Japan is the country of cultural differences.
Old and new, traditions and modern-day life go hand in hand in this East Asian country.
But Japan also offers unique natural phenomena.
One of them is koyo.
When autumn arrives in Japan, beautiful autumn leaves fall from the trees all over Japan.
The phenomenon is known as koyo – or momijigari – and is autumn’s answer to the popular cherry blossom in the spring.
Koyo cloaks the landscape in beautiful autumn shades of yellow, orange and red, and it can be every bit as enchanting as the pink crowns of the cherry trees in the spring.
During koyo, the reddish leaves of the Japanese maple trees, also called momiji, are a particularly outstanding sight. The beautifully shaped leaves in their varying shades of red give Japan a fairytale look in the autumn. And in fact, the same Japanese character is used for both “autumn colours” and “maple tree”, and the Japanese maple leaves are also synonymous with the autumn event.
Koyo can be experienced throughout the country, but just as the cherry blossom first occurs in the south due to the heat, koyo starts in the northern part of Japan.
The autumn phenomenon starts around mid-September, spreading southwards as autumn makes its way into the different parts of Japan. Koyo lasts until December, and the wonderful autumn shades can be seen for around 20 to 25 days in each area.
Koyo time is popular with the Japanese and has been for several decades. And visitors from all over the world have also had their eyes opened to the phenomenon.
The enchanting autumn is not only experienced in the Japanese areas of natural beauty, but in the cities, too.
Depending on where you are in Japan, you can experience the koyo phenomenon at different times during the autumn. The times given are approximate times, as they may change due to the unpredictability of the weather.
You can experience the leaves of the maple tree all over the country.
Autumn’s favourite trees grow in many Japanese gardens and at temples.
In addition to the iconic red maple leaves, there are a number of other beautiful trees that help to colour the Japanese autumn in beautiful shades.
Another of the popular trees in the autumn is the ginkgo tree. The ginkgo leaves adorn the Japanese autumn landscape with beautiful shades of yellow in formidable contrast to the red maple leaves. Although you might think it was the cherry tree, the gingko tree is actually Tokyo’s symbol when it comes to trees.
In addition, you can also experience the leaves of the nanakamado tree, the Japanese larch or the cherry tree in the autumn.
An experience for life with big contrasts between ultra-modern Tokyo, exquisite temples and gardens, maiko in kimonos and traditional tea houses in Kyoto, and the samurai town of Kanazawa.
You get Japan to your very core on this big tour. Experience famous highlights like Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa and Osaka spiced with less famous pearls like Okayama and Naoshima.
Experience the essence of Japan short and sweet with the most important cultural cities: Tokyo and Kyoto. The contrasts between the ultra-modern and the old traditions truly amazes most people.
An experience for life with big contrasts between ultra-modern Tokyo, exquisite temples and gardens, maiko in kimonos and traditional tea houses in Kyoto, and the samurai town of Kanazawa.
You get Japan to your very core on this big tour. Experience famous highlights like Tokyo, Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kanazawa and Osaka spiced with less famous pearls like Okayama and Naoshima.
Experience the essence of Japan short and sweet with the most important cultural cities: Tokyo and Kyoto. The contrasts between the ultra-modern and the old traditions truly amazes most people.
Japan is a country you simply have to experience at least once in your lifetime.
If you want to see the Asian country swathed in beautiful autumn leaves, you should travel there when it’s koyo season.
If you are unsure about what a tour is the one for you, please call our travel specialists who are on hand to help you off on your next dream holiday.
TourCompass – From tourist to traveller
