Japan Autumn Leaves 2026: Dates for 14 Cities and 33 Spots, Week by Week, with Prayer Rooms Near Each
Checked 2026-09-07 · Updated 2026-10-19
Updated 19 Oct 2026 with the second official city forecast (Japan Meteorological Corporation, 1 Oct 2026) and spot-by-spot dates from Weathernews (each spot's page, checked 19 Oct 2026). The next city forecast is due in early November; this page will be updated then. Prayer rooms come from each place's own official page, with the date they were checked.
Short answer. Now to early November: the mountains — Nikko's Irohazaka from about 23 Oct (already 50% coloured on 17 Oct), Lake Chuzenji from 22 Oct. Mid-November: Fuji, Hakone and Kyoto's hills — Lake Kawaguchi from 16 Nov, Lake Ashi from 15 Nov, Ohara and Takao (Kyoto) from 17 Nov. Late November: Kyoto city — Arashiyama from 25 Nov, Tofukuji 24 Nov, Kiyomizu-dera 26 Nov. Early December: Tokyo's city gardens — the Meiji Jingu Gaien ginkgo avenue 1–15 Dec, Rikugien and Ueno Park from 5 Dec. Malaysia's year-end school holiday starts 5 Dec (Group B; 4 Dec for Group A, Ministry of Education calendar 2026) — that first week still has red and yellow leaves in Tokyo, and Kyoto's leaves start to fall from about 11 Dec.
A 7-day Japan itinerary for a family of four, December 2026: real budget in RM, 4-person hotels, halal food and prayer on your route (a map sample), and a what-to-book-when calendar (PDF, BM & EN). Sign up & download →
1. The official city forecast (2nd edition, 1 Oct 2026)
The date is when most of the city's sample tree has turned red (maple) or yellow (ginkgo) — the Japan Meteorological Agency's standard, which is close to the best viewing in that city's parks. Mountain spots turn weeks earlier (section 2).
| City | Red (maple) | Yellow (ginkgo) | Red: average year | vs the 1st edition (2 Sept) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo | 4 Nov | 3 Nov | 28 Oct | 3 days earlier (was 7 Nov) |
| Aomori | 13 Nov | 5 Nov | 13 Nov | — |
| Nagano | 21 Nov | 14 Nov | 12 Nov | same |
| Sendai | 24 Nov | 29 Nov | 21 Nov | — |
| Tokyo | 28 Nov | 26 Nov | 28 Nov | 1 day earlier (was 29 Nov) |
| Hiroshima | 28 Nov | 21 Nov | 22 Nov | same |
| Kanazawa | 30 Nov | 10 Nov | 24 Nov | same |
| Nagoya | 2 Dec | 17 Nov | 28 Nov | — |
| Osaka | 4 Dec | 24 Nov | 1 Dec | same |
| Fukuoka | 7 Dec | 28 Nov | 1 Dec | — |
| Kochi | 9 Dec | 16 Nov | 2 Dec | — |
| Kagoshima | 10 Dec | 27 Nov | 15 Dec | — |
| Kyoto | 11 Dec | 27 Nov | 5 Dec | same |
| Wakayama | 12 Dec | 26 Nov | 6 Dec | — |
"—" = not in the table of the first edition we published. Source: Japan Meteorological Corporation, 2nd forecast, 1 Oct 2026.
2. Week by week: which spots are at their best (Weathernews spot forecasts)
The first date is "best viewing from about"; the second is "leaves start to fall from about". Status as reported on each spot's page.
