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Best time to visit · December 2026

Fushimi Inari in December: crowds, weather and the best time

Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00.

Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest. Sunrise around 6:46, sunset 16:46–16:54.

How crowded is it in December?

our forecast uses the shrine's usual weekly pattern. We have no month-by-month crowd data, so this is the same pattern as in other months outside the busy seasons. 100 is the busiest hour of the week.

Weekdays (Monday to Friday, average)

  1. 00:00: 6 out of 100
  2. 01:00: 5 out of 100
  3. 02:00: 4 out of 100
  4. 03:00: 4 out of 100
  5. 04:00: 4 out of 100
  6. 05:00: 6 out of 100
  7. 06:00: 12 out of 100
  8. 07:00: 25 out of 100
  9. 08:00: 45 out of 100
  10. 09:00: 67 out of 100
  11. 10:00: 81 out of 100
  12. 11:00: 83 out of 100
  13. 12:00: 80 out of 100
  14. 13:00: 78 out of 100
  15. 14:00: 77 out of 100
  16. 15:00: 73 out of 100
  17. 16:00: 64 out of 100
  18. 17:00: 49 out of 100
  19. 18:00: 36 out of 100
  20. 19:00: 27 out of 100
  21. 20:00: 21 out of 100
  22. 21:00: 17 out of 100
  23. 22:00: 14 out of 100
  24. 23:00: 11 out of 100

Weekends (Saturday and Sunday, average)

  1. 00:00: 8 out of 100
  2. 01:00: 5 out of 100
  3. 02:00: 4 out of 100
  4. 03:00: 5 out of 100
  5. 04:00: 6 out of 100
  6. 05:00: 9 out of 100
  7. 06:00: 16 out of 100
  8. 07:00: 31 out of 100
  9. 08:00: 55 out of 100
  10. 09:00: 81 out of 100
  11. 10:00: 96 out of 100
  12. 11:00: 99 out of 100
  13. 12:00: 95 out of 100
  14. 13:00: 91 out of 100
  15. 14:00: 90 out of 100
  16. 15:00: 86 out of 100
  17. 16:00: 74 out of 100
  18. 17:00: 57 out of 100
  19. 18:00: 41 out of 100
  20. 19:00: 29 out of 100
  21. 20:00: 23 out of 100
  22. 21:00: 20 out of 100
  23. 22:00: 15 out of 100
  24. 23:00: 12 out of 100
See the forecast for each day of the week

Busiest days in December 2026

  1. Saturdays (5, 12, 19, 26) and Sundays (6, 13, 20, 27)

    Saturday is the busiest day of the week in our data (daytime average 83 out of 100), then Sunday (82).

Quieter days: Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest. In December 2026, those are the 1st–3rd, 8th–10th, 15th–17th, 22nd–24th and 29th–31st.

December 2026
MonTueWedThuFriSatSun
170 270 368 467 583 682
773 870 970 1068 1167 1283 1382
1473 1570 1670 1768 1867 1983 2082
2173 2270 2370 2468 2567 2683 2782
2873 2970 3070 3168 •
Number: daytime average, 8:00–18:00, out of 100 (100 = the busiest hour of the week). NY: New Year, no score. H: public holiday. •: shrine rite.

Best time of day in December

Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest.

DateSunriseSunset
1 December6:4616:46
15 December6:5716:47
31 December7:0416:54

Japan time, calculated for the shrine's position on a flat horizon. On the wooded mountain path it gets dark earlier.

Sunrise is at 6:46 at the start of the month, so "before 8:00" gives you about an hour of daylight. After 18:00 it is already dark: sunset is at 16:46 on 1 December and 16:54 on 31 December.

Weather in December

Average daily high11.6°C
Average daily low3.5°C
Days with 1 mm of rain or more6.6
Rain in the month57.3 mm
Nights below 0°C2.2

Averages for Kyoto, 1991–2020. Japan Meteorological Agency

What to wear

Warm clothing is a must: a down jacket or heavy coat, plus a scarf and gloves, will keep you comfortable.

See today's weather at the shrine

How long the hike takes in December

The full loop over the summit is about 4 km and takes about 2 hours 15 minutes. To finish it before sunset, start from the main hall by 14:31 at the start of December and by 14:39 at the end.

In an average December, the temperature in Kyoto drops below 0°C on 2.2 nights. Take care on the stone steps early in the morning.

Compare the three hike optionsSee walking times for each stop

Rites and festivals in December

  1. Thu 31 Dec · 15:00

    Ōharae (year-end purification) 大祓式

Dates and times as listed by the shrine. Fushimi Inari Taisha: rites and events (Japanese)

See every festival and rite of the year

Questions about December

Is Fushimi Inari crowded in December?
Our forecast follows the shrine's usual weekly pattern. Best window: before 8:00 or after 18:00. Tuesday to Thursday mornings are the quietest.
What time are sunrise and sunset at Fushimi Inari in December?
Sunrise is at 6:46 on 1 December and 7:04 on 31 December; sunset is at 16:46 and 16:54 (Japan time, calculated).
How cold is Kyoto in December?
The average daily high is 11.6°C and the average low 3.5°C, with 6.6 days of 1 mm of rain or more (Japan Meteorological Agency normals, 1991–2020).
What festivals are held at Fushimi Inari in December?
Ōharae (year-end purification) on 31 December.

Sources

Public holidays are worked out from the rules in Japan's Public Holiday Act. Sunrise and sunset are calculated, not observed. Crowd figures: how we estimate crowds.

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