The best place to see the glorious autumn colours in Japan
- Lake Towada in the mountains of Aomori is one of the first places to see autumn leaves turn yellow, orange, and red
- Away from the crowds, it is a tranquil spot to take in one of nature’s spectacles
The changing colours of Japan’s autumn foliage have for centuries drawn people to temple gardens, riverbank walks and mountainsides across the country.
As winter approaches, the vivid reds, yellows and oranges of maple, cherry and chestnut trees offer a final burst of colour, a last hurrah before the inevitable whiteout. Newspapers and TV weather shows chart the autumnal changes as they happen, ensuring the best momijigari, or leaf viewing experience.
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While thousands will cram into parks, temples and shrines across Japan over the next two months to witness leaves changing colour, a visit to Lake Towada (Towadako) at the northern tip of Japan’s main island of Honshu offers a more relaxing experience – and one more in tune with nature.
The lake offers some of the earliest glimpses of autumn colours. High in the volcanic mountains of Towada-Hachimantai National Park, the first hints of reddening leaves can usually be spotted here in early October.
“The leaves are a little later to turn this year, after the very hot and dry summer,” says Kenji Honda, a yearly visitor to the lake from Tokyo, a five-hour bus and train ride away. “But I still did not stop coming.
