[11 Best Places to See Autumn Leaves in Hokkaido] Stunning Fall Scenery Where Colorful Foliage Blends into Vast Natural Landscapes

The table below summarizes the forecasted best time to see autumn leaves in various parts of Hokkaido, announced in October 2025 by the weather information company Nippon Meteorological Corporation. Many areas are expected to reach their peak later than usual.
However, depending on the spot and future temperatures, the peak season may shift, so please keep that in mind.

Onuma Quasi-National Park was designated in July 1958 as the 13th quasi-national park in Japan and the only one in southern Hokkaido.
Located in the central part of the Oshima Peninsula, about 20 minutes by car from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station on the Hokkaido Shinkansen, the park covers Mt. Komagatake, an active volcano, as well as many lakes and marshes formed by eruptions, including Onuma, Konuma, and Junsainuma, along with the surrounding lush green area.
Among them, Mt. Komagatake is a uniquely shaped and well-known active volcano in southern Hokkaido, and the park boasts a total area of 9,083 hectares with sweeping scenery.
One of its defining features is that autumn leaves can be seen throughout the vast grounds.
From the fallen leaves at your feet that spread like a beautiful carpet to the foliage overhead that seems to cover the sky, the scenery is captivating.
One of the most recommended views is Mt. Komagatake seen through the autumn leaves.
The harmony between the grand natural scenery and the colorful foliage is beautiful.
During the Halloween event, the area is also illuminated, creating a magical atmosphere that feels quite different from the daytime.

This famous hot spring is located in the Iburi region in southwestern Hokkaido.
Known since the Edo period, it is a very rare place where one hot spring area contains many different types of spring waters.
Many of the spring sources bubbling up throughout the area come from Jigokudani, a volcanic valley formed by volcanic activity Approx. 10,000 years ago.
Boasting an abundant water supply of 10,000 tons per day, the hot spring water can be enjoyed in a wide variety of baths and tubs creatively designed by inns and hotels.
The pure white steam rising from places such as Jigokudani vividly enhances the red and yellow autumn leaves of Noboribetsu Onsen.
The charming atmosphere of the hot spring town and the autumn colors of the grand surrounding mountains are sure to be deeply relaxing.
The climate also makes it easy to enjoy the autumn leaves while soaking in a hot spring.
Although there is no illumination directly lighting up the autumn leaves, lights are turned on along the walking path in Jigokudani at night.
With only minimal lighting, the area takes on a more immersive and fantastical atmosphere than during the day.

Asahidake is the highest peak in the Daisetsuzan mountain range, where mountains over 2,000 meters line up. Although it stands at an elevation of 2,291 meters, you can take a ropeway up to around 1,600 meters, making it a popular place to casually enjoy spectacular scenery.
Near the 1,600-meter level is Sugatami Pond, where on clear days Asahidake is reflected in the clear blue water, creating a magical atmosphere.
Another appeal is that you can start exploring on foot from the ropeway’s Sugatami Station.
Asahidake is famous as the place where autumn leaves appear earliest in Japan due to its elevation and the surrounding climate.
In some years, the leaves begin to change as early as late August, truly signaling the arrival of autumn in Japan.
The autumn foliage seen from the ropeway is exceptional.
Fine shades of red, yellow, and green spread out below, and the view from above has the beauty of a painting.

Hakodate Kosetsuen is a garden located within Miharu Park in Hakodate City.
It originated in the Meiji period as a villa created for a wealthy merchant based in Hakodate.
The name Kosetsuen is said to have been given by the head priest of Chion-in Temple of the Jodo sect in Kyoto, who visited Hakodate during the Taisho period, with the meaning “a garden where plum blossoms fragrance the snow.”
In the early Showa period, it was opened to the public free of charge, and in 2001 it was designated a Place of Scenic Beauty, becoming the only nationally designated cultural property garden in Hokkaido.
The garden features a variety of landscaped spaces, including a shoin-style garden pavilion, streams, and a brick greenhouse, offering many highlights.
Hakodate Kosetsuen has about 7,000 trees of around 150 varieties, and one of its attractions is the way the leaves change color in a gradient-like display.
One of the biggest highlights is the Approx. 100-meter maple-lined path.
The sight of fiery red maples arching overhead is breathtaking in scale.
After sunset, the garden is illuminated, creating a fantastical world in contrast to its bright daytime appearance.

Lake Akan is the fifth-largest freshwater lake in Hokkaido and is known as a habitat for marimo moss balls.
Although marimo live in freshwater lakes around the world, the marimo in Lake Akan are known for their beautiful spherical shape measuring over 15 centimeters in diameter, giving them global value.
The area around Lake Akan is part of Akan-Mashu National Park and is a power spot where you can experience Hokkaido’s uniquely mystical natural scenery while taking a walk.
At Lake Akan and in the surrounding area, you can enjoy spectacular views where grand nature and autumn leaves come together during peak foliage season.
One especially recommended view is from Takimi Bridge, located Approx. 4 km from the lakeshore of Lake Akan.
This is the source area of the Akan River, where water rushes forcefully down between rocks.
The contrast between the red and yellow autumn leaves and the clear stream splashing white is beautiful.
It is a scene you can see only here, offering scenery full of elegance and charm.

