Although it's officially autumn, this year's lingering summer heat has delayed the season's arrival. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t get excited about koyo, or Japan’s always stunning autumn leaves, which will arrive in due time.
On November 4, the Japan Meteorological Corporation released the third edition of its official autumn leaves forecast, which predicts the autumn foliage around Japan spanning from Hokkaido to Kagoshima. It details the two most popular types of koyo: the red momiji maple and yellow ginkgo leaves.
Here’s a detailed look at the third and final forecast.
Red momiji leaves forecast
The maple leaves in Hokkaido will be the first to see colour change, with Sapporo projected to get red momiji around November 6 – about 9 days later than usual. The best time to see momiji in Nagano is November 25, and in Kanazawa it should be December 2.
As for Tokyo, you can expect to see the leaves turn red around December 2. Similarly, Osaka won't see the foliage glisten until early December, with the forecast predicting December 7. For Kyoto, the leaves will turn even later, on December 15. Further south, the leaves in Fukuoka will only start turning colourful around December 12, while the date for Kagoshima is December 16.
Yellow ginkgo leaves forecast
For the yellow ginkgo trees, the leaves are predicted to change around the same time as usual, with the projected date in Sapporo being November 7. Meanwhile, the leaves in Aomori will be at their best on November 5. For Kanazawa, you’ll want to be in the area around November 4 and in Nagano around November 17.
In Tokyo, the ginkgo will turn yellow by November 27, while Osaka is forecasted for November 26 and Kyoto for November 30. Down in Kyushu, the yellow leaves are expected in Fukuoka on December 1 and in Kagoshima by December 2.
To see the full, detailed forecast with more destinations across Japan, visit the JMC website.
This article was published on September 3 2025 and updated on November 7 2025.
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