The Essential Guide to Fall Foliage in Japan

The fall foliage map below shows the typical viewing periods at destinations around Japan.
The timing can differ even within the same region, so check the information for each individual location.

For real-time updates on how the leaves are changing color, refer to the following websites operated by a Japanese weather information company and the Japan Weather Association.

Arashiyama in Kyoto offers scenery in which fall foliage blends harmoniously with historic architecture.
The area has many spots that evoke the atmosphere of Japan, including Japanese gardens set against colorful mountains and carefully arranged rock gardens framed by autumn leaves.
Tenryu-ji Temple, a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site, and Togetsukyo Bridge, one of Arashiyama’s best-known scenic landmarks, are especially popular during the fall foliage season.

Nikko City covers approximately one-quarter of Tochigi Prefecture and is home to numerous popular fall foliage spots. These include Irohazaka, where you can admire the leaves while driving; Lake Chuzenji, one of the Kanto region’s foremost autumn destinations; and Ryuzu Falls, where waterfalls and colorful foliage form a striking scene.
The area also has hot spring resorts, allowing visitors to view the leaves while bathing. Since many of Nikko’s fall foliage attractions are best explored by car, consider renting one to make the most of your visit. (Irohazaka becomes congested during the fall foliage season, so travel in the early morning or evening is recommended.)

Yabakei in Nakatsu City, Oita Prefecture, has been designated as one of the New Three Views of Japan, a Japan Heritage site, and one of Japan’s Three Great Unusual Landscapes. Here, colorful fall foliage contrasts with clusters of rocky peaks.
Across this vast area measuring 32 km from north to south and 36 km from east to west, cliffs, caves, mountain streams, and unusual rock formations create distinctive scenery.
Among its many autumn viewing spots, the best known is Hitome Hakkei Observatory in the center of Shin-Yabakei.
The unusual landscape visible from Hitome Hakkei Observatory can be seen nowhere else.

This historic hot spring town is located in Minami Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, and is often described as Sapporo’s private retreat.
With a history spanning more than 150 years, it lies within Shikotsu-Toya National Park and extends along riverbanks carved by the Shiraigawa and Toyohiragawa Rivers.
From Jozankei Ohashi Bridge in the center of town, visitors can look out over hotels nestled within a vast gorge covered in fall foliage.
Several other fall foliage destinations are located nearby, making the town an ideal base for exploring the area.

Hokkaido University has an expansive campus with plenty of open space.
It is conveniently located within walking distance of Sapporo Station. In addition to students and faculty, members of the public may enter the campus to look around or take a walk.
The Poplar Avenue area offers views of tall poplar trees and the broad scenery associated with Japan’s northern island.
Kita 13-jo Street is lined with ginkgo trees on both sides. In autumn, they turn golden and create an impressive sight.

Shikotsu-Toya National Park is located in southwestern Hokkaido and covers a total area of 995 km².
In addition to Lake Toya and Lake Shikotsu, two major caldera lakes formed when volcanic craters filled with water, the park features various volcanoes and volcanic landforms, including Mount Yotei, Mount Usu, and Mount Tarumae.
There are many fall foliage spots throughout the park. Noboribetsu Onsen’s Jigokudani and the area around Lake Shikotsu are particularly well known.

The Oirase River flows out of Lake Towada. Oirase Gorge refers to the approximately 14-km stretch that runs through the valley from Nenokuchi on the shore of Lake Towada to Yakeyama.
Together with Lake Towada, it has been designated a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty and Natural Monument. The area is known for its varied natural scenery, including clear streams, waterfalls of many shapes, and rocks of different sizes surrounded by trees.
The combination of waterfalls, streams, and colorful trees is particularly striking. Sights such as Samidare Stream, Ishigedo Rapids, Ashura Stream, and Lake Towada offer scenery found only in autumn.
A maintained nature trail also makes the area suitable for exploring on foot.

Naruko Gorge features sheer cliffs reaching depths of 100 m and extending for approximately 2.5 km.
Deciduous broadleaf trees, including maples and Mongolian oaks, cover the sharply rising white cliffs. In autumn, their red and yellow leaves create scenery resembling a painting.
Crossing Ofukasawa Bridge over Naruko Gorge provides a full sense of the valley’s height and surrounding landscape. This thrilling yet picturesque viewpoint may also offer a glimpse of a train crossing the gorge if the timing is right.

