Autumn 秋

The first autumn colour in Japan, in mid-September, a month before the hills of Honshu turn. At 1,600 m on the flank of Hokkaido’s highest peak the red is not maple but mountain ash, with alpine bearberry and Aleutian avens colouring the ground, under the steaming vents of the volcano. A 1.7 km loop of about an hour from the upper ropeway station passes Sugatami Pond.

Dates

08–28 SEP

Where

HokkaidoGoogle Maps

Open

Ropeway in September 6:00–17:30, 1–20 Oct 6:30–17:30 · round trip ¥3,500, children ¥1,750 · closed for maintenance 16 Nov – 10 Dec

Survive

It can snow here before the end of September: bring a windproof layer and proper shoes, the loop is rocky. On peak weekends the ropeway queue builds through the morning, so take the first cars.

Holidays

Respect for the Aged Day, Citizens' Holiday, Autumnal Equinox Day · long weekend: expect full trains and hotels

Access

Ropeway from Asahidake Onsen, 10 min, every 15 min in season. The base station is about 1 h 50 from Asahikawa Stn by the Ideyu-go bus (¥1,800, four a day), which also calls at Asahikawa Airport.

Heritage

Special Natural Monument · Daisetsuzan, 1977 大雪山 特別天然記念物

Source

Official siteAutumn foliage page · checked 2026-09-19

Photos

2 photos · credits

1. pakku · CC BY 3.0
2. lumoplank · CC0

Two windows back to back in a former air base in Tachikawa. Four million yellow cosmos cover the Flower Hill from mid-September, followed by 200,000 Sensation cosmos in October. Then the ginkgo avenues turn: 106 trees along the Canal in early to mid-November, 98 more on the 300 m Katarai avenue in mid to late November.

Dates

12 SEP – 25 OCT

Where

TokyoGoogle Maps

Open

9:30–17:00, to 18:00 at weekends April–September, to 16:30 November–February · ¥450, children free · closed 31 Dec, 1 Jan and Monday to Friday of the third week of January

Survive

The park covers about 170 hectares and the Flower Hill is at the far end from the Tachikawa gate: enter from Nishi-Tachikawa or hire a bicycle inside.

Holidays

Respect for the Aged Day, Citizens' Holiday, Autumnal Equinox Day, Sports Day · long weekend: expect full trains and hotels

Access

JR Ome Line to Nishi-Tachikawa, 2 min on foot to the gate; or 10–18 min on foot from Tachikawa Stn, about 40 min from Tokyo Stn.

Source

Official siteCosmos page · checked 2026-09-19

Photos

4 photos · credits

1. Guilhem Vellut · CC BY 2.0
2. Guilhem Vellut · CC BY 2.0
3. Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Kakidai · CC BY-SA 4.0

The one surviving flower garden of the Edo townspeople, opened in the early nineteenth century, and it still keeps their moon-viewing: for three evenings around the harvest moon the garden stays open until 21:00, painted lanterns are lit along the paths from 17:50 and a koto plays from 18:00 to 20:00. The 30 m tunnel of bush clover flowers in the same weeks.

Dates

24–26 SEP

Where

TokyoGoogle Maps

Open

9:00–17:00, last entry 16:30 · ¥150 · closed 29 Dec – 3 Jan

Survive

In 2026 the evenings are 24–26 September, last entry 20:30; tea in the tea house on the 25th and 26th, 15:00–20:00, ¥1,500. The koto and the opening ceremony are cancelled in rain.

Access

Higashi-Mukojima Stn on the Tobu Skytree Line, 8 min on foot; Keisei Hikifune, 13 min.

Heritage

Place of Scenic Beauty and Historic Site · 1978 向島百花園 名勝・史跡

Source

Official siteMoon-viewing page · checked 2026-09-19

Photos

2 photos · credits

1. na0905 · CC BY 2.0
2. Arashiyama · CC BY-SA 3.0

A former imperial villa in Sagano, whose Osawa Pond was dug in the ninth century so the moon could be watched from a boat. The temple's moon-viewing evenings, Kangetsu no Yube, are held on the nights around the harvest moon: dragon-headed boats cross the pond and the moon rises twice, once in the sky and once on the water.

