Winter (fuyu, 冬) in Japan varies from the northern reaches of the country to the smallest islands of the archipelago in the south, but most regions can expect some amount of snow and cold temperatures. Combine your knowledge of Japanese pronunciation with these wintry terms to prepare for cold temperatures, enjoy seasonal foods, and experience all that Japanese winters have to offer.
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Winter in Japanese is fuyu
The kanji used for “winter” (冬) is usually read as fuyu (foo-yoo), but it can also be read as tō (toh). Generally, you use fuyu when the character is by itself and tō when it’s combined with another character (although there are exceptions). The character and both common pronunciations appear in common terms describing winter events and experiences.
| Japanese | Romanization | Pronunciation | English |
| 冬 | fuyu | foo-yoo | winter |
| 冬休み | fuyu yasumi | foo-yoo yah-soo-mee | winter vacation |
| 冬季 | tōki | TOH-kee | wintertime |
| 冬至 | tōji | TOH-jee | winter solstice |
While impromptu small talk about the weather is uncommon in Japan (unlike in the US), it could come up in a conversation with someone interested in your home country. Comparing your experiences is a comfortable topic that most people can relate to!
- Fuyu no Roshia wa samui desu.（冬のロシアは寒いです。）= Russia is cold in the winter.
- Ōsutoraria dewa, fuyu wa rokugatsu ni hajimarimasu.（オーストラリアでは、冬は六月に始まります。）= Winter begins in June in Australia.
Wintā is a Japanese loanword for winter
You may also see “winter” written as wintā (ウィンター) in katakana as a loanword from English. This is occasionally used with other loanwords, like “white winter” in Japanese (howaito wintā, ホワイトウィンター).
Talking about weather (tenki) and snowfall (kōsetsu) in Japanese
When you travel in Japan, being able to understand the forecast is crucial to your plans. If you want to visit the zoo tomorrow, you should know if a blizzard (fubuki, 吹雪) is coming in, or what the snowfall (kōsetsu, 降雪) will look like over the weekend. Keep an eye on the weather (tenki, 天気) with a weather app or news station before you head out for the day.
For everyday use, you can talk about snowy weather directly, especially if you’re talking about specific weather events or temperature.
- Samui desu ne.（寒いですね。）= It’s cold, isn’t it?
- Yuki ga futte imasu.（雪が降っています。）= It is snowing.
- Soto nokionwanandodesu ka.（外の気温は何度ですか。）= What is the temperature outside? (Literally: How many degrees is the temperature outside?)
- Nido desu. Kōto o kita hō ga ii desu yo.（二度です。コートを着たほうがいいですよ。）= It is two degrees. You should wear a coat.
- Michi ga kōtteiru kara ki o tsukete ne.（道が凍っているから気を付けてね。）= The road is icy, so be careful.
When it’s cold outside, use these Japanese words to describe the situation accurately.
| Japanese | Romanization | Pronunciation | English |
| 雪 | yuki | yoo-kee | snow |
| 氷 | kōri | KOH-ree | ice |
| 吹雪 | fubuki | foo-boo-kee | blizzard |
| 大雪 | ōyuki | OH-yoo-kee | heavy snow |
| 霙 | mizore | mee-zoh-reh | sleet |
| 氷柱 | tsurara | tsoo-rah-rah | icicle |
| 降雪 | kōsetsu | KOH-seh-tsoo | snowfall |
| 積雪 | sekisetsu | seh-kee-seh-tsoo | snow cover |
Talking about the temperature in Japanese
Japan uses the metric system, so the temperature is measured in Celsius and precipitation is measured in centimeters and meters. Knowing Japanese numbers will help you understand the forecast.
- Kyō wa kinō yori kion ga 6 do hikui.（今日は昨日より気温が6度低い。）= The temperature today is 6 degrees lower than yesterday.
- 24 jikan de wa, 40 senchi no yuki ga furu to yosou sareteimasu.（24時間では、40センチの雪が降ると予想されています。）= In a 24-hour period, 40cm of snowfall is expected.
