Winter in Japan may be long and cold but that doesn’t mean your family won’t survive. Bundle up, get cozy and try these fun activities to keep the frost at bay.

Ahh, winter. Dreary days. Bone-chilling temperatures. Late sunrises. Sounds miserable, right? It may seem like the end of the world, but here are some fun family activities for winter in Japan.

Although it may be tempting, don’t stay indoors all the time. If you have young kids, getting outside is essential to get rid of the wiggles and save your sanity. Even if it’s freezing, get out. There is no such thing as bad weather. Just bad clothes, right?

If you’re too tired to schlep outdoors, don’t sweat it! There are lots of things your family can do at home to make the wintry season a memorable one. Here’s my survival kit to chase those seasonal blues away.

• 1. Check Out The Lights
• 2. Hit the Slopes 
• 3. Warm up in a Hot Spring
• 4. Hit up a Winter Festival
• 5. Catch Those Early Blossoms 
• 6. Kick Back with a Flick
• 7. Take a Yuzu Bath
• 8. Making Sweet Treats
• 9. Strawberry Picking
• 10. Play Karuta

1. Check Out The Lights

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1072688182.jpg)Walk through sparkling streets with your little one.

Luckily, in Japan, the lights usually stay on well past Christmas and New Year’s. 

I don’t know any kid who isn’t a fan of twinkly fairy lights. The glow of thousands of LED lights can make for a magical evening and stunning family selfies. 

The best time to feast your eyes and avoid the crowds is on a weekday at dusk. Popular locations where the razzle-dazzle stays up past December 25 include:

• Country Farm Tokyo German Village (until Apr. 5, 2026)

• Tokyo Dome City (until Mar. 1, 2026)

• Odaiba Decks Tokyo Beach (until Feb. 27, 2026)

• Yomiuriland Jewellumination (until Apr. 5, 2026)

2. Hit the Slopes 

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-2174751214.jpg)Who doesn’t love a day out on the snow?

January in Japan is synonymous with Japow (fresh powder snow). The ski season usually runs from December to April, with January and February delivering the most snow and the biggest crowds. 

But what if your family isn’t a couple of powder hounds? Not to worry. Many popular resorts in Japan offer one-on-one and group beginner lessons to kids and adults. Some even offer them in English! 

Strapping on a snowboard requires some skill, so why not try something with less of a learning curve? Equally fun family winter activities in Japan include sledding, tubing, snow rafting, ice fishing, ice skating, even dog sledding! 

Check out these family-friendly snow resorts in Japan this winter:

• Tsugaike Mountain Resort (Nagano)

• Hoshino Resorts Tomamu (Hokkaido)

• Tambara Ski Park (Gunma)

• Gala Yuzawa Snow Resort (Niigata)

3. Warm up in a Hot Spring

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1854896380.jpg)One of the best ways to spend a cold day.

Not on friendly terms with the white stuff? Onsen (hot springs) are aplenty in Japan. A visit to the hot spring doesn’t require schlepping across the country. Kusatsu, Hakone and Atami are all famous onsen towns a hop and skip away from the capital.

Or enjoy the best of both worlds! Nozawa Onsen, a famous ski resort and onsen town in Nagano, is perfect for the family that plays hard by day and enjoys downtime at dusk. 

An onsen visit is just what the doctor orders during the cold season, helping you and your loved ones warm up the body without breaking the bank. Pick a public one or keep things intimate by renting a private pool. Check out our family guide to planning a trip to the onsen.

4. Hit up a Winter Festival

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/pixta_37261068_M.jpg)Keep the festivities going.

Even if you’re not a hardcore ski bum, you can still enjoy the ice. These winter *matsuri *(festivals) celebrate the white stuff, shaping it into pretty spectacles. 

Everyone knows about the Sapporo Snow Festival but what about the Tokamachi Snow Festival? In Niigata,  locals “befriend” the snow and make equally stunning snow sculptures. 

Or check out some really cute illuminated kamakura (igloos) along a riverbank at the Yunishigawa Onsen Kamakura Festival in Tochigi. Afterward, be sure to warm up in a hot pool.

Witness epic snowball fights (with participants in hilarious getups) at the Koide International Snowball Fight in Niigata. 

And for an even more glorious show, watch fire flowers explode against a Mt. Fuji backdrop during the Kawaguchiko Winter Fireworks Festival.

5. Catch Those Early Blossoms 

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1588655468.jpg)Hunting for them is half the fun.