| When | Spot | Best from → falling from | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Late Oct | Oku-Nikko, Lake Yunoko | 20 Oct → 1 Nov | 60% coloured (17 Oct) |
| Lake Chuzenji, Nikko | 22 Oct → 5 Nov | 50% (17 Oct) | |
| Kegon Falls, Nikko | 22 Oct → 4 Nov | 50% (17 Oct) | |
| Irohazaka, Nikko | 23 Oct → 8 Nov | 50% (17 Oct) | |
| Kusatsu Onsen (Gunma) | 22 Oct → 2 Nov | 50% (16 Oct) | |
| Kumoba Pond, Karuizawa | 24 Oct → 5 Nov | 20% (15 Oct) | |
| Early Nov | Sapporo (city forecast) | 4 Nov | — |
| Lake Yamanaka (Fuji) | 9 Nov → 19 Nov | not yet (18 Oct) | |
| Nikko shrines and temples (Toshogu) | 12 Nov → 25 Nov | not yet | |
| Mt Hiei, Enryaku-ji (Kyoto) | 13 Nov → 1 Dec | 20% (13 Oct) | |
| Kobe Municipal Forest Botanical Garden | 14 Nov → 6 Dec | not yet (16 Oct) | |
| Mid Nov | Lake Ashi, Hakone | 15 Nov → 28 Nov | not yet |
| Lake Kawaguchi (Fuji) | 16 Nov → 29 Nov | not yet | |
| Ohara Sanzen-in (Kyoto) | 17 Nov → 5 Dec | not yet (17 Oct) | |
| Jingo-ji, Takao (Kyoto) | 17 Nov → 5 Dec | not yet (15 Oct) | |
| Hakone Museum of Art | 19 Nov → 7 Dec | not yet | |
| Expo '70 Commemorative Park (Osaka) | 20 Nov → 9 Dec | not yet | |
| Nara Park | 21 Nov → 10 Dec | 20% (13 Oct) | |
| Osaka Castle Park | 21 Nov → 11 Dec | not yet | |
| Late Nov | Mt Takao (Tokyo) | 23 Nov → 10 Dec | not yet |
| Tofuku-ji (Kyoto) | 24 Nov → 11 Dec | not yet | |
| Korankei (Aichi) | 24 Nov → 8 Dec | not yet | |
| Arashiyama (Kyoto) | 25 Nov → 11 Dec | not yet | |
| Nanzen-ji (Kyoto) | 25 Nov → 9 Dec | not yet | |
| Minoo Park (Osaka) | 25 Nov → 10 Dec | not yet | |
| Himeji Castle, Koko-en garden | 25 Nov → 8 Dec | not yet | |
| Kiyomizu-dera (Kyoto) | 26 Nov → 11 Dec | not yet | |
| Early Dec | Meiji Jingu Gaien ginkgo avenue (Tokyo) | 1 Dec → 15 Dec | not yet |
| Yoyogi Park (Tokyo) | 3 Dec → 18 Dec | not yet | |
| Tsurugaoka Hachimangu (Kamakura) | 3 Dec → 14 Dec | not yet (18 Oct) | |
| Ueno Park (Tokyo) | 5 Dec → 19 Dec | not yet | |
| Rikugien (Tokyo) | 5 Dec → 20 Dec | not yet | |
| Sankeien (Yokohama) | 5 Dec → 19 Dec | not yet | |
| Koishikawa Korakuen (Tokyo) | 6 Dec → 18 Dec | not yet |
Spot forecasts move as the weather changes — check the spot's page a few days before you go.
3. Where to pray near each area (official pages)
| Area | Prayer room or mosque | Hours / note | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nikko (Irohazaka, Chuzenji, Toshogu) | Tobu Nikko Station prayer room — wudu area, qibla indicator | Ask at the counter, until 16:30 | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Lake Kawaguchi | Fuji Kawaguchiko Masjid; prayer room at IDATEN Bettei (halal-certified restaurant, JHCPO, 4 min from Kawaguchiko Station) | IDATEN Bettei: book a day ahead | 2 Oct 2026 |
| Kyoto — Arashiyama | Prayer room at Yoshiya Arashiyama (for diners, with ablution area) | 11:00–17:00 | 24–28 Sept 2026 |
| Kyoto — Kiyomizu, Gojo | Yumeyakata Gojo (free prayer space, up to 5 people) | 10:00–17:30, booking preferred | 24–28 Sept 2026 |
| Kyoto — city | Kyoto Masjid (near the Imperial Palace); Nijo Castle prayer space (ask at the castle office) | Masjid Tue–Sat 12:00–18:00, Friday prayers 12:30 / 13:00 / 13:35 | 28 Sept 2026 |
| Osaka — Expo Park | LaLaport EXPOCITY 2F — men's and women's rooms, each with wudu | Ask at the 1F counter | 18 Oct 2026 |
| Osaka — Umeda | Osaka Station prayer room 1F — register first at North Gate Building 3F | 11:00–18:00, last registration 17:30 | 18 Oct 2026 |
| Tokyo — Meiji Jingu Gaien, Yoyogi | Tokyo Camii (5 min from Yoyogi-Uehara Station) | Daily 10:00–18:00 | 15 Oct 2026 |
| Tokyo — Ueno, Rikugien | Masjid As-Salaam, Okachimachi (between Ueno and Akihabara) | Five daily prayers | 15 Oct 2026 |
Full details: Kyoto halal food and prayer · Tokyo prayer rooms · Osaka prayer rooms · Nikko & Yokohama · Lake Kawaguchiko.
