UPDATE | November 1, 2022
It's November, and autumn is slowly getting closer. It's the season when the trees in the mountains and parks change colors all at once, and you can enjoy beautiful gradations of yellow, orange, red, and brown. Many people go hiking or travel with friends and family. This time, I would like to introduce some recommended autumn leaves spots in Kansai.
INDEX
In autumn, when the temperature in the morning reaches 6-7℃, the leaves start to change color, so the autumn leaves season starts in the colder north and gradually moves to the south.
The best season for autumn foliage is mid-September to October in Hokkaido, early October to early November in the Tohoku, Chubu, and Hokuriku regions, and early November to early December in the Kanto region.
From the Kansai and Chugoku regions to the Shikoku and Kyushu regions, autumn leaves can be seen from mid-November to mid-December, and in some places until the end of the year.
However, the timing may change slightly depending on the weather conditions and temperature of the year.
There are two ways to read "autumn leaves": "koyo" and "momiji".
In autumn, when the leaves turn red, it is called koyo, and the type of maple leaves is called momiji.
By the way, have you ever heard the word “momijigari”?
Going out to the mountains in autumn to enjoy the changing colors of the leaves is called "momijigari", but "hunting" originally meant catching animals in the mountains.
The reason why it came to be used with autumn leaves is that people started to call it ``momijigari'', comparing the way people walk around the mountains looking for flowers that change with the seasons to ``hunting''. It is said that
Certainly, even today, we walk around autumnal spots in search of beautiful scenery with a camera in hand, so the term “hunting” may be apt.
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Where is it?⇒Click here for the map
Nearest Station Hankyu Line Arashiyama Station / JR Saga-Arashiyama Station
Arashiyama is a very popular sightseeing spot both in Japan and abroad, but Arashiyama in autumn is really beautiful. The view of colorful mountains seen from Togetsukyo Bridge is unique to Kyoto. After seeing the monkeys at the monkey park and walking through the bamboo forest, the standard course is to wander around the souvenir shops and take a break at the teahouse where you can enjoy the scenery. We recommend going early in the morning to avoid the crowds.
Where is it?⇒Click here for the map
Nearest Station City Bus Nanzenji/Eikando Bus Stop/Subway Tozai Line Keage Station
There are about 3,000 autumn leaves planted in the precincts, and you can enjoy the colorful autumn leaves along with the scenery of the Japanese garden with a splendid pagoda and pond.
The autumn foliage in the daytime is also wonderful, but Eikando's recommendation is the illumination at night. The impression is completely different from the daytime, and the scenery of autumn leaves reflected on the surface of the pond is very fantastic. You can enjoy the special atmosphere of the temple at night that you can't usually see.
Where is it?⇒Click here for the map
Nearest Station JR/Sanyo Line Himeji Station
A Japanese garden on the grounds of Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site, where you can walk around nine different gardens. In addition to autumn leaves, various kinds of trees are planted in the spacious garden, so you can enjoy the gradation colors and the contrast between red and green.
This is also lit up at night during the autumn leaves season, so you can enjoy a different atmosphere from the daytime. By all means, please visit Himeji Castle as a set.
Where is it?⇒Click here for the map
Nearest station JR Shin-Kobe Station
It is easily accessible from Shin-Kobe Station and is a recommended spot where you can casually enjoy autumn leaves hiking.
Nunobiki Falls has long been popular among locals, regardless of age or gender, to the extent that Kobe's waterfall is synonymous with Nunobiki Falls. You can enjoy the scenery of colorful autumn leaves while listening to the sound of the waterfall. If you continue to climb, you will arrive at "Kobe Nunobiki Herb Garden". Since the city of Kobe can be seen from the hilltop of the herb garden, many people visit every fall.
Where is it?⇒Click here for the map
Nearest Station Hankyu Line Minoh Station
Minoh Falls, which has been selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls, is a casual hiking course that can be reached in 30 minutes by train from JR Osaka/Umeda Station. It takes about 40 minutes from the entrance to the waterfall, and you can enjoy the scenery of autumn leaves while walking slowly. Minoh Falls, which has a drop of 33 meters, is very powerful, and the scenery of bright red autumn leaves spreads around the waterfall, creating a very fantastic atmosphere.
Don't forget to try the famous autumn leaves tempura.
Where is it?⇒Click here for the map
Nearest station Subway Midosuji Line Namba - Umeda Station
Every year, people living in Osaka look forward to seeing the yellow leaves of Midosuji.
About 1,000 ginkgo trees are planted along Midosuji, which stretches from Umeda to Namba. In November, the leaves gradually turn yellow, and you can enjoy the beautiful ginkgo trees until mid-December. During the ginkgo season, the trees are lit up, and at night, the atmosphere suddenly becomes romantic.
How was it?
Besides Kansai, there are spots all over Japan where you can see beautiful autumn leaves. When you visit Japan in autumn, why not take a short trip by train or bus and enjoy viewing the autumn leaves?
A freelance Japanese teacher and local guide from Osaka. I fell in love with Kyoto in 2020 and moved to 2021. Currently, while teaching Japanese mainly in private lessons, he plans and manages writing, Chinese-Japanese translation proofreading, and online experiences.
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