When winter starts winding down in Japan, do you know you and your family can catch some early blossoms? 

Before the eponymous sakura (cherry blossom) in spring, there are ume (plum) blossoms. Every year, Hanegi Park hosts the Setagaya Ume Matsuri. Gaze at the flowers, get your matcha on or try your hand at haiku or *mochitsuki *(mochi pounding).

There are also some early sakura bloomers like Atami-zakura and Kawazu-zakura that flower as early as January and February. Every year, the Izu Peninsula in Shizuoka hosts Itokawa Cherry Blossom Festival and Kawazu Cherry Blossom Festival. 

If you’re not up for a road trip, you can also *hanami *(view flowers) under kawazu zakura trees in Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and Rinshi no Mori Park in Tokyo.

6. Kick Back with a Flick

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1470997343.jpg)A great time to introduce your kids to the classics.

When your family just wants to hibernate indoors, break out the popcorn and host a feel-good movie marathon. I’m talking snowy landscapes, heartwarming stories, colorful characters. 

Some family-friendly movie recs that fit the bill:

• Ponyo (girl-fish turns into a girl and falls in love with a human boy)

• The Secret World of Arrietty/Karigurashi no Arietti (who doesn’t love a tale of tiny borrowers living in a cute little house?)

• Mirai (little boy time-travels to meet his baby sis and other relatives)

• Little Forest: Winter/Spring /Ritoru Foresuto: Fuyu/Haru (girl moves back to hometown in the wilderness and enjoys slow living)

However, I’m not including the beloved Hachiko Monogatari in this comfort movie list. 

Whoever said (spoiler alert) that watching a beautiful Akita lose his home and die a common stray in the snow in front of Shibuya Station clearly doesn’t know the meaning of heartwarming. If this plotline sounds too traumatic, feel free to skip. 

7. Take a Yuzu Bath

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1138613739.jpg)Make bath time even more fun.

Japanese culture mandates yuzuyu (yuzu bath) on the winter solstice but who says your family can’t enjoy it throughout winter? 

Bath time becomes extra-special with tangy notes wafting about. Cut a couple of yuzu (Japanese citrus) in half and dunk them in the bathwater. If the fruit isn’t available, your next best bet is a yuzu-scented bath bomb. 

Soaking in the citrus-infused water may ward off colds. Not only is yuzu rich in vitamin C, its oil also contains immune-boosting nomilin. And of course, a nice long soak increases circulation and relaxes the body. 

If you have a lot of fruit, here are some other ways to use yuzu during winter.

8. Making Sweet Treats

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-2217074066.jpg)A perfect way to keep them busy.

Winter is the perfect time in Japan to bake your family’s way to happiness. Make desserts from seasonal ingredients like strawberries, yuzu and mikan (mandarin orange) like yuzu pavlova or mikan cake.

Get those kids measuring and mixing with this salty-sweet miso chocolate chip cookie recipe. If baking seems intimidating, check out our guide to buying baking ingredients in Japan.

Even if you don’t have an oven, all is not lost. With just a stovetop and refrigerator, you can whip up a seasonal amazake purin* *(amazake pudding) or chocolate treats for Valentine’s or anytime. 

9. Strawberry Picking

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1467836114.jpg)Eat all you can.

Did you know that even in the depths of winter, you can go strawberry picking? Thanks to numerous greenhouses in Japan, this fun activity is available from as early as January to June. 

Why did I include this as an indoor activity? Since the greenhouses protect the berries from the elements, rest assured you and your fam won’t get nippy or wet while eating all that delicious fruit.  

At Yokohama Strawberry Park, you can even chow down on those moreish berries all year round! Pick berries in the city or in a neighboring prefecture. Try any of these popular strawberry-picking locations in and around Tokyo.

10. Play Karuta

[

](https://cdn.savvytokyo.com/app/uploads/2026/01/iStock-1285020044.jpg)Fun for the whole family.

Winter activities with the family in Japan don’t always have to cost a fortune. 

For New Year’s, many Japanese families indulge in *karuta *(card games). This mashup of *kai-awase *(a traditional Japanese matching game involving shells) and a deck of European cards is so popular that there’s even a national tournament.

To play karuta, one person reads the yomifuda (reading card) from the deck while the other players rush to grab/touch/slap its matching *torifuda *(card to be retrieved) scattered on a surface face up. The player with the most cards wins! 

If this sounds like too much of a tussle, check out some more traditional Japanese games.

Which of these fun family activities for winter in Japan are you going to try with your loved ones?