Autumn in Japan is the other great season of domestic tourism, the one less talked about than the cherry blossoms but just as beautiful, sometimes more. The Japanese have a word for the chase: momijigari, literally “red maple leaf hunting.” For six weeks, from north to south, forests catch fire and shrines disappear under clouds of red, orange, and gold.
It’s my favorite season for photographing Japan. The light is clear, summer humidity is gone, the sky is high, temperatures are mild. And the color palette is simply unreal.
When exactly
Like the cherry blossoms, timing varies with latitude and altitude. The general rule:
- Hokkaido: mid-September to mid-October
- Tohoku (northern Japan): early to late October
- Japanese Alps, high altitudes: mid-October to early November
- Tokyo and Kanto: mid- to late November, sometimes early December
- Kyoto: mid-November to early December. Peak is usually between November 20 and 30
- Kyushu: late November to mid-December
To track the progression year by year, the official JNTO site publishes annual forecasts, and Weathernews and Tenki.jp updates are reliable and refreshed weekly during the season.
My best spots, by region
Kyoto, the classic
Tofuku-ji is the absolute reference in Kyoto. The Tsutenkyo bridge over a valley of red maples is one of the most striking sights in Japan. But it’s known: arrive at 8:30 opening, ideally on a weekday.
Eikan-do (Zenrin-ji), in Higashiyama, also offers magnificent night illuminations in late November. Book ahead.
The Philosopher’s Path, along the canal between Ginkaku-ji and Nanzen-ji, is sublime in autumn. About a 2 km walk, no entrance fee.
Kibune and Kurama, two small villages north of Kyoto by train. The forest catches fire in colors, and the Eizan railway offers panoramic views over the burning mountains.
Nikko, the giant spectacle
An hour and a half from Tokyo, and another world. (For another season at Nikko, see my article on the primroses of Senjugahama.) The Nikko shrines surrounded by thousand-year-old cedars and red maples are perhaps Japan’s most beautiful autumn sight. Peak is mid-October at altitude (Yumoto, Lake Chuzenji), late October in the lower town.
The trail to Kegon and Ryuzu falls is essential. For the motivated, the Irohazaka mountain road, with its 48 hairpin turns, crosses an entirely lit forest.
The Japanese Alps
Kamikochi, in the Chubu Sangaku National Park, offers landscapes of snowy mountains with golden larch trees in the foreground. Open only April to mid-November, autumn peak is early October.
Karuizawa, an hour from Tokyo by Shinkansen, is the classic Tokyoite resort town. Forests are magnificent from mid-October to early November.
My lesser-known favorites
Yamadera (Yamagata prefecture), a temple suspended on a mountainside reached by 1015 steps, is striking in late October. Very few foreign tourists.
Mount Daisetsu in Hokkaido catches the first fire from mid-September. It’s the very start of the season and one of the most beautiful places in Japan in autumn.
Oirase Gorge in Aomori, with a 14 km walk along a river, mid-October. Far less crowded than the classics.
Korankei (Aichi), near Nagoya, has 4,000 maple trees and is particularly spectacular under night illumination in mid-November.
Practical tips
Dress well. In the mountains, early October, it can be 5°C in the morning. Layered clothing is the key.
Book hotels early. Ryokan in popular destinations (Hakone, Nikko, Kyoto in late November) fill up by summer.
Photograph early and late. The soft light of 7-9 AM and 3-5 PM transforms the reds. Avoid midday sun, which flattens colors.
Watch for illuminations. Many temples (especially in Kyoto) stay open until 9 PM in November, with illuminated maples. Eikan-do, Kodai-ji, Shoren-in, Kiyomizu-dera. Tickets need to be booked.
To prep your autumn trip, see also my What to Do in Kyoto guide and the one on the best onsen in Japan, which are particularly enchanting in this season.