Makino Dawn Redwood Avenue, a Low-Profile Fall Foliage Viewing Spot in Kansai
Have you ever slowed down your car at the sight of beautiful scenery on your journey? Low-profile Dawn Redwood Avenue at Shiga Prefecture’s Makino offers such a view that is so inviting that you can’t help pulling up and enjoying a stroll!
A Magnificent Scene of 500 Dawn Redwoods and Their Leaves
Here is Dawn Redwood Avenue located in Shiga Prefecture’s Takashima, which runs for 2.5 km from Makino Agriculture Park (Makino Nogyou Koen) to Makino Highland (Makino Kougen).
The road is lined with total 500 conic dawn redwoods.
The fall foliage looks its best from Late November to early December. The dawn redwoods and their red leaves alternating with yellow ones form a fall foliage tunnel for passing vehicles and pedestrians, and the scene is poetry when viewed from afar.
Most Japanese visitors to the avenue choose to ride bicycles or motorcycles to get here.
They can park their cycles wherever they like to take photos of the fall foliage along the road, does this sound romantic?
Access
You can take streetcars and buses, or drive cars.
- Streetcars and buses: Get off at JR Makino Station, take a Community Kokoku bus of the Makino Highland Line in front of the Station, and get off at Makino Pic-Land Station.
- Cars: Drive for about 90 minutes from the entry of Kyoto East Interchange (Kyoto-higashi IC) of the Meishin Expressway.
This an about 20-minute bus ride, and a ticket costs an adult 220 yen or a child 110 yen.
The picture below is the schedule of Community Kokoku Buses.
- マキノ: makino
- コミュニティ湖国バス: Community Kokoku Bus
- マキノ ピックランド：Makino Pic-Land
Basic information on Dawn Redwood Avenue
- Name in Japanese
- Makino Metasekoia Namiki
- Address
- Hiruguchi, Makino-cho, Takashima, Shiga Prefecture [Map]
- Best period for viewing fall foliage
- Late November to early December
- Official website (in Japanese)
- http://www.takashima-kanko.jp/
Hints on Photography
Wonderful photographs of dawn redwoods can always be taken regardless of camera angles.
During the period for viewing fall foliage, if you take photos on the road, you should beware of the heavy traffic.
Tip on the Origin of the Name of Takashimaya
Do you know Takashimaya, a department store chain in Japan?
Takashimaya acquired its name from Takashima, the city where Dawn Redwood Avenue is built. Iida Shinshichi, the founder of the store chain, named the chain as Takashimaya to commemorate the hometown (current Takashima in Shiga Prefecture) of his adoptive father.
An Ever-Beautiful Road, One of the 100 Scenic Tree-Lined Streets in Japan
Besides fall foliage, Dawn Redwood Avenue has different flavors in different seasons, and thus is selected as the 100 Scenic Tree-Lined Streets in Japan.
The photos below convey the beauties of the avenue in four seasons.
The said affords you a glimpse of Dawn Redwood Avenue, a low-profile fall foliage viewing spot in Shiga Prefecture.
It is only a 45-minute bus ride from Kyoto Station or only an about 1-hour bus ride from Osaka Station, and you may include this avenue into your itinerary for viewing fall foliage in Kansai.