With trees turning vibrant shades of yellow, red and orange, autumn is one of the most beautiful times to visit Japan. Each year around this time, the Japan Meteorological Corporation (JMC) releases its highly anticipated autumn leaves forecast to help us plan our seasonal sightseeing.
Just as we begin to ease out of Japan’s hottest summer on record, forecasters are now predicting an unusually short autumn, followed by a sudden plunge into winter temperatures. As a result of these climate shifts, JMC expects the autumn foliage to arrive later than usual.
So when can you expect to see the gorgeous red momiji and golden ginkgo leaves in Osaka, Kyoto and other destinations across the Kansai region? Here's what the official 2025 JMC forecast says.
Yellow ginkgo leaves
In the Kansai region, Kobe is expected to see yellow ginkgo leaves first, around November 15, two days later than usual. In Osaka, the ginkgo trees are forecast to turn yellow around November 24, while in Kyoto, colour is expected around November 28 – that’s two and four days later than average, respectively.
Nara’s golden hues are forecast to arrive five days late on November 23. Meanwhile, Wakayama is set to see yellow ginkgo leaves about four days behind the norm, around November 27.
Red momiji leaves
The Japanese maple, or momiji, is expected to experience a bigger delay, with Kyoto and Wakayama forecast to see their red leaves around December 12 and 13 respectively, one week later than usual.
According to JMC’s forecast, Nara’s momiji will arrive six days later than average, on November 27, while Kobe’s will appear just one day late, on December 2. In Osaka, you can expect the momiji to begin blushing around December 4, about four days behind the norm.
Do bear in mind that these forecasts are based on current weather conditions and may change depending on the climate. JMC will release an updated forecast in early November, and we’ll keep you posted.
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