The way the autumn leaves change in Japan is just breathtaking! It's no wonder, considering that nearly 70 percent of the country is covered in forests with lots of deciduous trees.

Koyo, just like Sakura (cherry blossoms), is deeply intertwined with Japan’s history, culture, and identity. For centuries, the Japanese people have been taking an annual pilgrimage to mountains, gorges, and temples to witness the beautiful display of colors in autumn. This tradition is so cherished that it has its own special term, momijigari. While koyo literally means to ‘hunt’ the autumn leaves, it actually signifies ‘seeking out and admiring’ them.  

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Late November to early December

Arashimaya is not only famous for its gorgeous bamboo groove but also for its picturesque view of autumn foliage. Take the boat ride down the Hozu River, stroll across the landmark Togetsukyo Bridge, or enjoy a nostalgic train ride via Saga Scenic Railway. Tenryu-Ji – A UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Arashiyama district, Tenryu-Ji is hugely popular amongst photographers for its incredibly beautiful gardens filled with maple trees.

Location: Ukyo Ward, Kyoto, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Kyoto Station and change to the JR Sagano Line to Arashiyama Station.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Early October to early November

Ryuzu (‘Dragonhead’) Waterfall is one of the first spots to color. Visit Kegon Falls and take a cruise on Lake Chuzenji to enjoy the palette of amber from a different view.

Access: From Tokyo Station, take the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya, and change to the JR Nikko Line to get to Nikko Station.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Mid to late November

See ‘eight vistas in one spot’ at the Hitomehakkai lookout of Yabakei Gorge, or cycle past mountains tinted with red maples or golden ginkgo trees along the unused Yabakei Railway, which has been converted to an easy 35km-long cycling course.

Location: Nakatsu, Oita 871-0201, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Oita Station or Beppu Station and change to a shuttle bus that tours the main spots in Yabakei.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Mid to late November

This valley near Nagoya with 4,000 Japanese maples saw over 450,000 visitors annually. The crimson Taigetsukyo bridge over the Tomoe River – which is lined with Momiji – was strengthened and widened.

Location: Iimori Asukecho, Toyota, Aichi 444-2424, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Nagoya Station, take the Meitetsu Nagoya Main Line to Higashi Okazaki Station, and change to a 70-minute Asuke bus ride headed for Korankei.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: November

This picturesque boulevard with 500 conical, flaring red Metasequoia (dawn redwood) trees lining a 2.4km stretch of road was chosen as one of Japan’s 100 best roadside tree scenes. Drive, stroll, or enjoy the park facilities at Makino Pic-Land.

Location: Makinocho Makino, Takashima, Shiga 520-1835, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station, take Shinkansen Hikari to Maibara, change to the Hokuriku Line for Omi-Shiotsu Station, change to the Kosei Line for Makino Station, and take the town bus, Makino Kogen Line, and get off at Makino Pic-Land.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Late September to early October

Take panoramic photos of Mt. Hakkoda’s autumn colors from above via a ropeway that leads to one of its volcanic peaks 1,324 meters from sea level. From there, you can choose from a 30-minute or 60-minute easy hiking trek around a small marshland with views of surrounding mountains and valleys.

Location: Fukazawa Komagome, Aomori, 030-0955, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Shin-Aomori, then transfer to JR Ou Line to Aomori Station. Take the JR bus headed for Lake Towada and get off at the Hakkoda Ropeway Station bus stop. 

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Late November to early December

This is definitely Kyoto’s best spot to view the autumn foliage. The vast expanse of crimson maples in the valley below the Tsutenbashi bridge (aka Tsuten Koyo) is so breathtaking that one can easily lose track of time at Kyoto’s oldest and largest temple. 

Location: 15 Chome-778 Honmachi, Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto, 605-0981, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station, take the Shinkansen to Kyoto, change to the Nara Line, and get off at Tofukuji Station.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Late November to early December

This landscaped garden – one of Japan’s top three – is often packed with tourists during the autumn foliage season when the 340 momiji trees are illuminated nightly.

Location: 1 Kenrokumachi, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 920-0936, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Kanazawa Station, change to a 15-minute bus ride headed for Kenrokuen.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Mid to late November

Capture the mesmerizing contrast of the ‘floating’ torii gate of Itsukushima Shrine in the blue ocean, with an autumn-tinted mountain in the backdrop against an azure sky, and discover why this is one of the Three Views of Japan.

Location: Miyajimacho, Hatsukaichi, Hiroshima 739-0588, Japan

Access: From Tokyo Station take the Shinkansen to Hiroshima Station, transfer to the Sanyo Honsen, take the train to JR Miyajimaguchi Station, walk to the pier, and take a 10-minute ferry to Miyajima.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Mid to late November

Go koyo hunting on this boat that is steered manually downstream along the Arakawa River and see the autumn leaves on bushes lining the gorges. 

Location: Japan, 〒369-1305 Saitama, Chichibu District, Nagatoro, 沼869-8

Access: From Ikebukuro Station, take the Seibu Ikebukuro Line (Express) to Chichibu and change to the Chichibu Railway to Nagatoro Station.

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Mid to late November

You don’t have to climb all the way up Mt. Takao to enjoy a bird’s-eye view of mountains ablaze with koyo. Just hop on a scenic cable car ride that passes through the foliage to the park.

Location: 2205 Takaomachi, Hachioji, Tokyo 193-0844, Japan

Access: From Shinjuku, take the Keio Line to Takaosanguchi Station. 

