Live Status Board · Autumn
Japan’s autumn colours run for nearly three months — from the alpine slopes of Daisetsuzan in mid-September to Kyoto’s temple gardens in early December. This board tracks eleven key regions through the 2026 season. Right now every row runs on typical windows compiled from forecaster spot data and official sources: the first 2026 koyo forecasts are expected in early September, and this page switches to live forecast and field data as they arrive.
Planning a spring trip instead? Track the bloom on the Japan cherry blossom (sakura) tracker.
If your trip is in September, pair this status board with my where to see Japan autumn leaves in September guide — the board tells you what is colouring, that page helps you choose where to actually go.
Autumn leaves status board
Autumn colours across Japan - tracked areas
As of JST
Colour locates tracked spots by prefecture - it does not describe the whole prefecture. Where several tracked spots share one prefecture, the most advanced status wins the colour; field-reported spots use the In season colour. Grey prefectures are not tracked on this board. The table below is the source of truth.
| Region / Spot | Status |
|---|---|
| Daisetsuzan (Hokkaido alpine) Japan's first autumn colours | EXPECTED Typical window: Sep 10 – Oct 10 · typical peak around Sep 25 |
| Sapporo / Jozankei | EXPECTED Typical window: Oct 5 – Oct 31 · typical peak around Oct 15 |
| Tohoku (Oirase / Hachimantai) | EXPECTED Typical window: Oct 10 – Nov 7 · typical peak around Oct 25 |
| Japan Alps / Kamikochi Karasawa earlier (late Sep) | EXPECTED Typical window: Oct 1 – Nov 5 · typical peak around Oct 15 |
| Nikko (Irohazaka / Chuzenji) | EXPECTED Typical window: Oct 10 – Nov 10 · typical peak around Oct 25 |
| Fuji Five Lakes / Momiji Corridor Kawaguchiko Momiji Festival typically Nov | EXPECTED Typical window: Oct 25 – Nov 25 · typical peak around Nov 10 |
| Kanazawa / Kenrokuen | EXPECTED Typical window: Nov 5 – Dec 1 · typical peak around Nov 20 |
| Kyoto (Arashiyama / Tofukuji) | EXPECTED Typical window: Nov 10 – Dec 7 · typical peak around Nov 25 |
| Tokyo (Rikugien / Shinjuku Gyoen) | EXPECTED Typical window: Nov 15 – Dec 10 · typical peak around Nov 28 |
| Hiroshima / Miyajima | EXPECTED Typical window: Nov 10 – Dec 1 · typical peak around Nov 20 |
| Kyushu (Yabakei / Kirishima) | EXPECTED Typical window: Nov 5 – Dec 5 · typical peak around Nov 20 |
When the 2026 forecasts arrive
Weathernews and the Japan Weather Association publish the September calls most travellers follow. As of our latest review, neither has released a 2026 forecast yet — here is their 2025 timing, the best guide to when this board goes live:
| Forecaster | First 2025 release (actual) | 2026 status |
|---|---|---|
| Weathernews | September 4, 2025 | NOT RELEASED — expect early September 2026 |
| Japan Weather Association (tenki.jp) | September 18, 2025 | NOT RELEASED — expect mid-to-late September 2026 |
The Japan Meteorological Corporation publishes autumn outlooks too. Whichever source lands first, the rows above flip from typical windows to forecast-based statuses within days — check back in the second week of September.
Why leaves turn — and how fast the front falls
Autumn colour is a temperature story. Leaves start turning when overnight lows dip below about 8°C, and the change accelerates once nights hit 5°C. The most vivid years combine three things: crisp cold nights, big day-night temperature swings, and plenty of clear daytime sun. A warm, cloudy autumn mutes the reds; a typhoon at the wrong moment strips slopes bare overnight.
That temperature logic is also why the front moves the way it does. Air cools roughly 0.6°C for every 100 m of elevation, so colour ignites on the high slopes first and walks downhill — at about 2–3 days per 100 m of descent, by the Nagano Local Meteorological Office’s rule of thumb. A mountain with 1,000 m of relief can carry three to four weeks of continuous colour on a single slope. That’s the entire strategy of this board: when your dates are fixed, you don’t chase the calendar, you chase the altitude.
