Autumn Foliage 2026: When & Where to Plan Japan's Koyo Season

How koyo season moves

Autumn colour (koyo) sweeps Japan from north and high to south and low. Plan by region: the leaves arrive in the mountains and Tohoku in October, reach the Kanto highlands by late October–early November, and peak across the famous lowland icons — Kyoto, Tokyo, Hakone, Osaka — in mid-to-late November into early December.

The 2026 windows (verified forecasts)

• Nikko (Oku-Nikko, Lake Chuzenji): earliest colours from late October; the Irohazaka switchbacks and Kegon Falls are a classic mid-October to early-November day trip from Tokyo.
• Korankei Valley (near Nagoya): one of central Japan's great maple gorges, peaking mid-to-late November.
• Kyoto: peak roughly November 20 – December 5, 2026; Arashiyama and Tofuku-ji expected at their best around November 23.
• Hitachi Seaside Park (Ibaraki): the kochia (burning bushes) turn crimson in mid-October — a different, photogenic autumn before the maples.

For most first-timers, November 18 to early December lines up peak colour across Tokyo, Hakone, Kyoto and western Japan at once.

Temple light-ups (the night version)

Kyoto's temples run after-dark illuminations at peak — Eikando is the most celebrated, its maples mirrored in a pond and floodlit after sunset. Reserve or arrive early; these are deservedly popular.

Pair it with an autumn festival

The foliage weeks coincide with some of Japan's best festivals:

• Jidai Matsuri, Kyoto — Oct 22, 2026. A costume procession through 1,200 years of Japanese history.
• Kurama Fire Festival, Kyoto — Oct 22, 2026. Villagers carry blazing torches the same night, a mountain hamlet north of the city.
• Takayama Autumn Festival — Oct 9–10, 2026. Ornate floats with moving karakuri puppets in a postcard old town.

Planning tips

• Book Kyoto lodging early — late November is the single busiest leaf week of the year.
• Go early or late in the day at the famous temples; midday is shoulder-to-shoulder.
• Have a backup spot — peak dates shift a week with the weather; the forecasts above are estimates, refined as autumn nears.

The dated picks below let you anchor an autumn trip on both the colour and the festivals.