The north-to-south wave
Colors start in Hokkaido's high altitudes in mid-September, sweep through Tohoku and the Japan Alps in October, and finally reach Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Tokyo as November turns into December.
η΄ θη©γ Β· Momiji-gari Β· Koyo 2026
An interactive map of Japan's fall foliage β from Hokkaido's early alpine reds in late September to Kyoto's late-December glow. Peak-viewing windows for 50+ spots, drawn from the Japan Meteorological Corporation's official forecast and trusted travel guides.
Drag the slider to see which regions are near peak on any date. Click a leaf for details.
at peak Β· within Β±5 days Β· out of window
Average red-leaf peak from the Japan Meteorological Corporation's 2025 forecast. Foliage rolls north-to-south β chase it, don't race it.
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Colors start in Hokkaido's high altitudes in mid-September, sweep through Tohoku and the Japan Alps in October, and finally reach Kyoto, Hiroshima, and Tokyo as November turns into December.
Mountain peaks above 1,500m peak 2β3 weeks before nearby lowland cities. Kamikochi peaks in mid-October while Nagano city waits until late November β 90 minutes apart.
Arashiyama and Kiyomizu-dera before 7 AM. Many Kyoto temples (Eikan-do, Kiyomizu, Tofuku-ji) and Tokyo gardens (Rikugien) run evening light-ups worth booking ahead.
Cool nights near freezing plus sunny warm days build sugars in the leaves. Warm autumns push peak dates later and can mute the reds β the JMC 2025 forecast shifted Kyoto's red peak all the way to December 15.