Autumn

Autumn

Follow me into Japan’s ember-bright corners; spider lilies, mountain temples, and quiet towns glowing between summer and snow.

Akame 48
Autumn

Akame 48, Green in Cascade

Forty-eight waterfalls that are not really forty-eight, a god riding a red-eyed ox, ninjas and an amphibian that smells of pepper. At Akame, in the mountains of Mie, the forest streams as much as it tells stories.

Misty autumn rocky mountains landscape Japan Vibrant
Autumn

Eventful Night at the Karasawa Cirque

Situated in the heart of the Japanese Alps, the Karasawa cirque offers magnificent colorful panoramas in autumn.

Autumn Foliage Peak
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Tranquil misty Japanese rice terraces mountain landscape Mysterious
Autumn

Hoshitouge Terraces: The Magical Panorama of Water Mirrors

Discover the Hoshitouge terraced rice fields, an unmissable spectacle where stepped crops transform into water mirrors.

Water Mirror Peak
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Abuto Kannon
Autumn

Abuto Kannon, at the Edge of the Void

A red pavilion clinging to a cliff above the Seto Inland Sea, a railing far too low, and hundreds of votive breasts on the walls: at Abuto Kannon, sailors and mothers have prayed side by side for four centuries.

Stone path lined with red-bibbed Jizo statues at Kongōrin-ji Temple in Japan Serene
Aomori

Kongorin-ji and its Army of Jizo

Perched on the hills of Shiga, Kongorin-ji is a quiet temple known for its architectural treasures, landscaped gardens, and dazzling maples, with an army of Jizo statues standing guard.

Hydrangea Season
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Yellow polka dot pumpkin sculpture on Naoshima Island overlooking the Seto Inland Sea Easy walk
Autumn

Naoshima on Acid

Naoshima, the Japanese island where art, cats, and the sea meet in a unique, enchanting atmosphere. Sculptures sprout like mushrooms, cats pose for visitors, and art emerges in the most unexpected places.

Busy
Full day (overnight recommended if visiting multiple museums and Art House Project sites)
Moss-covered rakan statue with red maple leaf at Otagi Nenbutsu-ji
Autumn

Otagi Nenbutsu-ji: 1,200 Faces, Zero Filter

A quiet, magnificent Kyoto temple where 1,200 moss-covered rakan statues watch you in silence, each carved by a different amateur hand. And one face you'd rather not spot.

Fukiware Falls in Japan, river rushing through curved rock gorge Easy walk
Autumn

Fukiware Falls: The Echoes of Water

Tucked in Gunma's countryside, the "Niagara of Japan." A powerful story of water carving rock, with local snake legends to discover.

Quiet
2–3 hours for the falls and walking trails; half day if combining with Oigami Onsen (or longer if you plan to bathe and relax).
Takachiho Gorge
Autumn

Takachiho Gorge: Boats, Gods and Volcanic Walls

Kyushu's most photographed gorge: rowboats under the Manai waterfall, 100-metre volcanic walls, gods, a demon, and noodles that race down a bamboo flume.