Look for special Japanese brackets in headlines to signal an important weather statement
When there’s important weather news, you’ll usually see headlines start with a few key terms in special Japanese punctuation marks that look like brackets【 】. For example, Japan is a mountainous country, so snowslides and avalanches do happen from time to time.
- 【ōyuki jōhō】（【大雪情報】）= information about heavy snow
- 【Kantō yuki jōhō】（【関東雪情報】）= information about snow in Kanto
- 【nadare/rakusetsu/ashimoto chūi】【雪崩・落雪・足元注意】= watch your step and watch out for avalanches and snowslides
What to do in winter in Japan
When you travel to Japan during the winter, you can enjoy unique holidays and try foods at their peak flavor. Make plans to add these Japanese winter events and experiences to your itinerary.
Celebrate winter holidays (shukujitsu) and festivals (matsuri) in Japan
Several Japanese holidays (shukujitsu, 祝日) and festivals (matsuri, 祭) take place in the winter. Don’t miss the opportunity to experience these holidays and festivals in Japan if you’re visiting during the winter months.
- kurisumasu (クリスマス): On December 25, you can experience Christmas in Japan by going to parties and eating Kentucky Fried Chicken. You’ll still see red and green decorations like you would in countries like the US, but less than 2% of Japanese people practice Christianity, so the celebrations are largely secular.
- oshōgatsu (お正月): The New Year—Japan’s most important holiday—is from January 1-3. Many businesses are closed, but you can still visit shrines and temples, which will be crowded with people praying for a good year. If you have the opportunity, try some Japanese New Year Food!
- setsubun (節分): On February 3, chase demons away by throwing red beans at them for Setsubun (meaning “seasonal division”). This is a great opportunity to visit public festivals and enjoy Japanese street food.
- sapporo yuki matsuri (さっぽろ雪まつり): For a week in early February, you can see enormous ice sculptures and play in the snow at the Sapporo Snow Festival.
- barentain dē (バレンタインデー): On February 14, boys and men typically receive gifts of chocolate for Valentine’s Day (and it’s not necessarily a romantic gesture). If you’re traveling in Japan with your partner, consider going out on a date or giving them some fancy chocolate.
- howaito dē (ホワイトデー): On March 14, White Day is the time for people who received gifts on Valentine’s Day to return the favor. You can join in the experience by giving someone you’re traveling with a little treat (even if they’re not your romantic partner).
Try seasonal Japanese foods
Japanese cuisine centers around the concept of shun (旬), which means “season” and a unit of time around 10 days. The basic principle is that foods taste best when they’re in season, which is especially true for kaiseki (会席) cuisine.
Like in many countries, Japanese seasonal food in the winter includes several types of leafy greens and root vegetables. Hot stews like oden (おでん) and nabe (鍋) often include these ingredients. Go to a Japanese convenience store (or konbini, コンビニ) in the winter, and you can get some cheap oden for a quick, warm meal.
| Japanese | Romanization | Pronunciation | English |
| キャベツ | kyabetsu | kyah-beh-tsoo | cabbage |
| レタス | retasu | reh-tah-soo | lettuce |
| 白菜 | hakusai | hah-koo-sah-ee | napa cabbage |
| チンゲン菜 | chingensai | cheen-gehn-sah-ee | bok choy |
| 大根 | daikon | dah-ee-kohn | daikon radish |
| ごぼう | gobō | goh-BOH | great burdock |
| レンコン | renkon | rehn-kohn | lotus root |
| ねぎ | negi | neh-gee | scallion |
| みかん | mikan | mee-kahn | mandarin orange |
| レモン | remon | reh-mohn | lemon |
| カキ | kaki | kah-kee | oyster |
| ブリ | buri | boo-ree | yellowtail |
| ズワイガニ | zuwaigani | zoo-wah-ee-gah-nee | snow crab |
| ふぐ | fugu | foo-goo | pufferfish |
Pufferfish is one of the seasonal fish in Japan, but this is reserved for adventurous eaters: It must be prepared in a special way, or it’s poisonous! If you decide to try it, make sure the restaurant is licensed to serve it.
