08/10/2026
Most people visit us for the skiing, but we want to show you what Japan's autumn looks like too.
Momijigari, which translates as leaf hunting, has been a Japanese pastime since the 8th century, when courtiers in Kyoto set out for the mountains to find the colour and write poetry about it.
Today Momijigari has a forecast. Forecasters work from decades of records kept on one designated tree per location, and temperature is the key metric. Unlike the cherry blossom season which spreads north in spring, autumn colour spreads south from Hokkaidō and moves from the high ground down to sea level. Ginkgo usually changes colour first, with yellow peaking in early November in Sapporo and Aomori, and roughly mid to late November across much of the country south of Tōhoku. Red maples follow a little later.
Scroll through for a look at this year's forecast maps, which is useful information for photographers and nature lovers. (and our golfing visitors). Forecasts update through the season, so check the Japan Meteorological Corporation website for the latest dates.