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When do autumn leaves turn red in Japan? Every prefecture, in date order

By Gallivanting GadaboutResearched, not travelledData: Japan Meteorological Agency, 1991–2020
TL;DR

On the Japan Meteorological Agency's 1991–2020 averages, maple leaves turn red first in Hokkaido, around 28 October, and last in Kagoshima, around 15 December. JMA has an average for 46 of the 47 prefectures' stations; this page lists them all in date order.

How to read these dates

JMA records the day the leaves of a sample maple tree at each station turn mostly red (かえでの紅葉). These are 1991–2020 averages; the real date moves from year to year.1 At one stations JMA observes a substitute maple species; they are marked.

Every prefecture, earliest first

Average date maple leaves turn red, by prefecture, 1991 to 2020
PrefectureStationLeaves turn red
Late October
HokkaidoSapporo (substitute species)28 October
Mid November
AkitaAkita12 November
NaganoNagano12 November
AomoriAomori13 November
IwateMorioka13 November
NiigataNiigata15 November
FukushimaFukushima17 November
IbarakiMito20 November
TochigiUtsunomiya20 November
Late November
MiyagiSendai21 November
NaraNara21 November
HiroshimaHiroshima22 November
KagawaTakamatsu23 November
IshikawaKanazawa24 November
ShimaneMatsue24 November
ToyamaToyama24 November
MieTsu25 November
YamagataYamagata25 November
GifuGifu26 November
AichiNagoya28 November
FukuiFukui28 November
OitaOita28 November
ShigaHikone28 November
TokushimaTokushima28 November
TokyoTokyo28 November
OkayamaOkayama29 November
YamanashiKofu29 November
SagaSaga30 November
TottoriTottori30 November
Early December
FukuokaFukuoka1 December
HyogoKobe1 December
OsakaOsaka1 December
SaitamaKumagaya1 December
KochiKochi2 December
KumamotoKumamoto2 December
MiyazakiMiyazaki4 December
EhimeMatsuyama5 December
KyotoKyoto5 December
ShizuokaShizuoka5 December
WakayamaWakayama6 December
YamaguchiShimonoseki6 December
NagasakiNagasaki7 December
GunmaMaebashi8 December
Mid December
ChibaChoshi12 December
KanagawaYokohama14 December
KagoshimaKagoshima15 December

JMA has no autumn-leaf average for the station in Okinawa.1

What is the light like on the autumn-leaf date?

For photographers: on the average date in 2026, the direction of sunrise and sunset and the minutes of evening golden light (our stated band: the sun from 6° above to 4° below the horizon), calculated with NOAA's solar equations for the weather station.1 See the light calendar for any date.

Show the light for 42 prefectures
Light on the average autumn-leaf date in 2026: sunrise and sunset direction in degrees from true north, and minutes of evening golden light
PrefectureLeaves turn redSunrise directionSunset directionEvening golden light, minutes
Hokkaido28 October107°253°58
Akita12 November112°247°57
Nagano12 November111°248°54
Aomori13 November113°247°58
Iwate13 November113°247°57
Niigata15 November113°247°56
Fukushima17 November113°246°56
Ibaraki20 November114°246°55
Tochigi20 November114°246°55
Miyagi21 November115°245°57
Nara21 November114°246°54
Hiroshima22 November114°246°54
Kagawa23 November114°246°54
Ishikawa24 November115°245°56
Shimane24 November115°245°55
Toyama24 November115°245°56
Mie25 November115°245°54
Yamagata25 November116°244°58
Gifu26 November115°245°55
Aichi28 November116°244°55
Fukui28 November116°244°56
Oita28 November115°245°54
Tokushima28 November115°245°54
Tokyo28 November116°244°56
Okayama29 November116°244°55
Yamanashi29 November116°244°56
Saga30 November116°244°54
Tottori30 November116°244°56
Fukuoka1 December116°244°54
Hyogo1 December116°244°55
Osaka1 December116°244°55
Kochi2 December116°244°54
Kumamoto2 December116°244°54
Miyazaki4 December116°244°53
Ehime5 December117°243°55
Kyoto5 December117°243°56
Shizuoka5 December117°243°56
Wakayama6 December117°243°55
Nagasaki7 December117°243°54
Gunma8 December118°242°57
Kanagawa14 December118°242°57
Kagoshima15 December117°243°53

What these dates cannot tell you

  • Averages, not a forecast. Check the current season's reports before you travel.
  • One tree in a city. Leaves in the mountains usually turn earlier than a tree at a city weather station; the average says nothing about them.
  • We have not been to these places and make no judgement about which is better to visit.

See also cherry blossom dates, where to go in November and December.

Key takeaways

  • Earliest average: Hokkaido, around 28 October.
  • Latest: Kagoshima, around 15 December.
  • 46 of 47 prefectures' stations have an average.
  • What we would skip: judging the mountains by a city date. The station tree is in town; higher ground usually turns sooner.

Sources

The dates come from the Japan Meteorological Agency, copied from our prefecture pages. See how we research.

  1. Cherry blossom and autumn leaves: 出典：気象庁ホームページ（生物季節観測の情報）: さくらの開花日・満開日 and 生物季節観測累年値ファイル (さくらの開花, さくらの満開, かえでの紅葉), 平年値 1991–2020. Japan Meteorological Agency. Accessed 22 September 2026. Licensed under PDL1.0. 「生物季節観測の情報」（気象庁）を加工して作成 — edited by Gallivanting Gadabout (English wording, date format and selection).

Edited data. 「生物季節観測の情報」（気象庁）を加工して作成 — edited by Gallivanting Gadabout (English wording, date format, grouping and order).