Autumn is one of Japan's four seasons which in Japanese is called aki [秋]. The season or season begins September 23 and runs through December 21. In this article we will see a little bit of autumn in Japan.
How is autumn in Japan?
In the Japanese autumn the leaves of the trees turn yellow and red leaving the streets, gardens and Japanese landscapes more beautiful. In my opinion it is one of the best times to visit Japan, I always make my trips around October.
The autumn climate is comfortable and cool in most of Japan. The leaves begin to redden early in Hokkaido around September, making it a good time to visit the north of the country. There are some holidays during that time as Halloween.
The rice is golden, the colorful fruits like chestnuts, pears and grapes decorate the showcase. During the autumn we have many fruits like tangerine, yuzu, persimmon, apples, pears and strawberries. Small typhoons and rains can linger in early autumn.
The nights get longer and you can see the moon and stars clearly. As the cold in the morning and the cold at night gradually increase, the temperature difference between day and night becomes large.
Trivia about autumn in Japan
Autumn flowers in Japan - The famous autumn flowers are called 7 autumn herbs or Aki no nanakusa [秋の七草]. These are grasses and wild vegetables like Chrysanthemum, Higanbana, Cosmos and Miscanthus.
Moon Festival in Autumn - In Japan there is the word Tsukimi [月見] which literally means “moon observation”, are Japanese festivals in honor of the autumn moon. During the autumn we can still see traces of the Tanabata, Obon and Nakamoto.
During the fall we have many athletic events like the National Sports Day holiday, festivals and athletic gatherings are held in many schools like undokai, festivals like gakugeikai and bunkasai it is also usually held in the fall.
Cities to enjoy autumn in Japan
Autumn in Kyoto takes place from November to December. Many temples, castles and gardens often represent the largest collection of colorful flowers in Japan. Kyoto is packed with places to enjoy the fall of autumn leaves becoming one of the most popular places to visit, in addition to its great culture, beauty and traditionalism.
The city of Tokyo It offers large urban parks and gardens from the Edo era, to enjoy the autumn leaves. Even the streets of Tokyo can have a good view, like Avenida Icho Namiki and also the fields of the University of Tokyo.
THE city of Nara it is also a great place, as it was the first capital of Japan. As with any former capital of Japan, it is full of good places like temples, shrines, parks and gardens.
Osaka is also a great tourist spot to enjoy the beauty of autumn. There is the Osaka castle, the Minoo garden and several other attractions, not to mention some streets that are a charm to enjoy in the fall.
Nikko a city 2 hours from Tokyo in the middle of the mountains making a beautiful backdrop to spend the autumn, not to mention the osen, lakes, temples and the mausoleum of the Tokugawa shogun, a great tourist spot.
One of the best gardens to see the autumn leaves is the Kanazawa it took over 200 years to build and is filled with lakes. The 5 lakes around Mount Fuji in Yamanashi Prefecture are another great place to enjoy the scenery during the fall.
A small island near Hiroshima called Miyajima has beautiful forests, and trees with up to 700 years of life known as Momijidani. There are numerous other walking trails and some temples.
Let's leave some wonderful photos below, and then one of some cities and the time when you can enjoy the autumn leaves.
Autumn leaves season table
The list below shows the best time to visit a particular region in order to see the red of autumn and the fall of leaves in Japan. We have a list with the city, beginning of autumn and end of autumn. Each region starts on a different date.
| City / Province | Beginning | End |
| Hokkaido | Mid-September | End of October |
| Tohoku | Early October | Early November |
| Nikko | Early October | Mid-November |
| Kyushu | Mid-October | End of November |
| Koyasan | End of October | Mid-November |
| Fuji five lakes | End of October | Mid-November |
| Hakone | Early November | End of November |
| Tokyo | Early November | Mid-December |
| Yoshino | Early November | End of November |
| Kanazawa | Mid-November | Beginning of December |
| Izu Peninsula | Mid-November | Beginning of December |
| Nara | Mid-November | Beginning of December |
| Kyoto | Mid-November | Beginning of December |
| Osaka | Mid-November | Beginning of December |
| Miyajima | Mid-November | End of November |
| Shikoku | Mid-November | End of November |
| Himeji | Mid-November | Beginning of December |
| Kamakura | End of November | Beginning of December |
Autumn Words in Japanese
Below are some words and vocabularies related to Autumn in the Japanese language:
| romaji | Japanese | Portuguese |
| aki | 秋 | Autumn |
| Pleasant | 雨の | Rainy |
| gakkō ni iku | 学校に行く | Back to school |
| there is | 葉 | leaf |
| Harowīn | ハロウィーン | Halloween |
| kanshasai | 感謝祭 | Thanksgiving |
| kaze | 風邪 | Cold |
| kaze no tsuyoi | 風の強い | Windy |
| kisetsu no kawarime | 季節の変わり目 | Change of season |
| kōyō | 紅葉 | Fall Foliage |
| kuri | 栗 | Chestnut |
| nagasode no shatsu | 長袖のシャツ | Long sleeve shirt |
| panpukin dad | パンプキンパイ | Pumpkin pie |
| rakuyō | 落葉 | Falling leaves |
| arrow | セーター | Sweater |
| shūbun | 秋分 | Autumn Equinox |
| suzushii | 涼しい | Nice |