The Japanese are a people seriously infatuated with the seasons, and one of the greatest
expressions of that obsession is the love of koyo. Koyo literally
means “red leaves” but is used for all colors of autumn foliage, and in this
season it seems the entire country goes mad for it. As with cherry blossom
viewing in the spring, people flock, cameras in tow, to famous gardens and
parks to view the changing colors of the leaves. But unlike cherry blossom
viewing, autumn foliage viewing seldom involves lively picnics and sake
drinking: the impending fall of the leaves is more conducive to long walks and
quiet reflection.

News reports track the koyo saizensen(autumn leaf front) as it moves
across the country, starting in September in Hokkaido and moving roughly southwest from
there throughout the land. Tokyo is one of the last places reached by the front, with the leaves generally
beginning to turn in early November and peak in late November and early
December.

The quintessential autumn tree is the momiji (Japanese maple),
with its delicate leaves turning a fiery red late in the season. Icho (ginkgo)
is another favorite; its fan-shaped leaves turn a deep golden-yellow. A number
of other trees are also noted for colorful foliage, such as keyaki (zelkova), hazenoki (wax tree), sakura (cherry) and hanamizuki (dogwood),
but icho and momiji are definitely the king and queen of autumn.

Trees can be
seen displaying their fall foliage all over the city and even a trip to the
local park is bound to impress. But it’s worth making a trip to see some
especially beautiful examples of autumn leaves, and the following is a list of
recommended koyo spots in and around Tokyo.

Perhaps the
prettiest autumn leaves in the city can be found along Icho Namiki (Ginkgo Avenue), which connects Aoyama Dori to Meiji Jingu Gaeien. Just
300 meters long, what the avenue lacks in length is more than made up for in
grandeur: it is lined with 146 magnificent gingko trees dating back to the
Taisho period, when they were planted in commemoration of the Meiji Emperor.
The trees are nice enough in the summer when their greenery lends the avenue a
refined, European feel, but when the leaves turn color in the autumn they are
simply stunning. From November 16th to December 14th, when the leaves are at their
peak, Meiji Jingu Gaien will hold its 10th annual Icho
Matsuri (Ginkgo Festival), with the nearby sports fields filled with food
and drink stalls, a market, free entertainment and more.
Two of Tokyo’s
best traditional Japanese landscape gardens are Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen,
and they are both planted with hundreds of well-manicured koyo-bearing trees.
Rikugien is especially worth an evening visit between November 22nd and
December 14th, when the trees are lit up. The lights are on nightly
from sunset to 9:00pm; expect crowds on weekends. Further afield, Sankein in Yokohama features stunning traditional gardens housing a collection of Edo period
buildings; the park lights up the autumn leaves nightly from November 20th to
December 21st.
Large
western-style parks like Shinjukugyoen and Yoyogi Koen are
more inviting for picnics and strolling, each with thousands of trees planted
on spacious grounds. Suburban parks such as Showa Kinen Koen, Hikarigaoka
Koen, Shikinomori Koen, and Inokashira Koen will
also be filled with autumn color.
Autumn is a
great time for walking and hiking in the mountains, and there is no shortage of
peaks within easy reach of Tokyo. Takao-san,
a diminutive but sacred mountain in western Tokyo,
is one of the best, and on December 7th English Adventure will
hold an Autumn Foliage Walk, a guided hike on the mountain open to
all ages and nationalities. The Okutama area in western Tokyo has
plenty of spots for autumn leaf viewing, including Okutamako (Okutama Lake) and Mitake-san (Mount Mitake). Nagatoro Keikoku (Nagatoro Gorge) is also pretty in the autumn, and the Arakawa Rhine
Kudari lets you see the foliage from a traditional wooden raft as it makes
its way over the rapids of the Arakawa River.
Getting
further away from Tokyo, Kamakura makes a lovely day trip, with so many of the temples and shrines planted with momiji and icho trees to earn comparisons to Kyoto (considered the ultimate place to see the autumn leaves). Engakuji, Kaizoji, Hasedera, Meigetsuin and Tsurugaoka Hachimangu especially recommended. The hills and forests surrounding Kamakura offer several hiking trails with good autumn color as well; the Daibutsu Hiking Trail is one of the best. Hakone makes a great weekend trip,
with Ashinoko (Lake Ashi)and Hakone Kyukaido (a
section of the Edo period Tokaido Highway) being good places to see some fall
color; Susuki Sogen features another type of autumn foliage:
fields of golden susuki (pampas grass). Nikko and Chuzenjiko (Lake Chuzenji)are gorgeous in the fall,
especially the Ryuzu no Taki and Kegon no Taki waterfalls,
and also in Tochigi are Nasu and Shiobara,
which have both pretty fall colors and wonderful onsen (hot springs).
So grab your camera, put on some comfortable shoes, and go out there!
JapanSoc it!
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