Mount Hakkoda is the collective name for a group of mountains rising south of Aomori City and is recognized as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains.
Mount Odake, the highest peak at 1,585 m, is joined by nine other peaks, including Mount Takada-Odake, Mount Ido, and Mount Akakura, which together form North Hakkoda. Six peaks, including Mount Kushigamine, make up South Hakkoda.
At the height of the season, the entire mountain range is covered in foliage resembling colorful brocade.
The first snow may fall in late October, sometimes allowing visitors to see autumn leaves amid the snow.
The Hakkoda Ropeway offers 360-degree panoramic views of the fall foliage.

Mount Takao is a 599-meter mountain located in Hachioji, Tokyo.
Its convenient location and relatively easy climb make it a popular sightseeing destination.
Visitors range from families with small children to older adults, and approximately 3 million people come here each year. It is also known as the world’s most-climbed mountain.
Mount Takao is one of Tokyo’s best-known fall foliage spots. In autumn, the mountain is covered in a varied mixture of red, yellow, and green.
With several easy trails available, even first-time hikers can take in the autumn scenery while walking.

Meiji Jingu Gaien is the outer precinct of Meiji Jingu Shrine, established in 1926. Centered around the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery, the grounds contain various sports facilities, including Meiji Jingu Stadium, as well as natural scenery that changes with the seasons.
The approximately 300-meter avenue of ginkgo trees extending from Aoyama-dori Avenue to the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery is particularly famous. In autumn, it forms a striking golden tunnel.
When the leaves reach their peak, the Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Festival is held, offering food from across Japan alongside views of the avenue.
The ginkgo trees are also illuminated, making this an attractive destination after dark.

Across grounds equivalent in area to approximately 40 Tokyo Domes, the park features lawns, fountains, sports courts, gardens filled with seasonal flowers, and ponds where visitors can observe waterside vegetation.
It also has various facilities where visitors can learn about plants and coexistence with nature, along with numerous events and hands-on programs.
Two ginkgo viewing areas offer different golden landscapes: the 300-meter-long Ginkgo Avenue, lined with 98 trees, and the 200-meter Canal Avenue, lined with 106. Visitors can take a leisurely walk through both golden tunnels.

Kamikochi is one of Japan’s leading mountain destinations. Its scenery has earned it two national designations: Special Place of Scenic Beauty and Special Natural Monument.
Maintained walking trails provide close-up views of mountains reaching approximately 3,000 m, including the Hotaka mountain range. Kamikochi is also one of the gateways to climbing routes for peaks such as Mount Yari, so many serious hikers carrying large backpacks visit the area.
Kamikochi has many scenic fall foliage spots, particularly around Kappa Bridge, Myojin Pond, and Taisho Pond.
The opportunity to combine serious hiking with fall foliage is one of Kamikochi’s distinctive autumn attractions.

Korankei is an approximately 1-km gorge formed by the Tomoe River and is part of Aichi Kogen Quasi-National Park.
A deciduous broadleaf forest extends from 254-meter Mount Iimori down to the river, and approximately 4,000 maple trees change color in autumn.
The Korankei Maple Festival is held during the peak viewing season. At night, the golden illumination of Mount Iimori and its reflection among the trees along the Tomoe River create an atmospheric setting.
Other highlights include Korankei Bridge, which offers 360-degree views of the foliage, and the approach to Kojaku-ji Temple, covered by trees in shades of red, yellow, and orange.

Senjojiki Cirque is a bowl-shaped valley carved by glaciers 20,000 years ago. It lies directly below Mount Hoken in the Central Alps, spanning Komagane City and Miyada Village in Nagano Prefecture.
Many hikers and sightseers come from across Japan to see its grand landscape change dramatically with the seasons.
The area is also known for its abundance of alpine plants. In autumn, the grasses and low-growing vegetation turn a range of colors.
Ride the Chuo Alps Komagatake Ropeway to look down over mountain slopes covered in red, yellow, and orange.

Kurobe Gorge is a vast V-shaped valley carved deeply by the Kurobe River.
Water originating at Mount Washiba in the central Northern Alps flows for 86 km between the Tateyama and Ushiro-Tateyama mountain ranges, descending steep slopes with an elevation difference of up to 3,000 m. The only way to access this rugged valley is by trolley train.
From the train, passengers can admire the contrast created by evergreen trees, red autumn foliage, and yellow autumn foliage.
The route also passes scenic attractions such as Sarutobi Gorge, a Special Natural Monument; Okukane Bridge, which crosses the Kurobe River 34 m above the water; and Hitokui-iwa, an imposing natural rock formation. The variety of scenery extends well beyond the colorful leaves.

