Shimoda weather in January

In January, Shimoda sees average daytime highs of 10°C and overnight lows near 7°C, with 104 mm of precipitation across 9.5 wet days and about 9.9 hours of daylight. It is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month of the year here.

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 10°C through the month. The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in January, and the air most often feels dry.

Daylight stretches from about 9 h 42 min at the start of January to 10 h 18 min by month's end. Set against the rest of the year, January is Shimoda's 2nd-clearest and 1st-windiest month. For the whole year in context, see Shimoda's year-round climate.

Daytime high
10°
12th warmest
Overnight low
2nd coldest
Precipitation
104 mm
9.5 wet days
Daylight
9 h 54 min
6:56 AM – 4:51 PM
Cloud cover
43%
2nd clearest
Wind
25 km/h
1st windiest
Solar energy
2.81 kWh/m²
Travel score
2.3
out of 10

Shimoda is city in Shizuoka prefecture, Japan.

Founded
1971

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

Temperature in January

Average highAverage lowShaded bands: 10–90% of days

Day-to-day highs hold fairly steady near 10°C through the month.

A typical January day in Shimoda reaches about 10°C in the afternoon and slips back to 7°C overnight — a 3°C spread between the day's warmth and the night's chill. On most days the high lands between 7°C and 13°C. Set against its neighbours, January runs about 3°C cooler than December and on par with February.

10°15°151015202531
Avg high (°C)Avg low (°C)
1118
2118
3118
4118
5108
6107
7107
8107
9107
10107
11107
12107
13107
14107
15107
16107
17107
18107
19107
20107
21107
22106
2396
2496
2596
2696
2796
2896
2996
3096
3196

Shimoda weather by month

How January compares with the rest of the year at a glance. January is the 12th-warmest and 11th-wettest month here — the current month is highlighted below.

MonthHigh / Low (°C)Rainfall (mm)Wet daysSnow daysDaylight (hours)Travel score
Jan10° / 1049.50.49.92.3
Feb10° / 1159.40.510.72.4
Mar12° / 19113.90.211.73.2
Apr16° / 13°18212.5012.84.6
May19° / 16°21012.3013.85.7
Jun22° / 20°28915014.35.5
Jul25° / 23°23613.8014.16.1
Aug26° / 24°14613013.36.2
Sep25° / 22°24015.3012.25.9
Oct21° / 18°26213.9011.16.0
Nov17° / 14°16311.6010.25.2
Dec12° / 10°9810.309.73.5

Cloud cover in January

ClearMostly clearPartly cloudyMostly cloudyOvercast

The sky is clear or mostly clear about 53% of the time in January.

Beyond those clear spells, partly cloudy skies cover about 12% of January, with mostly cloudy or overcast conditions the remaining 35%. Skies tend to cloud over as the month goes on.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Clearer (%)Cloudier (%)
17129
27129
37228
47129
57129
67129
77030
86931
96931
106832
116733
126634
136436
146436
156337
166238
176238
186238
196139
206040
216040
226139
236139
246139
256139
266238
276238
286337
296337
306436
316436

Chance of precipitation in January

Any precipitationSnow

Shimoda gets around 104 mm of rain and snow over 9.5 wet days in January. The line is the day-by-day chance of measurable precipitation.

Day to day, the chance of measurable precipitation averages around 31% and peaks near 34% on the wettest days, and about 0 day brings snow.

0%10%20%30%40%151015202531
Rain chance (%)Snow chance (%)
1280
2280
3280
4281
5281
6281
7281
8281
9291
10291
11301
12312
13312
14322
15322
16332
17332
18332
19342
20342
21342
22342
23342
24332
25332
26332
27322
28312
29312
30302
31302

Humidity in January

DryComfortableHumidMuggyOppressiveMiserable

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

By dew point, January lands in the dry band about 100% of days. It rarely turns muggy — the humid and sticky bands barely register.

0%25%50%75%100%151015202531
Dry (%)
1100
2100
3100
4100
5100
6100
7100
8100
9100
10100
11100
12100
13100
14100
15100
16100
17100
18100
19100
20100
21100
22100
23100
24100
25100
26100
27100
28100
29100
30100
31100

Wind in January

Winds average 25 km/h in January, the windiest month of the year.

Across January, daily wind ranges from about 25 km/h on the calmest days to 25 km/h at its breeziest. It stays fairly steady from day to day.

0102030151015202531
Wind speed (km/h)Feels
125breezy
225breezy
325breezy
425breezy
525breezy
625breezy
725breezy
825breezy
925breezy
1025breezy
1125breezy
1225breezy
1325breezy
1425breezy
1525breezy
1625breezy
1725breezy
1825breezy
1925breezy
2025breezy
2125breezy
2225breezy
2325breezy
2425breezy
2525breezy
2625breezy
2725breezy
2825breezy
2925breezy
3025breezy
3125breezy

Sunrise & sunset in January

DaylightNight

Daylight runs from about 9 h 42 min at the start of January to 10 h 18 min by month's end. The lit band spans sunrise to sunset each day.

Days grow by about 36 minutes over January. Sunrise moves from 6:56 AM to 6:50 AM, and sunset from 4:39 PM to 5:05 PM.

