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Snow-capped Mt Fuji at dusk above Lake Kawaguchi, lights coming on in the lakeside town

Kawaguchiko weather: month-by-month temperatures and snow

Last checked: October 2026

Lake Kawaguchi sits at about 800 metres2 in Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru-gun, Yamanashi Prefecture3, on the north side of Mt Fuji4. That height gives it relatively cool summers and frequently icy winters2, so pack for both.

The temperatures and rainfall on this page are the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 1991–2020 normals1 for its Kawaguchiko station.

Pick your month

When to go

The right month at Kawaguchiko depends on what you came for: snow and fireworks in winter, blossom in spring, the Mt Fuji climb in summer, maples in November.

December: driest, 49.8 mm1

The bars below show the one fixed window that shapes a summer trip, the Yoshida Trail climbing season. It runs from 1 July to 10 September in 20265 (checked October 2026).

Yoshida Trail climbing season on Mt Fuji
  • Trail open to climbers July to August
  • Open for part of the month September
  • Climbing season over October to June

Best months for each kind of trip

  • Snow and winter fireworks: January and February. The Kawaguchiko Winter Fireworks run on weekends from late January to late February, plus 23 February6.
  • Cherry blossom: the Fuji-Kawaguchiko Cherry Blossom Festival ran from 28 March to 15 April 2026 on the Lake Kawaguchi north shore walking trail near Kawaguchiko Circular Hall7.
  • Moss phlox (shibazakura): the Fuji Shibazakura Festival ran from 11 April to 24 May 2026 at Fuji Motosuko Resort8. See the Shibazakura Festival dates and entry.
  • Climbing Mt Fuji: July to early September, while the Yoshida Trail is open. The hiking fee is ¥4,0005 (about US$25) per person per trip.
  • Autumn leaves: November. The Fuji-Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival runs from 7 to 29 November 2026, lit up from sunset to 21:0010.
  • Least rain: December, with 49.8 mm1 on average.

The moss phlox comes with an entry fee: adults pay ¥1,000–1,3008 (about US$6–8) (checked October 2026), depending on when in the season you go.

Months the festival ran this year; the adult price depends on when in the season you go.
Snow-capped Mt Fuji behind a cherry tree in full blossom
Snow-capped Mt Fuji behind a cherry tree in full blossom

Months to think twice about

  • Mid-June to mid-July: this is generally the rainy season11 in Honshu.
  • August and September: Japan’s national tourism organisation warns that typhoons may disrupt travel plans12 in these months. September is also the wettest month, at 264.7 mm1.
  • Obon and weekends: the Yamanashi tourism site warns of crowds13.
  • Peak autumn colour: traffic is heavy around the lakes on public holidays and during the autumn leaves season14. In October 2026 the town tourism site reported serious congestion on roads and in car parks around Oishi Park15.

If you’re still choosing where to go for a Tokyo day trip to Hakone or Kawaguchiko, the comparison sets the two side by side.

Climate normals and events

Month by month

Kawaguchiko’s year runs from freezing January nights to warm August afternoons. The table gives each month’s average temperature, rain or snow, and what’s on.

Annual rainfall 1,585.9 mm1

Across a year, Kawaguchiko gets 1,585.9 mm of rain and 97 cm1 of snow on average. Event dates are this year’s editions, so check next year’s dates before you book.

Kawaguchiko weather and events by month
MonthAverage temperatureDaily high / lowRain and snowWhat's on
January
−0.4 °C
5.5 °C / −5.7 °C
37 cm snow, snowiest month
Winter Fireworks weekends from late January; Saiko Ice Festival
February
0.6 °C
–
28 cm snow
Winter Fireworks weekends and 23 February; Saiko Ice Festival to mid-February
March
4.2 °C
–
20 cm snow
Cherry Blossom Festival from 28 March (2026)
April
9.5 °C
–
–
Cherry blossom to 15 April; Shibazakura from 11 April (2026)
May
14.3 °C
–
–
Shibazakura Festival to 24 May (2026)
June
17.8 °C
–
Rainy season from mid-June
–
July
21.9 °C
–
Rainy season to mid-July
Yoshida Trail opens 1 July (2026)
August
22.5 °C, warmest month
28.1 °C / 18.5 °C
Typhoon risk
Lake Festival fireworks 5 August; Obon crowds
September
18.7 °C
–
264.7 mm, wettest month; typhoon risk
Yoshida Trail closes 10 September (2026)
October
13.0 °C
–
–
Serious congestion around Oishi Park (2026)
November
7.5 °C
–
–
Autumn Leaves Festival 7–29 November (2026)
December
2.3 °C
8.5 °C / −2.9 °C
49.8 mm, driest month
Fujisan Marathon 12–13 December

data.jma.go.jp (official), fujisan.ne.jp (official), yamanashi-kankou.jp (official), fujisan-climb.jp (official), japan.travel (official), Wikipedia

