.26.3
Oct22° / 17°1218.4011.17.0
Nov17° / 12°606.9010.25.7
Dec12° / 557.509.73.2

Cloud cover in December

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 35% of the time in December.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 26% of December, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 39%.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
16040
26040
36040
46040
56040
66040
76040
86040
96040
106040
116040
126040
135941
146040
156040
165941
175941
185941
196040
206040
216139
226139
236238
246238
256337
266238
276337
286337
296337
306337
316337

Chance of precipitation in December

Any precipitation

Kurashiki gets around 55 mm of rain over 7.5 wet days in December. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable rain averages around 23% and peaks near 25% on the wettest days.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)
124
224
325
425
524
624
724
824
924
1024
1124
1224
1324
1424
1524
1624
1724
1824
1923
2023
2123
2223
2323
2423
2523
2623
2722
2822
2922
3022
3122

Humidity in December

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

Most of December feels dry — the stacked bands show each day's mix of comfort levels, read off the dew point.

By dew point, December lands in the dry band about 99% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)Comfortable (%)
1973
2973
3982
4982
5982
6982
7982
8982
9991
10991
11991
12991
13991
14991
15991
16991
17991
18991
19991
20991
211000
221000
231000
241000
251000
261000
271000
281000
291000
301000
311000

Wind in December

Winds average 16 km/h in December.

Across December, daily wind ranges from about 14 km/h on the calmest days to 17 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

05101520151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
114light breeze
214light breeze
315light breeze
415light breeze
515light breeze
615light breeze
715light breeze
815light breeze
915light breeze
1015light breeze
1116light breeze
1216light breeze
1316light breeze
1416light breeze
1516light breeze
1616light breeze
1716light breeze
1816light breeze
1916light breeze
2016light breeze
2116light breeze
2216light breeze
2317light breeze
2417light breeze
2517light breeze
2617light breeze
2717light breeze
2817light breeze
2917light breeze
3017light breeze
3117light breeze

Sunrise & sunset in December

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 54 min at the start of December to 9 h 42 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days shrink by about 12 minutes over December. Sunrise moves from 6:59 AM to 7:17 AM, and sunset from 4:50 PM to 4:59 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.96:594:50
29.87:004:50
39.87:014:50
49.87:024:50
59.87:024:50
69.87:034:50
79.87:044:50
89.87:054:50
99.77:064:50
109.77:064:51
119.77:074:51
129.77:084:51
139.77:084:51
149.77:094:51
159.77:104:52
169.77:104:52
179.77:114:52
189.77:114:53
199.77:124:53
209.77:124:53
219.77:134:54
229.77:134:54
239.77:144:55
249.77:144:55
259.77:154:56
269.77:154:56
279.77:164:57
289.77:164:58
299.77:164:58
309.77:164:59
319.77:174:59

Solar energy in December

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in December, about 2.36 kWh/m² — the year's lowest.

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.36 kWh/m² to a high of 5.53 kWh/m² in May across the year — December's 2.36 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

0123151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.4Moderate
22.4Moderate
32.4Moderate
42.4Moderate
52.4Moderate
62.4Moderate
72.4Moderate
82.4Moderate
92.4Moderate
102.4Moderate
112.4Moderate
122.3Moderate
132.3Moderate
142.3Moderate
152.3Moderate
162.3Moderate
172.3Moderate
182.3Moderate
192.4Moderate
202.4Moderate
212.4Moderate
222.4Moderate
232.4Moderate
242.4Moderate
252.4Moderate
262.4Moderate
272.4Moderate
282.5Moderate
292.5Moderate
302.5Moderate
312.5Moderate
Planning a trip in December

Hazard calendar for Kurashiki

In seasonPeak

In December, Kurashiki sits inside its pacific typhoon season. The full year is below, with each hazard's peak months called out.

Kurashiki sits in the Pacific typhoon belt; the season peaks July–October.

Pacific typhoon
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Is December a good time to visit Kurashiki?

Our two travel scores rate December for general sightseeing and for beach or pool weather — 0 (poor) to 10 (ideal).

3.2
Sightseeing
10th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
10th-best month of the year

December is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Kurashiki.

What to pack for Kurashiki in December

From December's temperature range, rain chance, sun and wind — what's worth putting in the bag.

