2026 Japan Autumn Foliage Forecast

Latest Update: If you are planning to visit Japan in 2026 during the autumn foliage season, we strongly recommend you to read this page thoroughly. The table shown below indicates where to visit in Japan to see autumn leaves between late September and early December.

Fall color vibrancy is completely dependent on weather, so before you head towards any autumn leaves spots in Japan, be sure to visit the local tourist information centers to get the up-to-date fall colors info.

If you wish to experience the breathtaking autumn landscapes across Japan and don’t know where to start and how to plan a dream trip, we will gladly help you planning your autumn foliage trip to Japan, so contact us ASAP!

Autumn Leaves in Japan

taisanji autumn leaves kyoto japan — Impressive autumn foliage in Kyoto! Photo Credit: halfrain at Flickr.com.

Fall in Japan is one of the most spectacular sights in the world. The country’s unique geography, with its grand mountains and pristine wilderness, offers up fall foliage that can’t be beat. Various subspecies of maple trees have various colors of leaves: red (koyo), yellow (oyo), and brown (katsuyo). Together, they form a mosaic of color against the wild lush countryside of Japan.

Autumn is one of the most delightful and admiring seasons to experience in Japan. Taking a trip to some areas where leaves have turned red & yellow, especially in the mountains, public parks, or temple & shrine grounds is called momijigari in Japanese.

The beauty of the changing leaves has been memorialized by the Japanese tradition of momijigari, which originated in the Heianperiod (794-1195 AD). Momijigari means ‘red leaf hunting’ and is the term used to describe autumn leaf viewing.

Among Buddhists, the experience is a reminder that life is fleeting. It has worked its way into Japanese culture. During the fall, you can enjoy maple leaf-shaped cakes and even find maple leaf tempura, time-honored traditions only found around fall when the leaves change.

red_maple_autumn_foliage_japan — Red Maple, Japan. Photo Credit: Marufish at Flickr.

The map shown below indicates that how the autumn foliage season of Japan goes downward from the top elevations. Typically, Japan’s autumn foliage season starts in mid September in the Hokkaido region.

The average time for appearing autumn foliage in Japan may vary depending on temperatures. Before you embark on a fall trip to Japan, you should always be aware of the fall foliage forecast.

Usually, it is published in different media such as on TV, newspaper, radio, website and regional tourist information centers throughout Japan.

You can feel the autumn atmosphere in different places from Mid October to Early December except Hokkaido region. Though some part of Kanto and Chubu regions provide plenty of incredible fall colors in early October.

autumn foliage forecast koyo japan — Japan Autumn Foliage Map for 2026. Photo Credit: Kyuhoshi.com

Are you planning to visit Japan in future? Do you want to learn how to survive while traveling across Japan? Then read this recommended travel guide that tells you about the rules of Japanese etiquette.

You can order your Japan Rail Pass now.

Pupuru WiFi keeps you connected across Japan, including Hokkaido & Okinawa without the worry of unsecured connections. The pocket-sized mobile hotspot will give you unlimited internet with no speed restriction and can be connected up to 10 devices.

This pocket wifi makes your Japan trip a lot easier. Click here to order your pocket wifi.

One statistic shows that it is difficult to communicate with locals in a foreign language in Japan. To overcome this problem you have to use Pocketalk, a Multilingual Interactive Communication Device. This voice translator is a must have travel accessory alongside this simple pocket WiFi device whenever you visit Japan.

Region and Place	Estimated Viewing Time	Current State
Hokkaido	Mid September to Mid-November
Tohoku	Early October to Mid-November
Kanto	Late October to Early December
Chubu	Late October to Early December
Kansai	Late October to Mid December
Chugoku	Early November to Late November
Shikoku	Early November to Early December
Kyushu	Early November to Early December
Daisetsuzan National Park	Early September to Early October
Sapporo	Mid October to Early November
Hakodate	Mid October to Early November
Aomori	Early October to Late October
Lake Towada	Early October to Late October
Iwate	Early October to Late October
Yamagata	Early October to Late October
Miyagi	Mid October to Early November
Alpine Route	Mid October to Mid November
Takayama	Mid October to Mid November
Kurobe Gorge	Late October to Mid November
Mount Koya	Late October to Mid November
Nikko	Mid October to Mid November
Sakurayama	Early November to Late November
Aichi	Early November to Late November
Hakone	Early November to Late November
Kanazawa	Early November to Late November
Fukushima	Mid October to Early November
Mount Yoshino	Mid October to Early November
Shirakawa-go	Late October to Mid November
Nagoya	Mid November to Early December
Tokyo	Early November to Mid Decmeber
Kyoto	Early November to Mid December
Kamakura	Mid November to Early December
Nara	Early November to Mid December
Osaka	Early November to Mid December
Mount Fuji Area	Early November to Early December
Miyajima	Early November to Late November
Arashiyama	Early November to Early December

Visit this page often to get the latest news on Japan autumn leaves forecast. Thank you very much.

Autumn Leaves in Japan

Discover Japan in Autumn

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