12 AM4 AM8 AM12 PM4 PM8 PM12 AM151015202531
Daylight (h)Sunrise (AM)Sunset (PM)
19.76:564:39
29.76:564:39
39.76:564:40
49.76:574:41
59.76:574:42
69.86:574:42
79.86:574:43
89.86:574:44
99.86:574:45
109.86:574:46
119.86:574:47
129.86:574:47
139.96:574:48
149.96:564:49
159.96:564:50
169.96:564:51
179.96:564:52
1810.06:564:53
1910.06:554:54
2010.06:554:55
2110.06:554:56
2210.06:544:57
2310.16:544:57
2410.16:544:58
2510.16:534:59
2610.16:535:00
2710.26:525:01
2810.26:525:02
2910.26:515:03
3010.26:505:04
3110.36:505:05

Solar energy in January

Daily solar energy (kWh/m²)

Average shortwave solar energy reaching the ground each day in January, about 2.81 kWh/m².

For context, solar energy here swings from a low near 2.47 kWh/m² to a high of 5.58 kWh/m² in May across the year — January's 2.81 kWh/m² sits near the bottom.

01234151015202531
Solar energy (kWh/m²)Level
12.7Moderate
22.7Moderate
32.7Moderate
42.7Moderate
52.7Moderate
62.7Moderate
72.7Moderate
82.7Moderate
92.7Moderate
102.7Moderate
112.7Moderate
122.7Moderate
132.7Moderate
142.7Moderate
152.7Moderate
162.7Moderate
172.7Moderate
182.7Moderate
192.8Moderate
202.8Moderate
212.8Moderate
222.8Moderate
232.9Moderate
242.9Moderate
252.9Moderate
262.9Moderate
273.0Moderate
283.0Moderate
293.0Moderate
303.1Moderate
313.1Moderate
Planning a trip in January

Hazard calendar for Shimoda

In seasonPeak

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

Shimoda 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 January a good time to visit Shimoda?

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

2.3
Sightseeing
12th-best month of the year
0.0
Beach & pool
11th-best month of the year

January is a weaker month for outdoor sightseeing in Shimoda.

What to pack for Shimoda in January

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

In January, Shimoda sees daytime highs around 10°C and nights near 7°C. Pack a warm layer. Worth having: rain gear and a windbreaker. About 10 days see rain.

a warm layerrain geara windbreaker

Sea temperature near Shimoda in January

The nearest coast averages about 17°C in January — the other half of the beach question. The full-year curve and swim-comfort zones are below.

The sea offshore is warmest in August at about 26°C and coldest in February near 16°C.

It's comfortable for a long swim from May 24 to Dec 3 — about 6.4 months when the water holds above 20°C.

15°20°25°JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecbracingcoolrefreshingwarmtropicalcomfortable to swim
Sea temperature (°C)Comfort
Jan17Cool
Feb16Cool
Mar16Cool
Apr18Cool
May20Cool
Jun22Refreshing
Jul24Warm
Aug26Warm
Sep26Warm
Oct24Refreshing
Nov21Refreshing
Dec19Cool

UV index in Shimoda in January

LowModerateHighVery highExtreme

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

Under clear skies, the midday UV index in Shimoda peaks around July 24 at about 10 (extreme) — sunscreen, a hat and midday shade are essential. It bottoms out near December 23 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 highExtremeVery highModerateJul 24UV 10Dec 23UV 3
UV index (midday)Level
Jan3Moderate
Feb4Moderate
Mar5Moderate
Apr7High
May9Very high
Jun10Very high
Jul10Extreme
Aug10Extreme
Sep9Very high
Oct6High
Nov4Moderate
Dec3Moderate

Air quality in Shimoda in January

GoodModeratePoorUnhealthyVery unhealthy

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

Air quality in Shimoda is worst in April — around 20 µg/m³ PM2.5 (moderate), about 2.6× the cleanest month (December, 8 µg/m³).

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

0102030JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDecGoodModerateGoodApr 1719 µg/m³Dec 168 µg/m³
PM2.5 (µg/m³)Level
Jan9Good
Feb13Moderate
Mar18Moderate
Apr20Moderate
May18Moderate
Jun15Moderate
Jul11Good
Aug10Good
Sep9Good
Oct10Good
Nov9Good
Dec8Good
Location & terrain

Where is Shimoda?

Shimoda sits at 34.7°N, 138.9°E, 11 m above sea level, in Japan. The nearest listed city is Shuzenji, 33 km away.

Topography around Shimoda

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

Within 3 km, the terrain around Shimoda has significant variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 330 m around an average of 62 m above sea level; within 16 km, large variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 1,060 m; within 80 km, extreme variations in elevation — a maximum elevation change of 3,746 m.

The land around Shimoda is covered by trees (66%) and water (22%) within 3 km, water (53%) and trees (45%) within 16 km, and water (75%) and trees (20%) within 80 km.

3 km
330 m
16 km
1,060 m
80 km
3,746 m
treesgrasslandcroplandartificial surfaceswater
January weather nearby: Shuzenji 33 km · Izu 33 km · Itō 35 km · Izunokuni 40 km · Atami 47 km · Kamizawa 47 km · Numazu 48 km · Fushimi 49 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 Shimoda (34.6765°, 138.9446°, elevation 11 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).