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Early to late November

Board a luxury pirate ship and set your sights on Hakone’s hills autumn cloak during this hour-long cruise around Lake Ashinoko. On a clear day, you might be able to catch the perfect symmetry of Mt. Fuji towering in the background. 

Location: 161 Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0521, Japan

Access: From Shinjuku, take a Romance Car to Hakone Yumoto Station and transfer to the Hakone Tozan Bus (Route H) to Hakone Machiko.

NAKED, Inc., one of the leading creative companies for technology and creative art launched the Autumn Garden of "NAKED GARDEN ONE KYOTO 2024 supported by Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group," an art project that aims to contribute to and promote measures against over-tourism in Kyoto, by creating nighttime content that allows visitors to experience a new culture that fuses traditional Japanese culture and art. Enjoy the light installations and digital art in various locations around Tokyo and other cities of Japan. Check the full list here.

When: October 5, 2024 to January 13, 2025.

Location: 200番地 Shimoaoyagi, Ishioka, Ibaraki 315-0153, Japan

With the autumn rose season approaching, the "Moonlight Rose Garden 2024," is a light-up event to enjoy the fantastic beauty of autumn roses at night at Ibaraki Flower Park.

This season will be held in two parts, the first part will be the "Flower Illumination" with a beautiful co-performance of mellow scented autumn roses and 20,000 marigolds, and the second part from Saturday, November 30, will start with the "Winter Illumination" where a mysterious space illuminated by the moonlit night will appear in the Aroma Rose area in a Christmas-like atmosphere. In addition, a special dinner plan limited to one group per day is now available only on the day of the Winter Illumination!

Under the theme of "time to warm your heart," there will be a variety of activities and events, such as lanterns that you can make and carry around and gourmet foods that you can feel the warmth of a bonfire. Spend a relaxing time while looking at the fantastic flowers and nature surrounded by the sparkling champagne gold and gentle lights.

Entry Fees: Adult – JPY1,200 / Children – JPY500 / Pets – JPY200

Official website: https://www.flowerpark.or.jp/

Location: Japan, 〒020-0593 Iwate, Iwate District, Shizukuishi, 高倉温泉

Best time to visit for autumn foliage: Mid-October to early November

The Shizukuishi Autumn Leaves Ropeway, which operates every year during the autumn foliage season, allows you to see the gradation of autumn leaves that vary depending on the altitude, Shizukuishi Town, nearby towns, and the surrounding mountains on a sunny day. In addition, you’ll be able to enjoy the golden countryside scenery from the ropeway during the harvest season, you can ride the ropeway with your dog, and a dock run with agility will be set up in the area near the summit station building, proposing a way to spend time with your family and your dog to enjoy autumn in Shizukuishi.

Entry Fees: Ropeway round trip Adults - JPY2,200 | Elementary school students - JPY1,500 | Dogs - JPY1,100 (tax included) | Free for preschoolers.

When: 26th October to 24th November 2024

A total of 100 ancient Japanese maples and Japanese maples planted Japan in the Matsushima Rikyu Garden and the mountains beyond it add color, and the entire Matsushima Imperial Palace in Miyagi Prefecture is colored red.

Japan's only three-storied pagoda with its colorful autumn leaves and the illumination reflecting on the water surface of the garden creates a fantastic scene and welcomes the autumn night as a special moment.

Entry Fees: Adults - JPY1,300 (junior high school students and older) | Children - JPY650 (elementary school students) | Children under elementary school age – FREE

Book your advance tickets here - https://rikyu-m.com/experience

Access: 1-minute walk from Matsushimakaigan Station on the JR Senseki Line

When: 27th September to 27th November 2024

One of the famous art tours in Tokyo, the Art Aquarium Museum GINZA will hold a special autumn exhibition "Fantasy Autumn Night Swimming with Goldfish” with a shining space full of lanterns that will be healed by emo autumn! This year, the popular lantern area will be filled with lanterns, and the ethereal beauty will spread. In addition, autumn flowers such as ginkgo biloba, autumn leaves, and Higan flowers are dyed in autumn lighting.

Entry fees: Adult JPY2,500 

Book your tickets here -  https://ticket.artaquarium.jp/

Location: Ginza Mitsukoshi New Building 8th floor (entrance is on the 9th floor) (4-6-16 Ginza, Chuo-ku, Tokyo)

Access: 5 minutes walk from Ginza 1-chome Station (Exit 9) on the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line.

Located in Sounkyo Onsen, which represents Hokkaido, "Sounkaku" is a long-established hotel founded in the 12th year of Taisho that was the catalyst for the birth of Sounkyo Onsen Town and boasts an open-air bath where you can enjoy the changes of the four seasons of Daisetsuzan.

Known as "Japan's earliest autumn leaves," the autumn leaves of Sounkyo begin to change color around the end of August near the summit of the Daisetsu Mountains and gradually descend to the Sounkyo hot spring town, where you can enjoy them until mid-October. In addition, you can easily climb Kurodake, one of the Daisetsu mountain ranges, to the 5th station by ropeway, and you can reach Ginsendai and Daisetsu Kogen Onsen, which are known as famous places for autumn leaves, in about 45 minutes by car from Sounkaku.

Location: Japan, 〒078-1701 Hokkaido, Kamikawa District, Kamikawa, Sounkyo, 温泉