Yahiko Park covers approximately 13 hectares and features streams, waterfalls, and many places that evoke the atmosphere of Japan.
A variety of trees grow throughout the grounds, creating scenery that changes with each season.
Momiji Valley, near Kangetsukyo Bridge—the symbol of Yahiko Park—is planted with maples and other trees whose leaves turn red and yellow in autumn.
The combination of the vermilion Kangetsukyo Bridge and the colorful foliage is especially striking.
At night, the illuminated leaves make the scene even more vivid.

Naeba Dragondola, Japan’s longest gondola lift, connects the Naeba and Tashiro highlands.
The approximately 25-minute journey covers 5.5 km and an elevation difference of about 430 m, creating a thrilling ride shaped by both the changing height and surrounding landscape.
In autumn, the trees around the gondola change color, creating a picturesque contrast with the emerald-green waters of Lake Futai.
At Tower No. 14, a particularly scenic point along the route, the gondola appears to plunge directly into mountains covered in autumn colors.

Otowasan Kiyomizu-dera Temple was founded in 778 and registered as a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage Site in 1994.
Its 130,000-m² grounds extend across the slopes of Mount Otowa and contain more than 30 temple buildings and monuments, including National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties.
In autumn, the trees throughout the grounds turn red, creating scenes in which the foliage complements the historic architecture.
Particularly notable are the Main Hall, associated with the Japanese expression “to jump off the stage of Kiyomizu,” meaning to make a bold decision, and the vermilion three-story pagoda. The sight of these structures surrounded by deep-red foliage is a major highlight.

Nara Park combines valuable historical and cultural sites—including Kasuga Taisha Shrine, Kofuku-ji Temple, Todai-ji Temple, the Nara National Museum, and the Shosoin Repository—with expansive natural scenery.
Many features of the park have been designated Natural Monuments, including the Kasugayama Primeval Forest, itself a Special Natural Monument, as well as the Nara deer, the nagi forest within the grounds of Kasuga Taisha, the Nara-no-yaezakura cherry tree at Chisoku-in Temple, and the habitat of the Loomis hairstreak butterfly.
In autumn, the area is transformed as colorful trees complement its historic cultural sites and Natural Monuments.
Since trees with colorful foliage grow throughout the park, visitors can walk around and find their own favorite viewing spots.

Katsuo-ji Temple in Minoh City, Osaka Prefecture, is an ancient temple founded during the Nara period, with a history spanning approximately 1,300 years. Surrounded by a quasi-national park, its approximately 26-hectare grounds contain the Main Hall and temple gate reconstructed by Toyotomi Hideyori, as well as Sanbo Kojin Shrine, considered Japan’s first shrine dedicated to the deity Kojin.
It is one of the most popular fall foliage destinations in Minoh, an area already known for its autumn scenery. During this season, the grounds turn red and yellow, and arches of maple leaves cover the temple approach. Evening illuminations are also held during the fall foliage season, creating an atmosphere different from the solemn character of the temple by day.

Momijidani Park is located on Miyajima in Hiroshima Bay. It is a developed walking area in a valley at the foot of Mount Misen.
In autumn, approximately 700 trees change color throughout the park.
About 560 of these are Japanese maples, creating a striking contrast between deep-red foliage and surrounding greenery.
At the park entrance, the crimson Momiji Bridge and nearby maple trees create a scene that embodies traditional Japanese elegance.

Okayama Korakuen is a feudal lord’s garden recognized as one of the Three Great Gardens of Japan, alongside Kairakuen in Mito and Kenrokuen in Kanazawa. It was designated a national Special Place of Scenic Beauty in 1952. Ponds and waterways run through the spacious lawns, while Yuishinzan Hill and Enyotei House, once the feudal lord’s residence, offer views incorporating Mount Misao beyond the garden as borrowed scenery.
The main fall foliage area is Chishio-no-Mori Grove in the southeastern part of the garden. Its approximately 100 maple trees reach their peak from mid-November to early December, their red leaves standing out against the green lawns and reflecting on the pond. Ginkgo and cherry trees also change color throughout the grounds. The sight of the leaves against the black keep of Okayama Castle creates scenery not found at the other two Great Gardens.
When the foliage reaches its deepest colors, the garden also holds a special nighttime opening known as the Autumn Fantasy Garden.

