Your Autumn/Winter trip to Japan
Autumn
From October, Japan begins transforming into a country covered in red and orange glowing blankets of leaves and foliage. This is a popular time to visit as the scenery is picturesque and the weather is comfortable. Seeing Mount Fuji surrounded by the glowing leaves makes for some of the best pictures from the trip.
- Lake Kawaguchiko, Yamanashi
As one of the Fuji five lakes this is a great spot in the Autumn to see the leaves change. Momiji Corridor and Tunnel offer views of Mount Fuji with the maple trees surrounding you. Due to the location being around a 30 minute walk from the nearest bus stop, the Momiji tunnel is often a quiet and tranquil spot to rest. Here, you will also find the Autumn leaf festival hosted from mid-October to the end of November. With food stalls, performances and more in this autumnal heaven.
Oshi Park can also be found on the lake, famous for its kochia plants which become a vibrant red in the Autumn months. From here you can spot mount Fuji clearly. You can now find a café and restaurant which opened in 2020 on the northern shore of the lake featuring wide and open windows on their second floor for breathtaking views.
The 100m Gorge becomes covered in those autumnal colors we love with walking trails with the Daiya river below. The Narukoyo resthouse offers some of the best views here to see the Ofukazawa Bridge stand out in contrast to the foliage around it. For a 45 minute loop which leads you to the resthouse you can find the Ofukazawa Walking Trail taking you through the forested valley.
Nearby you will also find the, Japan Kokeshi Museum a great place to head after your walk to view traditional Japanese Kokeshi dolls which display regional differences.
To reach the gorge you can drive and find several free spaces or the large paid for car park nearby. It would be best to stay nearby for easy transportation as it lies quite fair from the nearest large city. Choose to stay in Sendai or the small hot spring town of Naruko Onsen.
winter
Enjoy a traditional Japanese winter with snow covered gassho-Zukuri farmhouses where you can see the illumination events during the evening and nights. Shirakawago is considered a UNESCO World Heritage site and becomes a winter wonderland from December to late February.
The area is most known for the historical Gassho style houses with roofs that are made out of palm, these wooden houses covered in snow create the idyllic winter image.
- KamaKura snow hut village in Nagano
For a limited time, this pop up restaurant offers the perfect winter activity in Japan. A snowy village made up of 20 igloos in the Japanese Alps. This is a dining experience as each igloo hosts up to 4 people where you will serve traditional Japanese cuisine. The menu includes noroshi nabe, a local hot pot with miso, pork and local vegetables. You are sure to fall in love with the colder months in Japan.
Located around an hour from Tokyo, the easiest route is getting the train from the Liyama station.
- Jigokudanni Monkey Park in Nagano
Why not stay in the area so you can see the snow monkeys enjoying the hot springs in the snow covered mountains. In the months of January and February mostly, you can spot the monkey enjoying the warmth and bathing together in the springs. A natural sight you won’t quite believe.