3 autumn colour Updated 16 September 2026

Autumn colour, and when it really arrives

The front takes three months to cross Japan. Knowing which way it moves is worth more than any single forecast.

The pond garden at Eikando, Kyoto, in autumn colour

Kyoto autumn leaves

Kyoto peaks in the last week of November, not in early November. The 2026 forecast, temple by temple, with what each one charges in the autumn period.

Peak from about 24 November Forecast checked 16 Sep 2026

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Red autumn leaves in Koishikawa Korakuen garden, Tokyo

Tokyo autumn foliage

The most common autumn mistake in Tokyo is arriving three weeks early. Here is when the city actually turns, and what to do if your dates are fixed.

Peak from about 30 November Forecast checked 16 Sep 2026

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Autumn colour banding the Irohazaka mountain road at Nikko

How koyo timing works

One mountain can hold six weeks of autumn. Once you see why, the forecasts stop being a lottery and start being a timetable.

Mid September to early December North to south, high to low

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Build the rest of the trip

Everything else on the site, with what is in it.

Routes 2 Logistics 3 Worth it? 123 Kyoto 37 Tokyo 37 Osaka 37