Japan in autumn

Autumn is, for many experienced travellers, the best season to visit Japan. The summer heat has gone, the air is dry and cool, and the country starts to turn warm colours as November advances. Prices are intermediate and tourism is manageable, especially in October.

October has everything you could ask of a travel month: temperatures of 15–25 °C, sunny days, little rain and a level of tourist activity that has not yet reached the koyo peak. It is the most balanced month of the year. Flight and hotel prices are lower than in spring, but the weather is almost as pleasant. If you have date flexibility, October is the answer.

The koyo (changing colour of the leaves) is the autumn equivalent of the sakura. The Japanese maples (momiji) turn an intense red that makes gardens and temples into extraordinary scenes. In Tokyo and Kyoto the peak usually falls in mid to late November, and in warmer areas and the south the colour holds until early December; in the mountains and the north (Nikko, Tohoku, Hokkaido) it arrives earlier, already in October. The classic spots are the gardens of Kyoto (Eikan-do, Tofuku-ji, Arashiyama), Rikugien Park in Tokyo and the Nikko valley. November is the second busiest month of the year after April — in Kyoto, even more so than April — and prices rise compared with October. For the dates region by region and the best places, see the guide to the momiji in Japan.

September is still hot and humid in the first weeks. The heat eases gradually towards the end of the month. Tourism drops after Obon and prices are relatively low. It is a month for those seeking the transition between summer and autumn, with some cooler days and many destinations less crowded than in the peak seasons.