Kintaikyo Bridge is counted among Japan’s Three Famous Bridges alongside Nihonbashi Bridge in Tokyo and Meganebashi Bridge in Nagasaki. It is also recognized as one of Japan’s Three Great Unusual Bridges. Its substantial arches possess a refined appearance, while its distinctive construction is another notable feature. The bridge also forms a harmonious landscape with the surrounding natural scenery.
From mid- to late November, the nearby trees turn vivid shades of red and orange, adding rich color to the imposing bridge. The scene resembles a picture postcard and conveys a strong sense of traditional Japan. Approximately a 10-minute walk from Kintaikyo Bridge is Kikko Park, selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Fall Foliage Spots. The park has around 1,000 trees with colorful leaves, allowing visitors to appreciate the season amid abundant natural scenery.

Ritsurin Garden was developed as a villa for the Matsudaira family, the lords of the Takamatsu Domain. Successive generations expanded and improved it until its completion nearly 300 years ago.
It is the largest of Japan’s gardens designated as Special Places of Scenic Beauty.
This strolling garden contains six ponds and 13 landscaped hills. It is described as offering “a different view with every step,” with the scenery changing as visitors walk through the grounds.
During the fall foliage season, illuminated leaves are reflected on the garden’s ponds, creating an atmospheric nighttime scene.
The Nanko Pond Japanese Boat Ride offers views of both the garden and illuminated foliage from the water and is well worth taking during the autumn season.

Kankakei is a gorge on Shodoshima Island in Kagawa Prefecture, located in the central area of Setonaikai National Park.
Andesite, agglomerate, and other rocks formed by volcanic activity approximately 13 million years ago were gradually shaped by tectonic movement and erosion, producing the towering and unusual rock formations seen today.
The gorge has been selected for numerous national lists and designations, including Japan’s Three Most Beautiful Gorges, Japan’s Three Great Scenic Wonders, the 100 Landscapes of Japan, and the 100 Natural Landscapes to Preserve for the 21st Century.
A ropeway runs through the deep gorge, offering panoramic views of the Seto Inland Sea and the valley covered in fall foliage.
It is the only ropeway in Japan where passengers can view the sky, sea, and an autumn-colored gorge at the same time.

Omogo Gorge extends along the foot of Mount Ishizuchi and is designated as a national Place of Scenic Beauty.
One of its main attractions is the exceptionally clear stream, whose riverbed can be seen even from walking trails some distance away.
The contrast between the emerald-green water and the red and yellow leaves creates memorable scenery with an almost mystical atmosphere.
The gorge also contains waterfalls and unusual rock formations, offering a varied range of views.

Nomiyama Kannonji Temple stands at the foot of Mount Hokotate and is a special head temple of the Koyasan Shingon school, a status equivalent to that of a major head temple.
Believed to offer significant spiritual blessings, it receives more than 1 million worshippers each year.
It also serves as a place of study and training where many Buddhist monks gather.
The grounds contain many points of interest, including more than 3,000 Jizo statues dedicated to children who died before birth, Daishido Hall dedicated to Kobo Daishi, and an Inari shrine dedicated to Inari Daimyojin.
More than 1,000 maple trees and 1,000 azalea shrubs line the grounds and temple approach, adding autumn color to the temple’s solemn atmosphere.
Although there are many scenic places to see the leaves, the approximately 1,000 enkianthus shrubs behind Hyakukannondo Hall are particularly impressive when they turn the entire area deep red.

Kikuchi Gorge in Kikuchi City, Kumamoto Prefecture, is a scenic valley located at the headwaters of the Kikuchi River. It has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Forest Bathing Spots and one of Japan’s 100 Best Waterfalls, and is known for scenery formed by primeval forest and clear flowing water.
In autumn, Japanese maples, Japanese zelkovas, and other trees change color, creating an impressive contrast with the emerald-green river. The views from areas such as Momijigase and Hirokawara are particularly noteworthy. As you walk along the trail, the sound of the river and birdsong allows you to experience the autumn landscape with all five senses.

Takachiho Gorge is a V-shaped valley created when pyroclastic flows from Mount Aso cooled and hardened before being eroded by the Gokase River over tens of thousands of years.
The landscape is defined by cliffs reaching up to 100 m high, with an average height of 80 m, extending for 7 km.
The gorge has been designated both a national Place of Scenic Beauty and a Natural Monument.
Its main highlight is Manai Falls, selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Waterfalls.
When the autumn leaves reach their peak, the area around the waterfall also changes color. Visitors can view both the falls and foliage from a boat.
Colorful leaves can also be found beyond the immediate area around Manai Falls, so consider walking along the Takachiho Gorge trail.