Short days. Late November sunset is 16:46–16:49 in Kyoto (20–30 Nov) and 16:28–16:32 in Tokyo (National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, 2026). Many gardens close around 16:30–17:00, so Asr and Maghrib come while you are still out — plan the prayer stop before you go up a hill or into a temple.
4. Three trips for Malaysian families
| Trip | Dates | Route | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Mountains and Nikko | now – early Nov | Tokyo → Nikko (day trip) | Nikko's lakes and Irohazaka peak 20 Oct–8 Nov; prayer room at Tobu Nikko Station. Bring food (no restaurant in Tochigi confirmed halal on its own site) |
| B. Fuji + Kyoto | 16 – 29 Nov | Tokyo → Lake Kawaguchi → Kyoto (Arashiyama, Tofuku-ji, Kiyomizu) | Kawaguchi 16–29 Nov, Kyoto city from 24–26 Nov. Book Kyoto hotels first, with free cancellation |
| C. School holiday | 5 – 12 Dec | Tokyo (Meiji Jingu Gaien ginkgo, Rikugien, Ueno) → Kamakura / Yokohama | The first week of the school holiday still has leaves in Tokyo (1–20 Dec). Kyoto starts falling from about 11 Dec |
5. What to book now
- Kyoto hotels for late November, when the city's leaves peak. Pick free cancellation and change the dates if the November forecast shifts. Hotels whose own page mentions a prayer space, qibla or Muslim-only kitchen utensils: Kyoto hotels for Muslim families.
- Kyoto accommodation tax since 1 Mar 2026: ¥200–¥10,000 per person per night depending on the room rate (Kyoto City), paid at the hotel.
- Not needed early: temple tickets (bought at the gate), JR Pass for Tokyo–Kyoto only.
Links in this article may be affiliate links (Klook, Trip.com). Your price does not change.
Sources
- Japan Meteorological Corporation, 2026 autumn foliage forecast, 2nd edition (1 Oct 2026; next release early November): https://n-kishou.com/corp/news-contents/autumn/?lang=en
- Weathernews, spot pages (checked 19 Oct 2026), e.g. Irohazaka https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/24105/ · Lake Kawaguchi https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/24904/ · Arashiyama https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/26101/ · Tofuku-ji https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/26111/ · Kiyomizu-dera https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/26112/ · Meiji Jingu Gaien https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/24408/ · Rikugien https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/24406/ · Nara Park https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/26402/ · Expo Park https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/26205/ · Lake Ashi https://weathernews.jp/koyo/spot/24605/
- Ministry of Education Malaysia, academic calendar 2026 (year-end holiday from 5 Dec, Group B; 4 Dec, Group A): https://jpnselangor.moe.gov.my/images/attachstore/Dokumen/SS_KPM_Bil._3_2025_-_Kalendar_Akademik_2026.pdf
- National Astronomical Observatory of Japan, sunrise and sunset 2026: Tokyo https://eco.mtk.nao.ac.jp/koyomi/dni/2026/s1311.html · Kyoto https://eco.mtk.nao.ac.jp/koyomi/dni/2026/s2711.html
- Prayer rooms: see the source list in each linked article (Tobu Railway, Kyoto Travel, Kyoto Muslim Association, Osaka Station City, LaLaport EXPOCITY, Tokyo Camii, As-Salaam Foundation)
- Kyoto City, accommodation tax from 1 Mar 2026: https://ja.kyoto.travel/news/format.php?id=532
Book for this trip
Affiliate links may be used; your price does not change.
- Kyoto for late November (Arashiyama from about 25 Nov), room for 4: Kyoto hotels for 2 adults + 2 children on Trip.com (price depends on dates)
- Tokyo for the school holiday (Meiji Jingu Gaien and Rikugien, 1–20 Dec): Tokyo hotels for 2 adults + 2 children on Trip.com (price depends on dates)
- Kyoto autumn night tour (Kinkaku-ji, Arashiyama, Sagano train): on Klook (from RM305.25 per person, Klook 19 Oct 2026; departs Osaka or Kyoto)
- Mt Fuji day trip from Tokyo (Lake Kawaguchi 16–29 Nov): on Klook (price depends on date)
A 7-day Japan itinerary for a family of four, December 2026: real budget in RM, 4-person hotels, halal food and prayer on your route (a map sample), and a what-to-book-when calendar (PDF, BM & EN). Sign up & download →