Hakone · Month comparison
May vs December
December ranks #1 overall vs May at #8. Crisp and clear — winter onsen season opens with excellent Fuji visibility and low crowds.
May
#8 of 12 months
Worth considering
Warm but increasingly wet — the rainy season is approaching and Fuji views deteriorate.
- ↑Pleasant 22°C highs for outdoor activities on the dry days between rain fronts
- ↑Golden Week crowds (early May) clear quickly; mid-to-late May is calmer and underrated
December
#1 of 12 months
Best match
Crisp and clear — winter onsen season opens with excellent Fuji visibility and low crowds.
- ↑Excellent Mt Fuji clarity: December air is dry and clean, producing sharp sightlines from Lake Ashi and the ropeway
- ↑Lowest crowds of the post-autumn period: accommodation rates drop sharply after the foliage rush
| Factor | May | December |
|---|---|---|
| Weather score | 3 | 7 |
| Value score | 6 | 7 |
| Crowd score | 6 | 7 |
| Events score | 6 | 5 |
| Atmosphere | 6 | 8 |
| Avg high temp | 22°C | 9°C |
| Monthly rain | 190mm | 65mm |
| Daily sunshine | 6hrs | 6hrs |
May trade-offs
- ↓190mm of rainfall — hard cap applies; tsuyu rainy season is imminent by month end
- ↓Mt Fuji views increasingly obscured by cloud and haze; summer fog becomes a daily reality
- ↓Some days render ropeway rides to Owakudani pointless: visibility zero in cloud
December trade-offs
- ↓Cold: 2°C lows require proper layering for all outdoor activities including ropeway and lake walks
- ↓Christmas and New Year week (Dec 28–Jan 3) sees a brief price and crowd spike
- ↓Short daylight hours limit afternoon photography windows; the golden hour arrives before 4:30pm
Scores compare months within Hakone. Climate data: Open Meteo ERA5 30-year normals (1991–2020). Methodology →