Hokkaido University has a vast campus with an open and spacious atmosphere. It is easily accessible, and you can enter the grounds on foot from Sapporo Station. Not only students and faculty but also visitors from outside the university can enjoy sightseeing and strolling there.
At the General Museum, you can view academic materials and exhibits. You can also enjoy shopping at the museum shop or taking a break at the café.
In the Poplar Avenue area, you can admire tall poplar trees stretching into the sky, creating a grand scene that feels true to Hokkaido. Meanwhile, both sides of a road called Kita 13-jo Street are lined with ginkgo trees, which turn a brilliant golden color in autumn and are especially impressive.

Located in central Sapporo yet surrounded by rich greenery, Nakajima Park is a popular park even within the city, where many tourists gather throughout the year to enjoy seasonal scenery.
One of Nakajima Park’s features is its Japanese garden.
A calm, distinctly Japanese atmosphere flows through the garden.
There is also the tea house Hassoan, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property, where you can view the exterior of this historically valuable building.
One of the park’s biggest attractions is the wide variety of autumn foliage that can be seen within the grounds.
In the Japanese garden, vivid autumn leaves reflect on the pond, and their shimmering appearance evokes a uniquely Japanese sense of beauty.
From within Nakajima Park, you can also see the surrounding high-rise buildings, and the contrast with the vibrant autumn leaves is distinctive and deeply atmospheric.
At night, the area is illuminated, and the reflection of the autumn leaves in the pond becomes even more vivid and mysterious.

Mt. Moiwa is located almost in the center of Sapporo. You can ride a Swiss-made mini cable car designed for forest viewing up to the 531-meter summit, and it is also popular among Sapporo residents as a mountain that is easy to climb, with five hiking trails leading to the top.
At the summit, a 360-degree panorama opens up, including views of Sapporo’s cityscape, the Ishikari Plain, Ishikari Bay, and even mountains such as Mashike Shokanbetsudake. You are sure to be moved by the rich natural scenery that changes with the seasons.
The highlight in autumn is the grand foliage viewed from above while riding the ropeway.
As the autumn scenery moves slowly below, you can experience the gradation of colors in a flowing, dynamic way.
The beauty of the colors seen from a bird’s-eye view feels even more vivid.
Because the mountain is easy to climb, it is also recommended to head for the summit while viewing the autumn leaves up close.

Goryokaku is a Western-style fortress built in 1866.
Until it was later handed over to the new Meiji government, it served as the political center of Ezo. It was then opened to the public in 1914 as Goryokaku Park, and since then it has attracted visitors as both a tourist destination and a nationally designated Special Historic Site.
Goryokaku Park is also famous as a place to admire beautiful flowers.
One example is its cherry tree grove. Goryokaku Park is so beautiful that it is often synonymous with cherry blossoms.
In autumn, the trees, including Approx. 1,600 cherry trees, turn red and yellow.
The outer edge of the moat is a walking path, where you can enjoy the beautiful autumn leaves while strolling through an atmospheric setting.
One especially recommended view is from the nearby 107-meter-tall Goryokaku Tower.
It is a sight unique to Goryokaku Park, where you can enjoy the star-shaped spread of autumn colors together with the cityscape of Hakodate.

A historic hot spring town located in Minami Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido, often called the inner retreat of the major city of Sapporo.
With a history of more than 150 years since its opening, it is designated as part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park, and the hot spring town spreads along riverbanks formed by the erosion of the Shirai River and the Toyohira River.
The spring quality is sodium chloride spring water.
Jozankei Onsen has 56 spring sources, concentrated around the Tsukimi Bridge and Takayama Bridge areas along the Toyohira River that runs through the hot spring town.
Jozankei’s autumn leaves are reputed to be among the most vivid of all autumn foliage spots in Hokkaido.
The reason is said to be its climate with sharp temperature differences, and it has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Best Autumn Leaf Spots.
The view from Futami Suspension Bridge is especially stunning, and one of its attractions is being able to observe the autumn leaves up close.
For a limited time, projection mapping and illumination are also held, creating a fantastical yet near-futuristic space to enjoy.

Shikotsuko Onsen is located in Chitose and is known for its smooth, slightly thick water.
It is said to help with neuralgia, muscle pain, and recovery from fatigue, and is also praised as a beauty bath because of its strong moisturizing effects.
The refined and elegant atmosphere of the hot spring town is also appealing, making it perfect for those who want to slowly enjoy both natural scenery and hot springs.
Enjoying autumn leaves while soaking in a hot spring is something uniquely Japanese, so be sure to take in that sense of Japanese charm with your whole body.
The autumn leaves around Shikotsuko Onsen are characterized less by vivid red and yellow and more by somewhat calmer tones.
Many leaves blend green and pale yellow, harmonizing well with the surrounding scenery including Lake Shikotsu.
The overall impression is one of peace and relaxation as you take in the view.