Dates

25–27 SEP

Where

KyotoGoogle Maps

Open

9:00–17:00 · last entry 16:30 · ¥500

Survive

Heavy. In 2026 the evenings are 25–27 September, starting on the night of the harvest moon: gates 17:30–21:00, last entry 20:30, and the evening is ticketed separately, so daytime visitors are asked to leave first. The boat ride with tea was sold by advance lottery, ¥7,000, applications 6–24 July, now closed; without it you can still walk the pond and watch from the shore. The temple decides at 11:00 each day whether the evening goes ahead. The dates move with the lunar calendar: check the temple's site each year.

Access

Kyoto Bus 28 or 91 to Daikakuji, about 50 min from Kyoto Stn; or a 20 min walk from JR Saga-Arashiyama Stn.

Heritage

Place of Scenic Beauty · Osawa Pond, 1922 大沢池 附 名古曽滝跡 名勝

Source

Official siteMoon-viewing page · checked 2026-09-21

Photos

3 photos · credits

1. ttshr1970 · CC BY 3.0
2. m-louis .® · CC BY-SA 2.0
3. ignis · CC BY-SA 3.0

The head shrine of Tenjin, the deified scholar Sugawara no Michizane, whose flower is the plum: about 1,500 trees of 50 varieties flower here from January to late March. On 25 February, the day of his death, geiko and maiko of the neighbouring Kamishichiken district serve tea in the open air at the Baikasai. In autumn the shrine opens its maple garden on the Odoi, the earth rampart Hideyoshi raised round the city in 1591: about 350 maples above the Kamiya river.

Dates

10 NOV – 06 DEC

Where

KyotoGoogle Maps

Open

Precinct open daily, free · plum garden in 2026: 1 Feb – 24 May, 9:00–20:30 · maple garden 31 Oct – 6 Dec 2026, 9:00–16:00, lit from mid-November until 20:00

Survive

On the 25th of every month the Tenjin-san flea market fills the approaches: come for it or avoid it. In 2026 the plum garden cost ¥3,000 and was lit every evening; the maple garden is ¥1,500 with tea and a sweet.

Holidays

Labour Thanksgiving Day · long weekend: expect full trains and hotels

Access

City bus to Kitano Tenmangu-mae, about 30 min from Kyoto Stn; or the Randen tram to Kitano-Hakubaicho, then 5 min on foot.

Heritage

National Treasure · main halls 北野天満宮 本殿・石の間・拝殿・楽の間 国宝Historic Site · the Odoi earthwork of the maple garden, 1930 御土居 史跡

Source

Official siteAutumn foliage page · checked 2026-09-20

Photos

4 photos · credits

1. くろふね · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. pcs34560 · Public domain
3. Hyppolyte de Saint-Rambert · CC BY-SA 4.0
4. Tmv · CC BY-SA 4.0

4,000 maples planted by the monk San'ei around 1634 as an offering along the path to the temple. Eleven different varieties, so the slope turns colour in layers rather than all at once.

Dates

15 NOV – 05 DEC

Where

AichiGoogle Maps

Open

Open at all hours, free · maples lit 1–30 November, from sunset to 21:00 · car park ¥1,000

Survive

Lit until 21:00 throughout November. The approach road gridlocks at weekends — come by bus or on a weekday.

Holidays

Labour Thanksgiving Day · long weekend: expect full trains and hotels

Access

45 min by bus from Meitetsu Toyota-shi Stn.

Source

Official siteAutumn foliage page · checked 2026-09-22

Photos

3 photos · credits

1. Bariston · CC BY-SA 4.0
2. T.Takida · CC BY 3.0
3. Bariston · CC BY-SA 4.0