Kobe Weather in January

Season: Winter

In short: Cold with small rain or occasional snow

Right in winter, the weather of Kobe in January is cold. Actually, it is the coldest time of the year. But the temperature seldom drops below 0°C (32.2°F), so you won’t feel severely cold. Rainfall is also at the lowest level of the year. Occasionally, it snows.

Be Kobe Landmark

Temperature

Average Highest Temperature: 9°C (48.2°F)
Average Lowest Temperature: 1°C (33.8°F)
Average Temperature: 5°C (41°F)

January is not a popular time to visit Kobe for it is the coldest time throughout the year. In daytime, the temperature fluctuates between 3 - 15°C (37.4 - 59°F). At night, the temperature is usually between -1 - 9°C (-33.8 - 48.2°F). The temperature even recorded -3 degrees Celsius (-37.4 degrees Fahrenheit) historically. The temperature gap arrives 5 - 8°C (41 - 46.4°F) between daytime and night. Usually, the temperature goes up at 10 am and down at 4 pm. In mountain areas and by the seaside, people feel colder because of the wind speed of 19 km/h averagely. Luckily, thanks to the complete heating system, it is warm indoors.

Cold and Dry Weather in Kobe

Precipitation

Precipitation: 61 mm (0.20 in)
Average Rainy Days: 13.8 days
Average Humidity: 63%

This month snows the most in the whole year, with 39 mm (0.13 in) of snowfall across 6 days. Mostly, it is light or moderate snow. Sometimes, the rain is accompanied with snow. As the temperature is generally above 0°C, the snow usually melts soon except in mountains. If you like snow scenes, Mount Rokkō is a good place to appreciate and play snow. In consideration of 13.8 rainy days, visitors should better bring umbrellas and waterproof shoes. You also need non-slip shoes in snow-covered areas.

Daytime Length & Sunshine Hours

Sunrise Time: 6:58-7:06
Sunset Time: 16:59-17:27
Daylight Hours: 10-10.3 h
Average Daily Sunshine Hours: 5 h

The sun rises late and sets early. So the time for daytime sightseeing is not much. You’d better calculate time needed for each spot, well arrange your itinerary, and return to downtown before sunset. At night, you can arrange some indoor activities to extend your visit time.

Ikuta Jinja

January Outfits in Kobe

Tops: In cold weather, tourists should wear enough clothes to keep warm. A base shirt or a sweater inside and a wool overcoat or down jacket outside are common combinations. However, the temperature indoors is quite warm. So wearing an overcoat easy to take off is more advised.

Bottoms: As for legs, pick pants made of cotton and polar fleece which can help keep warm while do not affect your moves. Ladies wearing dress need thermal tights to keep warm.

Shoes: Sneakers and boots are suitable, and they’d better be waterproof in case of snow and rain.

Others: Hats, gloves and scarfs are badly needed in this port city. You may suffer dry skin and lips chap, so it is necessary to bring body lotion, hand cream and lipsticks.

Travel Advice:

1. Visitors travel in January with cold climate should arrange your travel itinerary reasonably. For outdoor activities near Port of Kobe and Mount Rokkō , it is advisable to visit them in forenoon and afternoon. At colder night, you can carry out indoor activities, like tasting Kobe Beef or enjoying hot spring.

2. If you visit Kobe on January 1st in 2026, you can watch the first sunrise of the New Year, which may bring good luck to you. After that, you can participate in various activities to celebrate the new year.

3. Don’t miss Kobe Luminarie since 24th January in Meriken Park, but you need to book the ticket online.

Onsen Hotel in Kobe

January Weather for More Destinations in Japan:

Kobe Weather by Month

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7-Day Kobe Weather Forecast