Where to relax in October and November, which are the rainiest and grayest months of the year? Are you close to Asian culture and to the idea of ​​unity with nature and harmoniously coexisting with high-tech? In this case Japan is exactly the country which is certainly you must visit. Autumn is the best period to go to Japan. The famous season of “admiring maple leaves”, Momiji-gari, starts here.

What is Momiji-gari? Usually Japan is associated with blooming sakura and hanami (cherry blossom season), which peak occurs in March-April. However in autumn Japan is no less beautiful than during springtime. Momiji-gari is the time when the leaves of Japanese maples (momiji) turn red and the leaves of the ginkgo tree turn yellow. And this is an event of national caliber, which attracts not only the Japanese but also tourists from all over the world! So you have to consider that during your visit in this season you will find a large tourist flow.

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Personally I prefer autumn to all seasons and I’ve been dreaming of seeing Japan in this period for a very long time. However, a such trip took much more time and effort to plan it than I expected. The fact is that the time of Momiji blooming is different in different prefectures of Japan. It begins in mid-September in Hokkaido and arrives gradually in southern regions. Although the season lasts almost all of autumn until the end of November, you are waiting for a real hunt for red maples and for the opportunity to photograph it… cause the tourist flow!

In order to properly draw up your trip itinerary you will have to familiarize yourself with seasonal maps and accurate forecasts in advance. These maps are published annually on specialized sites even they do not guarantee success. You will receive the most up-to-date information on the week before or once you will arrive in Japan and sometimes this makes problematic to re-book hotels and trains or change itinerary. For example, our trip was planned from mid to end of November and in many cities leaves were green because the weather still warm.

Looking for the best districts to admire Momiji-gari? Here the are: Tokyo, Kyoto, Nikkō, Hakone.

I’ll show you photos of all these destinations in my future posts, so what are you waiting for? Subscribe to get my latest updates!

In the meantime here below a little announcement of what awaits you.