They’re a little bit out of the way if you’re only on a short trip, but if you want to get off the beaten track, these mountains in the north of Akita and Iwate Prefectures are resplendent throughout October. In Tohoku, the little-visited northern region of Japan’s mainland, lies one of the very best autumn spots in all of Japan: the Hachimantai Mountains.
The Hachimantai Mountains, Tohoku Lovely Onuma Pond in the Hachimantai Mountains Our favourite spots include the Daisetsuzan National Park (the first place in Japan to see autumn colours, in mid-September) and the rugged Shiretoko Peninsula.ĭepending on where you go in Hokkaido, you can find autumn colours here from mid-September until late October.ĭo it: Travel to Hokkaido in the autumn on our Wild Hokkaido Self-Guided Adventure.ģ.
With huge tracts of wilderness, mountains, volcanoes, plains, lakes and hot springs, this is a stunning place to witness autumn leaves. Japan’s northernmost island is rarely visited by foreign tourists, yet it boasts some of the best autumn colours in the country. Hokkaido’s national parks Dramatic scenery in Daisetsuzan National Park One of our favourite temples at any time of year, Daigo-ji is completely stunning in the autumn, and barely known to outsiders.ĭo it: Our Spirit of Honshu Small Group Tour stops off in Kyoto for the autumn colours (November departure), but if that’s sold out, take a look at the ‘Autumn Splendour’ Self Guided Adventure.Ģ. While most of the crowds flock to Tofuku-ji and Kiyomizu-dera, we recommend heading to Daigo-ji Temple on the outskirts of the city. The evening is often the best time to visit, when the trees are beautifully illuminated. The colours begin to come out in mid-November and can last until early December. It’s not for nothing that Kyoto is known as the “City of Ten Thousand Temples”, and it’s at these shrines and gardens that you’ll see some of Japan’s finest autumn leaves.
But for those who haven’t had a lifetime to decide, we’ve put together a list of our top 10 favourite places to see the turning leaves.ġ. They also tend to stick around for a little longer than the cherry blossom, making them easier to catch than their more fleeting pink counterparts.Įvery Japanese person will have their own favourite autumn leaf-peeping spot.
Like the cherry blossom, the koyo front sweeps along the length of the country over the course of a few weeks - but while the cherry blossom begins in Okinawa and spreads north, the autumn leaves begin in northern Hokkaido and travel south. Just as the parks and countryside are packed with revellers gathering for hanami (blossom-viewing) parties in spring, during autumn, the Japanese flock to their favourite spots to appreciate the fall foliage (called koyo or momiji – two readings of the same characters: 紅葉). From mid-September until the beginning of November, Japan’s deciduous trees begin to change colour, painting mountains, parks and forests in a vibrant palette of reds, oranges and golds. Japan is extremely proud of its seasons (seriously, you’d think nowhere else in the world had them) - and for good reason.
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