Quiet road through red pines and orange maples in autumn
Quiet road through red pines and orange maples in autumn

Summer at the lake

Kawaguchiko is a cool escape by Japanese summer standards. Japan’s national tourism organisation calls summer across Japan stiflingly hot and very humid12, while August at the lake averages a high of 28.1 °C and a low of 18.5 °C1.

The Kawaguchiko Lake Festival (Kojosai) is the big summer night out:

  • Date: 5 August16.
  • Fireworks: about 10,000, launched at Funatsu-hama, a 15-minute walk16 from Kawaguchiko Station.
  • Crowds: the festival draws more than 100,000 people16.

What can you do at Kawaguchiko in winter?

Winter at Kawaguchiko brings lake fireworks, an ice festival and hot springs, but the area gets extremely cold4, so dress for it.

  • Kawaguchiko Winter Fireworks: the show runs 20:00–20:206. The town tourism site recommends Oike Park16, the main venue. This year’s run had 11 displays16.
  • Saiko Ice Festival: ice art at Saiko Wild Bird Forest Park, late January to mid-February, lit from sunset to 19:0017.
  • Ways to warm up: the Fuji Five Lakes have hot springs18, and the region has art museums, theme parks and ski slopes4.

January nights average a low of −5.7 °C1, so after the fireworks a bed by the lake beats a late trip back. Compare the Mount Fuji view hotel choices before you book.

Lakeside car park and swan-boat kiosk below a snowy wooded hill
Lakeside car park and swan-boat kiosk below a snowy wooded hill

How cold is it on Mt Fuji?

The summit of Mt Fuji is far colder than the lake: the JMA summit station averages 6.4 °C in August and −18.2 °C1 in January.

That means a summer summit is cooler than a December afternoon at the lake, which averages a high of 8.5 °C1. Pack winter layers for a climb, even in August.

Before you set out

Closures and seasonal limits

Yoshida Trail: 1 July–10 September5

Snow and ice decide what’s open on the mountain in winter, and a few places in town cut their hours.

Place or service Season What to know
Fuji Subaru Line
Open all year, no fixed closure period19
In winter the drivable section changes day to day19
Yoshida Trail
1 July to 10 September 20265
Hiking fee ¥4,0005 (about US$25) per person per trip
Ochudo Trail (Yamanashi section)
Opened 28 April 202620
Walking from Oniwa towards the Osawa Collapse is banned all year20
Kawaguchiko Konohana Museum
Daily 09:00–17:00, March to November14
Monday to Friday 10:00–16:00, December to February14
Kawaguchiko.net private tours
Not running December to February21

The Fuji Subaru Line gates are closed outside operating hours19. Yamanashi Prefecture says traffic restrictions may still be imposed after full opening, depending on the weather22. The full length opened on 18 April 202622.

The Kawaguchiko Herb Festival stopped being held after fiscal year 202523. Lavender and other flowers can still be viewed at Oishi Park and Yagizaki Park23, so see Oishi Park’s lakeside flower beds for a summer walk.

The Fujisan Marathon restricts traffic on 12 and 13 December24, so plan drives around it.

Photos: Wikimedia Commons and Pexels. Authors and licences: image credits

Checked against 24 sources · last checked October 2026
  1. data.jma.go.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  2. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  3. Konansou (resort) · checked October 2026
  4. yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  5. fujisan-climb.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  6. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  7. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  8. yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  9. European Central Bank (official) · checked October 2026
  10. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  11. Wikipedia · checked October 2026
  12. japan.travel (official) · checked October 2026
  13. yamanashi-kankou.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  14. Wikivoyage · checked October 2026
  15. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  16. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  17. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  18. Travel Japan (japan.travel) (official) · checked October 2026
  19. tollgate.securesite.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  20. pref.yamanashi.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  21. Kawaguchiko.net (operator) · checked October 2026
  22. pref.yamanashi.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  23. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
  24. fujisan.ne.jp (official) · checked October 2026
Page history · last changed 20 October 2026
  • Updated: new section: Closures and seasonal limits, 2 sections removed, 3 sourced facts added, 8 removed.
  • First written