Autumn in Japan

Japan Insider Travel
2 min readNov 10, 2020

Autumn in Japan is quite a wonder to experience, from the first days of November up until early December, the trees and its leaves take the lovely hues of Yellow, Orange, and Red to welcome the arriving winter season. Though the peak seasons may vary, the aforementioned months are the best times to view and relish in the Autumn season so far.

Unsplash.com, Juliana Barquero

Autumn in Japan is quite an event and it’s called “Momiji-gari”. Momiji means “hunting red leaves” which stems from the iconic Maple leaves and “Gari or Kair” means “hunting”. Momiji-Gari is practiced when Autumn is in full swing and since the Japanese greatly appreciate and put a high value on nature itself, it is not uncommon for people to “view” the fall of the leaves.

One of the best places to experience Autumn in Japan would be the Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Festival, this event is held annually at the Meiji Jingu Gaien which feature gorgeous Gingko leaves for about 300m in 2 lanes. The festival also serves delicious local food, souvenirs, and products. This festival attracts about 1.8 million visitors on average during their 2-week run.

Along with Autumn in Japan is also Halloween, which is attracting more attention in Japan each year and along with it are events to celebrate Autumn. Shibuya is a popular location that holds several Halloween events to meet the Autumn season and they are nothing short of amazing. If you pick the right place, you’re in for an Special Halloween Autumn Treat!

Overall, Autumn in Japan is a lovely time to visit as you can see the transition of Summer to Autumn, and then winter. It may be a bit chilly at first, but nothing beats the experience of Momiji-Gari and seeing the leaves in their fiery and passionate colours.

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Japan Insider Travel

Love to share travel tips for Japan, in the eyes of a local 🧡