As the heat of summer fades away, a different kind of cool autumn arrives.
When talking about autumn in Japan, one must mention the beauty of red leaves that appear in mid-October. The Japanese celebrate ‘Momiji Matsuri,’ or the festival of colorful leaves, in autumn. Japan is mainly a country of four seasons – summer, autumn, winter, and spring. Although it is called ‘Autumn’ in English, it is called ‘Fall’ in North America. However, if we talk about rain, it rains often throughout the year. Autumn in Japan is a little different. With the arrival of autumn, the temperature drops, and the color of the leaves changes to dark red or yellow. This phenomenon is called ‘momiji’ or ‘koyo.’
This is a natural feature of Japanese autumn. During this time, Japanese people enjoy the beauty of colorful leaves with family or friends in a festive atmosphere. This is called ‘Momiji Matsuri’ or the festival of viewing colorful leaves. On both sides of the road, on distant hills, and wherever the eye can see, the sight of these colorful leaves is breathtaking. There are also some beautiful places to enjoy the colorful leaves of the maple trees. Today, I will mention some places in Japan where you can see the beauty of red leaves.
Tochigi Prefecture
It is a 28.5-kilometer route that crosses the Kinugawa River. Although the scenery along this route is spectacular all year round, the red foliage in autumn is absolutely irresistible. Apart from this, not only the red leaves but also the winding mountain road are quite popular.
Gunma Prefecture
Akagi-san in Gunma Prefecture is one of Japan’s top 100 famous mountains. The huge volcanic lake is surrounded by mountains, where you can experience magnificent and beautiful scenery. During the red leaf viewing season, although there are many tourists, you can still relax and enjoy the beautiful scenery.
Chiba Prefecture
Chiba Prefecture’s upper Yoro River has a variety of red leaf beauty spots at the bottom of the valley, where the red leaves appear a little later, so you can see many beautiful spots if you go in late autumn. There are also other places like Sendai, Fukushima, Hiroshima, and Nagoya.