Dates already booked? Find your row
| Your dates | Where the colour will be (typical year) | One-line reason |
|---|---|---|
| Mid–late September | Daisetsuzan (Hokkaido alpine) | Japan’s first colours — high slopes turn from mid-September, typical peak around Sep 25 |
| Early October | Karasawa Cirque, high Alps | Alpine amphitheatres turn before the valleys |
| Mid-October | Sapporo/Jozankei, Kamikochi, Hachimantai | The front reaches the resort valleys — typical peaks Oct 15 |
| Late October | Nikko, Oirase Gorge | Irohazaka and the gorge walks peak around Oct 25 |
| First half of November | Fuji Five Lakes, Kanazawa, Kyushu highlands | Momiji Corridor typically peaks around Nov 10 |
| Mid–late November | Kyoto, Tokyo, Miyajima | The famous temple gardens — typical peaks Nov 20–28 |
| Early December | Kyoto tail, Tokyo gardens | City gardens hold colour latest — windows run to Dec 7–10 |
The six bases I’d actually book
Eleven regions on the board, but an autumn trip needs two or three bases at most. These six cover every version of the season, north to south.
Daisetsuzan — where Japan’s autumn starts
Typical window: Sep 10 – Oct 10 · Best for: alpine colour while Tokyo is still in summer
The ropeway from Sounkyo or Asahidake puts you above the first turning slopes in Japan. September here means jackets and thermoses — and some of Japan’s earliest alpine colour before the main autumn crowds arrive. My full timing breakdown: Daisetsuzan in September.
Kamikochi — the Alps’ golden valley
Typical window: Oct 1 – Nov 5 · Best for: larch gold, riverside walks, no car needed
Karasawa’s high cirque burns first (late September), then the colour walks down to the Azusa River valley through October. The bus-only access keeps mornings quiet. Six more highland picks in October autumn gems. Rooms: Kamikochi & Matsumoto stays.
Nikko — the classic, timed right
Typical window: Oct 10 – Nov 10 · Best for: Irohazaka switchbacks, lake-and-waterfall circuits
Chuzenji sits roughly 600–700 m above Nikko town, which means two peaks two weeks apart — lake first, town later. Weekday mornings beat the famous Irohazaka traffic. The quieter valleys next door hold colour even later: Tochigi’s waterfall valleys.
Fuji Five Lakes — autumn on my home turf
Typical window: Oct 25 – Nov 25 · Best for: maple tunnels with Mt. Fuji in the background
The Momiji Corridor on Kawaguchiko’s north shore typically peaks in the first half of November — and the 2026 festival dates are already official (see below). I update the board’s Fuji row from the ground. Where to base: Kawaguchiko vs Fujiyoshida.
Kyoto — the late-November classic
Typical window: Nov 10 – Dec 7 · Best for: temple gardens, evening light-ups
Arashiyama and Tofukuji at peak are worth the crowds; the trick is the calendar, not the map. Mid-to-late November weekends are the tightest hotel market of the Japanese autumn — my booking-order logic is in the Japan booking timeline.
Tokyo — the December safety net
Typical window: Nov 15 – Dec 10 · Best for: late trips, garden colour without leaving the city
Rikugien and Shinjuku Gyoen hold their maples into early December — the season’s longest tail. If your trip lands late, Tokyo is the safest late-season base. Lock your window with the Booking Dates tool.
Official 2026 dates so far
Only officially announced dates or clearly labeled previous-season references appear here — never guesses.
| Event | Dates | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Fuji Kawaguchiko Momiji Festival (Momiji Corridor) | Nov 7 – 29, 2026 · light-up until 21:00 | ANNOUNCED (official, July 2026) |
| Kyoto temple light-ups (Kiyomizu-dera, Eikando, Chion-in…) | 2025 reference: mid-Nov – early Dec (e.g. Eikando Nov 15 – Dec 10) | 2026 NOT ANNOUNCED — typically confirmed Sep–Oct |
Planning around the typical windows
The koyo front moves the opposite way to the sakura front: north to south, and mountains before cities. Two practical consequences. First, if your trip is in October, your best colour is in Hokkaido, Tohoku, the Japan Alps and Nikko — Kyoto will still be green. Second, if your trip is in late November, you get the famous Kyoto and Tokyo gardens at their typical peak, and you can skip the mountains entirely.
