Japan Autumn Leaves 2026: Peak Dates for 7 Cities (Official Forecast), and How to Plan a 25 Nov–5 Dec Trip
Checked 2026-09-07
Written by Tanya Jepun — a Japanese guy living in Malaysia. I read the official forecast (in Japanese) for you. Every date was checked on 7 September 2026 with a source link. The forecast is revised several times until November; when a new edition comes out, I update it here.
Short answer. The first official forecast (Japan Meteorological Corporation, 2 Sept 2026) says the leaves are 3–9 days late compared with the average in most big cities. Peaks: Tokyo 29 Nov · Osaka 4 Dec · Kyoto 11 Dec. For Malaysians that's good news: a 25 Nov–5 Dec trip catches Tokyo and Kyoto in one go, and November flights are cheaper than December. One thing to do now: Kyoto hotels.
1. Peak dates for 7 cities (first edition, 2 Sept 2026)
"Peak" = red maple leaves at their best. Yellow ginkgo leaves usually come about a week earlier.
| City | Red leaves peak | Yellow (ginkgo) | vs average |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sapporo (Hokkaido) | 7 Nov | 6 Nov | 10 days earlier |
| Nagano | 21 Nov | 14 Nov | 9 days later |
| Hiroshima | 28 Nov | 20 Nov | 6 days later |
| Tokyo | 29 Nov | 26 Nov | 1 day later |
| Kanazawa | 30 Nov | 10 Nov | 6 days later |
| Osaka | 4 Dec | 24 Nov | 3 days later |
| Kyoto | 11 Dec | 27 Nov | 6 days later |
The forecast covers about 700 viewing spots and 3,000 mountains; the table is major cities only. Hill spots (Nikko, Hakone, Takao) turn earlier than the cities, so check the specific spot in the forecast.
Two honest notes:
- This is the first edition. The second usually comes out in late September or October, and dates can shift by 3–5 days. Don't book non-changeable tickets on the strength of one date.
- "Late" this year means late November in Kyoto is still green-yellow. If you must travel in early November, pick Nagano or Hokkaido, not Kyoto.
2. Three trip plans for Malaysians
| Plan | Dates | Cities | Who it's for |
|---|---|---|---|
| A. Golden route, both at once | 25 Nov – 5 Dec | Tokyo (peak 29 Nov) → Osaka (4 Dec) → Kyoto (approaching peak) | Most people. Before the year-end school holidays, so it's a "take leave" trip |
| B. Mid-November, fewer crowds | 14 – 22 Nov | Kanazawa (yellow 10 Nov) → Nagano (21 Nov) → Tokyo (yellow 26 Nov) | People who've done Tokyo/Kyoto and want something else. Cheaper hotels |
| C. Early November, Hokkaido | 4 – 10 Nov | Sapporo (7 Nov) → Otaru / Jozankei | People who want cold and sushi. Hokkaido is 10 days early this year, so don't be late |
If you can only travel in the year-end school holidays (December): Kyoto's leaves will have fallen. A December trip is a winter-and-lights trip, not an autumn-leaves trip. I'm writing this so you aren't disappointed.
3. Hotels: why "now", not "later"
From 2026 data I checked on 3 Sept: in leaf season, hotel prices in Kyoto rise 30–60%, Tokyo and Osaka 15–25% (secondary source, link below). Kyoto is the problem: a small city everyone wants to enter in the same week.
What I'd do:
- Book Kyoto first, choosing free cancellation. When the second forecast edition comes out, shift dates if needed.
- Stay in Osaka and day-trip to Kyoto (under an hour by train). Cheaper, and more halal options.
- Kyoto accommodation tax went up on 1 March 2026: rooms at ¥6,000–20,000 per person per night → ¥400 per person per night, paid at the hotel (full scale ¥200–¥10,000 by room rate; Kyoto City, checked 7 Sept 2026).
- Flights: November is cheaper than December (KAYAK, December average return RM2,225; checked 3 Sept 2026). Check your month before you buy.
4. What to book early, what not to
- Book early: Kyoto hotels, anything near Arashiyama, weekend train seats to Kanazawa/Nagano, Muslim-friendly dinner spots in Kyoto.
- No need to book early: temple entry (buy at the gate), one-day leaf tours (a week ahead is fine), the JR Pass (see the [JR Pass article](/jr-pass-price-increase-october-2026/); for Tokyo–Osaka–Kyoto only, you don't need it).
5. So when should you go?
- Tokyo + Kyoto, first time → 25 Nov – 5 Dec (Plan A). Book the Kyoto hotel this week.
- Avoid the crowds → 14 – 22 Nov to Kanazawa/Nagano (Plan B).
- Cold and early → 4 – 10 Nov Hokkaido (Plan C).
- Only free in the December school holidays → go for winter, not leaves. Onsen, lights, hot food. A different trip, but a good one.
I'll update this article when the second forecast edition comes out (usually late September to October) and when hotel prices move.
Links in this article may be affiliate links (Klook, Trip.com, Airalo). The price you pay doesn't change; it helps me keep updating the numbers every month.
Sources
- Kyoto accommodation tax (Kyoto City, from 1 March 2026): https://ja.kyoto.travel/news/format.php?id=532
- Autumn leaves forecast 2026, first edition (Japan Meteorological Corporation, 2 Sept 2026): https://n-kishou.com/corp/news-contents/autumn/?lang=en
- Japan hotel prices 2026 by season: https://selfguidejapan.com/blog/japan-hotel-prices-2026
- KUL–Tokyo fares by month (KAYAK): https://www.kayak.com.my/flight-routes/Malaysia-MY0/Tokyo-TYO
Booking links
Affiliate links may be used; your price doesn't change.
- Hotels in Kyoto / Osaka / Tokyo (free cancellation): Trip.com
- One-day autumn leaf tours (Arashiyama, Nikko, Fuji): Klook
- JR Pass (only if 3 or more cities): Klook
- Free: the "Read a Japanese food label in 60 seconds" sheet — sign up here
Who wrote this
Tanya Jepun — Japanese, living in Malaysia. I read Japanese labels and official pages, check prices, and cite sources with dates. I'm not Muslim; for halal, I tell you what's in the ingredients — you decide.
How this article was made
Prices were taken from the agencies' and operators' official pages on the date shown, re-checked by me, and drafted with AI assistance. Numbers that couldn't be confirmed are written as ranges. When a price changes, I update it here.