5 Place to Visit to See Beautiful Autumn Foliage in Japan

With the current situation of the world, it is not easy to travel to places right now. But we can still dream of the beautiful colors of autumn leaves while staying at home. In Japan, mid-October to early December is the best season to visit places with gorgeous foliage colors. Here are some of the places I want to visit when we can all travel.

Enkoji Temple, Kyoto（京都 圓光寺）

The Enkouji Temple was founded in 1606 by Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. He built this temple as a school to promote education in Japan.

It is known for its picturesque view of autumn leaves, which is framed by shoji screens.

The best time to see the autumn leaves at Enkoji Temple is typically between mid-November to early December. The bright red carpet created by the fallen maple leaves at Enkoji Temple is also a must-see. So it might be worth planning your visit outside of the peak foliage season.

Enkoji Temple has a beautiful website. You can visit their website to learn about this temple.

Karasawa Hutte, Nagano（長野 涸沢ヒュッテ）

Although it is an 8-hour hike up to Karasawa Hutte from the Kamikochi Bus Station, many people visit this location for its breathtaking view of the mountains and the valleys. On the Hutte’s website, you can see the fall foliage from the past few years.

I think I'll have to begin working out to get in shape so I can hike up and see the view!

Gionji Temple, Kyoto（京都 祇王寺）

Gionji is a small Buddhist temple quietly nestled in a bamboo grove in Okusaga area in Kyoto. The temple is known for its picturesque moss garden and bamboo trees.

During the foliage season, Gionji Temple's moss garden is covered crimson with maple leaves, giving it the appearance of a red carpet.

I can spend all day looking at the pictures of their beautiful moss gardens on their website.

Tsutanuma Lake, Aomori（青森　八甲田蔦沼）

In recent years, the Tsutanuma Lake surrounded by the beech forest has become a very popular spot for photographing autumn leaves.

The leaves of the forest turn red as if on fire, and the water mirror reflected on the lake's surface creates a perfectly symmetrical composition.

Hottai Falls, Akita（秋田 法体の滝）

Hottai Falls is a waterfall in the city of Yurihonjō, Akita Prefecture, on the Akasawa River. It is one of “Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls” in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990. The leaves of Japanese oak and maple trees turn bright red and yellow around the 57-meter drop of the waterfall.

There are so many places to visit in the world. Let’s hope we can travel again very soon.

Until then, we take good care of each other and stay healthy!