Japan Autumn Leaves Guide 2026

Last updated: July 28, 2026

Japan's autumn leaves (koyo, or momiji for maples) move from the northern mountains southward, and from high peaks down to the lowlands, over roughly two months. This guide covers 34 of the country's best-known autumn-leaf spots, each with its typical peak-viewing window, access and admission, compiled from official park, temple, city and tourism-association sources.

When and where to go

Colour arrives earliest in Tohoku and the high mountains in October and reaches the temples of Kyoto and western Japan through late November into early December:

• Tohoku — September–November (4 spots)
• Chubu — October–November (4 spots)
• Kansai — October–December (15 spots)
• Kanto — October–December (6 spots)
• Chugoku — November (1 spot)
• Hokuriku — November (1 spot)
• Kyushu — November (2 spots)
• Shikoku — November (1 spot)

Autumn leaves by region

Tohoku

• Hachimantai Aspite Line — Hachimantai / Kazuno (Iwate-Akita border), Iwate · peak Late September to mid-October
• Mt. Zao & Zao Onsen — Yamagata, Yamagata · peak Late September (summit) to mid-October (peak), coloring the onsen town into early November
• Naruko Gorge — Osaki, Miyagi · peak Mid-October to mid-November
• Oirase Gorge & Lake Towada — Towada, Aomori · peak Mid to late October

Chubu

• Kamikochi — Matsumoto, Nagano · peak Mid-to-late October (alpine; colour begins late September in the high Karasawa cirque)
• Korankei Gorge — Asuke, Toyota, Aichi, Aichi · peak Mid- to late November
• Lake Kawaguchi Momiji Corridor — Fujikawaguchiko, Yamanashi · peak Early to mid November
• Shosenkyo Gorge — Kofu, Yamanashi, Yamanashi · peak Early to mid-November

Kansai

• Mt. Koya (Koyasan) — Koya, Wakayama · peak Late October to early November (one of the earliest peaks in Wakayama)
• Nara Park — Nara, Nara · peak Late October to early December
• Eikando Zenrinji Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-November to early December
• Hogon-in Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-November to early December
• Jojakko-ji Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-November to late November
• Kinkaku-ji (Golden Pavilion) — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid to late November
• Kitano Tenmangu Momiji-en — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-November to early December
• Kiyomizu-dera Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-to-late November
• Kodai-ji Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid to late November
• Minoo Falls / Minoo Park — Minoo, Osaka · peak Mid-November to early December
• Nanzen-ji Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-to-late November
• Ruriko-in Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Late November to early December
• Sanzen-in Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Early to mid-November (earlier than central Kyoto, as Ohara sits higher in the northern mountains)
• Tenryu-ji Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-November to early December
• Tofuku-ji Temple — Kyoto, Kyoto · peak Mid-to-late November

Kanto

• Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji — Nikko, Tochigi · peak Mid-October to early November
• Nikko Irohazaka — Nikko, Tochigi · peak Mid-October to early November
• Koishikawa Korakuen Garden — Bunkyo, Tokyo, Tokyo · peak Late November to early December
• Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue — Minato, Tokyo · peak Mid-to-late November
• Mt. Takao — Hachioji, Tokyo · peak Mid-November to early December
• Rikugien Garden — Bunkyo, Tokyo · peak Late November to early December

Chugoku

• Miyajima Momijidani Park — Hatsukaichi (Miyajima), Hiroshima · peak Mid- to late November

Hokuriku

• Kenroku-en Garden — Kanazawa, Ishikawa · peak Mid-November

Kyushu

• Kunenan Garden — Kanzaki, Saga · peak Mid to late November (garden opens to the public only for a limited autumn period)
• Yabakei Gorge — Nakatsu, Oita · peak Mid to late November

Shikoku

• Kankakei Gorge — Shodoshima, Kagawa · peak Early to late November

Browse the season alongside fireworks on the Japan Fireworks Calendar 2026.