Hotel pressure follows the same wave: Nikko and Kyoto are the two pinch points, and Kyoto’s mid-to-late November weekends are the single tightest hotel market of the Japanese autumn. If your dates land in those windows, compare Booking.com, Agoda or Trip.com early and choose a refundable rate — one room, with the cancellation deadline saved to your calendar.
Want this as a personal checklist? Pick your travel month on the Booking Dates page – it saves on your device and shows the one reversible step for your month.
FAQ
When do the 2026 autumn leaves forecasts come out?
Based on 2025 actual release dates: Weathernews published September 4 and the Japan Weather Association (tenki.jp) September 18. Expect the same rhythm for 2026 — first calls in early September, everyone reporting by month’s end. This board switches from typical windows to forecast data as each release lands.
Where is the best koyo if I visit Japan in October 2026?
Mid-October: Sapporo/Jozankei, Kamikochi and Hachimantai typically peak. Late October: Nikko’s Irohazaka and Oirase Gorge. Kyoto and Tokyo will still be mostly green — their gardens typically peak from mid-November. October trips are mountain trips; November trips are city trips.
How long does peak colour last in one place?
Roughly one to two weeks per spot, a little longer in cool, still autumns. Mountain spots turn and drop faster than city gardens.
How many days do I need in Kyoto to catch the peak?
Kyoto’s typical window runs Nov 10 to Dec 7 with peak around Nov 25, so a 3-day stay in the last two weeks of November gives you a good chance in a typical year. Prefer weekdays — the light-up weekends draw the year’s biggest crowds — and watch this board from mid-November for the live picture.
Is the koyo season more reliable than cherry blossom season?
Somewhat. Autumn colour is driven by cooling temperatures and moves more gradually than the sakura front, and the viewing window per spot is longer. But a typhoon in October can strip leaves early — check the forecast rows here before locking your route.
Nikko or Kyoto — which hotels sell out first?
They peak a month apart, so it’s two separate crunches: Nikko’s tightest stretch is late October (Irohazaka peak weekends), Kyoto’s is mid-to-late November. If you need specific weekends, hold refundable rooms for both early: Kyoto’s November weekends are the harder market overall, but Nikko tightens first because its supply is smaller.
The mountains are past peak — is my trip ruined?
No — drop in altitude. The front descends roughly 2–3 days per 100 m, so when a summit is bare the mid-slopes, valleys and city gardens below are typically still turning, often for weeks. The board’s late rows (Fuji Five Lakes, Kanazawa, Kyoto, Tokyo) exist for exactly this.
Where should I stay for the Fuji Five Lakes koyo?
Kawaguchiko’s north shore puts you walking distance from the Momiji Corridor. Book early for the first half of November — the 2026 festival runs November 7–29 with light-ups until 21:00. Compare Lake Kawaguchiko stays on Booking.com.
What data does this board use?
Out of season: 30-year typical windows compiled from tenki.jp (Japan Weather Association), Weathernews spot data and official tourism sources. In season: the current-year forecasts plus first-hand reports from the Fuji Five Lakes area, each row stamped with its verification date.
Sources
Typical windows compiled August 2026 from tenki.jp koyo pages (Japan Weather Association), Weathernews koyo spot data, Nikko City Tourism Association, Kenrokuen official, Karasawa Hutte and Fujisan.ne.jp. Colour-trigger temperatures (8°C onset, 5°C acceleration) per tenki.jp and Weathernews; elevation descent rate (2–3 days per 100 m) per the Nagano Local Meteorological Office; 2025 forecast release dates from Weathernews and JWA announcements; Fuji Kawaguchiko Momiji Festival 2026 dates (Nov 7–29) from the Fujikawaguchiko tourism office, published July 2026. 2026 forecasts will be added as published.