In December, Kurashiki sees daytime highs around 12°C and nights near 7°C. Pack a warm layer. About 8 days see rain.

a warm layer

Sea temperature near Kurashiki in December

The nearest coast averages about 16°C in December — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea at the nearest coast (about 27 km away) is warmest in August at about 28°C and coldest in February near 13°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from Jun 3 to Nov 12 — about 5.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

10°15°20°25°30°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan14Bracing
Feb13Bracing
Mar13Bracing
Apr15Bracing
May18Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul25Warm
Aug28Warm
Sep27Warm
Oct23Refreshing
Nov20Cool
Dec16Cool

UV index in Kurashiki in December

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

Clear-sky midday UV in December peaks around 3. The full-year curve, shaded by WHO exposure level, is below.

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Kurashiki peaks around July 12 at about 10 (very high) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 22 at about 3 (moderate).

The index reaches 3 or more — the level where the WHO recommends sun protection — in 10 months of the year.

025710JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateHighVery highModerateJul 12UV 10Dec 22UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5High
Apr7Very high
May8Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Very high
Aug9Very high
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Kurashiki in December

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

Average fine-particle pollution (PM2.5) through the year — so you can see where December falls, not just the annual average.

Air quality in Kurashiki is worst in April — around 24 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 1.7× the cleanest month (December, 14 µg/m³).

Modeled monthly averages (CAMS reanalysis, 2015–2024).

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecModerateApr 1324 µg/m³Dec 1414 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan16Moderate
Feb19Moderate
Mar23Moderate
Apr24Moderate
May22Moderate
Jun20Moderate
Jul17Moderate
Aug17Moderate
Sep16Moderate
Oct14Moderate
Nov15Moderate
Dec14Moderate
Location & terrain

Where is Kurashiki?

Kurashiki sits at 34.6°N, 133.8°E, 4 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Sōja, 10 km away.

Topography around Kurashiki

How much the land rises and falls, and what covers it, within 3, 16 and 80 km of Kurashiki.

Within 3 km, the terrain around Kurashiki has only modest variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 148 m around an average of 13 m above sea level; within 16 km, significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 424 m; within 80 km, very significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,811 m.

The land around Kurashiki is covered by artificial surfaces (71%) within 3 km, trees (38%) and artificial surfaces (30%) within 16 km, and trees (63%) and water (26%) within 80 km.

3 km
148 m
16 km
424 m
80 km
1,811 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfacesbare terrainwater
December weather nearby: Sōja 10 km · Asakuchi 16 km · Okayama 17 km · Kamogatachō-kamogata 17 km · Tamano 18 km · Naoshima 25 km · Kasaoka 26 km · Takahashi 26 km

Japan travel facts

Travel advisory
Level 1
Exercise Normal Precautions
Power plugs
Type A / B
100 V · 50 / 60 Hz
Prices
≈ 65% of US
price level, 2025
GDP per capita
$35,951
2025
Happiness
6.1 / 10
World Happiness, 2025
Safe drinking water
99%
of population, 2024
Homicide rate
0.2
per 100k, 2023
Road deaths
3.6
per 100k/yr, 2019
Income group
High
World Bank
English
Very low
EF EPI 446
Religion
Shintoism 49%Buddhism 46%other 4%Christianity 1%

Sources: World Bank, US State Department, World Happiness Report, WHO/UNICEF, EF EPI, CIA World Factbook.

Data sources

Temperature, precipitation, cloud, humidity, wind and solar figures are a 1991–2020 climatology for Kurashiki (34.5833°, 133.7667°, elevation 4 m), computed from hourly ERA5 reanalysis — contains modified Copernicus Climate Change Service information. Sun figures are astronomical calculations, not observations. City data © GeoNames, CC BY 4.0. Map outlines from Natural Earth (public domain); interactive map © Google. Tropical-cyclone seasons are the published climatological basin seasons (NOAA National Hurricane Center / regional warning centres). Sea temperatures are the NOAA OISST v2.1 1991–2020 monthly climatology (public domain), sampled at the nearest ocean point. UV index is derived from CAMS (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service) clear-sky UV data — contains modified Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service information. Monthly air-quality (PM2.5) seasonality is from the CAMS EAC4 reanalysis (Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service), scaled to the WHO annual mean where available. Topography is sampled from the Copernicus DEM GLO-90 elevation model (© ESA/Airbus) and ESA WorldCover 2021 land cover (CC BY 4.0).