Autumn leaves in Japan

Colour appears when night temperatures fall below about 8 °C, and it is most vivid after a sequence of sunny days and cold nights with enough moisture in the air. The Japan Meteorological Agency records the date when the leaves of sample maples (iroha-momiji) have turned red and when sample ginkgo trees have turned yellow.

In the mountains the colour descends from the peaks to the valleys over several weeks, so a single range such as the Northern Alps shows colour at different heights from late September to early November. City ginkgo avenues turn golden in November and are among the last displays of the year.

The table shows typical timing; a warm autumn delays the colour and can make it less intense. In recent decades the colour in many lowland cities has tended to arrive later than in the mid-twentieth century.

The most extensive colour is found in the national parks of northern and central Japan, where whole mountainsides turn at once. Many of these areas are reached by ropeway or mountain road, and some roads close for winter soon after the colour has passed.

In the old capitals the maples are part of designed landscapes: framed by temple halls, reflected in ponds or covering moss gardens. Evening illuminations (light-up) are held at many temples during the peak.

Colour reports from tourist associations and weather services are updated weekly in season. Because each place peaks for only about one to two weeks, an itinerary that combines mountains in October with Kyoto or Tokyo in late November offers two chances.

November weekends in Kyoto and Nikko are among the busiest days of the year; early morning visits and weekday travel help, and accommodation should be booked well ahead.