Enjoy winter sports (wintā supōtsu) in Japan
When exploring winter sports (wintā supōtsu, ウィンタースポーツ), you might notice that the word for “ice” in Japanese is usually kōri (氷), but sports like ice hockey use the loanword aisu (アイス) instead. That’s because it’s paired with the loanword hokkē (ホッケー) for “hockey.” Keep an eye out for other familiar terms, but remember to use the Japanese pronunciation.
| Japanese | Romanization | Pronunciation | English |
| アイスホッケー | aisu hokkē | ah-ee-soo hohk-keh | ice hockey |
| スキー | sukī | soo-KEE | skiing |
| アルペンスキー | arupen sukī | ah-roo-pehn soo-KEE | alpine skiing |
| クロスカントリースキー | kurosu kantorī sukī | koo-roh-soo kahn-toh-REE soo-KEE | cross-country skiing |
| フリースタイルスキー | furī sutairu sukī | foo-REE soo-tah-ee-roo soo-KEE | freestyle skiing |
| スキージャンプ | sukī janpu | soo-KEE jahn-poo | ski jumping |
| スキーマウンテニアリング | sukī maunteniaringu | soo-KEE mah-oon-teh-nee-ah-reen-goo | ski mountaineering |
| カーリング | kāringu | KAH-reen-goo | curling |
| スケート | sukēto | soo-KEH-toh | ice skating |
| フィギュアスケート | figyua sukēto | fee-gyoo-ah soo-KEH-toh | figure skating |
| スピードスケート | supīdo sukēto | soo-PEE-doh soo-KEH-toh | speed skating |
| ショートトラック | shōto torakku | SHO-toh toh-rahk-ku | short track speed skating |
| スケルトン | sukeruton | soo-keh-roo-tohn | skeleton |
| スノーボード | sunōbōdo | soo-NOH-BOH-do | snowboard |
| ノルディック複合 | norudikku fukugō | noh-roo-deek-koo foo-koo-goh | Nordic combined |
| バイアスロン | baiasuron | bah-ee-ah-soo-rohn | biathlon |
| ボブスレー | bobusurē | boh-boo-soo-REH | bobsleigh |
| リュージュ | ryūju | RYOO-joo | luge |
Frequently asked questions about winter in Japanese
Getting the full picture of a winter in Japan goes beyond knowing vocabulary like “snow” in Japanese.
What are the winter months in Japanese?
The months of the year in Japanese are numbered, so the winter months use the numbers for 12, 1, 2, and 3 plus the suffix for “month” (-gatsu). December is jūnigatsu (十二月), January is ichigatsu (一月), February is nigatsu (二月), and March is sangatsu (三月).
What are the seasons called in Japanese?
The four seasons in Japanese are fuyu (冬) for “winter,” haru (春) for “spring,” natsu (夏) for “summer,” and aki (秋) for “fall.” Together, you can also refer to the four seasons as shunkashūtō (春夏秋冬), which combines the kanji for all four seasons.
Has Japan ever hosted the Winter Olympics?
Japan has held the Winter Olympics twice. In 1972, the Winter Olympics were held in Sapporo, and in 1998, they were held in Nagano. Japan was originally intended to host the Winter Olympics in 1940, but they later withdrew, and the games were canceled due to World War II.
How cold can Japan be in winter?
You should expect winter temperatures below freezing in northern Japan during the winter, but average January temperatures in the majority of the country range from about 3°C (37.4°F) to about 8°C (46.4°F). The warmest part of Japan in the winter is Okinawa Prefecture, which had an average temperature of about 17°C (62.6°F) to 18°C (64.4°F) in January of 2026.
How do I say ‘cold’ in Japanese?
Japanese has two adjectives for cold: samui (寒い) and tsumetai (冷たい). Use samui to talk about the air being cold (“It’s so cold outside!”) or the feeling of being cold (“I’m cold. Can we turn on the heater?”). Use tsumetai to talk about something being cold to the touch (“Icicles are cold.”).
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