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It may still be warm and humid in Tokyo, but autumn is already on the horizon. In just a few months, Japan will be transformed into a sea of fiery red maples and golden-yellow ginkgo trees – making koyo one of the most spectacular times of year to explore the country.
If you’re hoping to plan your trip around the season, you’re in luck. On September 2, the Japan Meteorological Corporation released its first official forecast detailing expected dates for two of the most popular types of koyo: red momiji maple and yellow ginkgo leaves.
Here’s a closer look at this year’s forecast.
Red momiji leaves forecast
According to this year’s forecast, Hokkaido will be the first to see the brilliant momiji leaves, with Sapporo projected to turn red around November 7 – about 11 days later than the seasonal average. Further south, Kanazawa is expected to see its leaves turn red by November 30, Nagano by November 21, and Nagoya by December 2.
In Tokyo, the leaves are expected to turn by November 29, right on track with the seasonal average. In Osaka, the leaves are forecast to turn by December 4, followed by Kyoto on December 11. For Fukuoka, leaves are expected to turn by December 7, Hiroshima by November 28 and Kagoshima by December 10.
Yellow ginkgo leaves forecast
Ginkgo trees tend to be more sensitive to temperatures and often reach their peak before momiji. This year, Sapporo is expected to see its ginkgo trees turn yellow by November 6, followed by Kanazawa on November 10, Nagano on November 13 and Nagoya on November 17.
In Tokyo, the leaves are forecast to turn by November 26 – three days later than the seasonal average – while Kyoto is expected to reach its peak around November 27 and Osaka on November 24. Further south, Hiroshima is projected to see its ginkgo leaves turn by November 20, followed by Fukuoka and Kagoshima on November 27.
The next forecast is set for early October. To see the current full, detailed forecast with more destinations across Japan, visit the JMC website.
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