Momijigari/Koyo （紅葉狩り/紅葉）
In autumn, the color of the leaves changes into orange, red, yellow, and brown. This is called 紅葉（koyo）, and it is one of the beautiful sceneries you can see in Japan. 紅葉 has two ways of reading, momiji, and koyo. Momiji means maple tree which changes its color to red during fall and koyo refers to the phenomenon of leaves changing their color in the fall. Momijigari refers to the act of going to see and enjoying the autumn leaves. Many believe that the word momijigari was created in Heian Period and it has continued to be enjoyed by many Japanese people in the present day.
When can you enjoy Autumn foliage?
Depending on the place, the season of autumn foliage changes due to factors such as temperature and elevation. In general, the season begins in mid-September in Hokkaido, and in other parts, it ranges from mid-October through early December. There are forecasts that are uploaded on some websites so it would be good to keep an eye on those websites to catch the best moments.
Where can you enjoy it?
You can see the change of colors of the leaves almost anywhere in Japan, where there are decidious trees, which change their color in the fall and lose its leaves in the wintr. All around Japan, there are places which are famous for viewing these autumn leaves.
In Tokyo, there are places such as:
- Yoyogi Park
- Mount Takao
- Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue
In Western Japan there are places such as:
- Arashiyama (Kyoto)
- Nara Park (Nara)
- Kirishima (Kagoshima)