Autumn Color Report 2009
by japan-guide.com

This are the official japan-guide.com autumn color reports for 2009 from our trips to various autumn leaf spots across Japan. Check our page on Autumn Leaves for general information.

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2009/11/12 - Kyoto


by schauwecker

Two months after this year's first autumn leaf report, the seasonal colors are finally descending into lower elevations of central Japan. Today, I made a first visit to Kyoto from where we will be reporting multiple times over the coming two weeks.

The mountains surrounding Kyoto to the east, west and north have already started to change colors considerably. And while the season in the mountains is already quickly approaching its peak, it will probably take another week for the colors in central Kyoto to climax.

My first stop of the day was Arashiyama in the northwestern outskirts of Kyoto. The mountains behind the Togetsukyo Bridge have already turned quite colorful, with the Kyoto tourist office declaring them to have passed the 50 percent mark of their autumnal beauty. The maple trees in the garden of Tenryuji Temple have also turned into various shades of yellow, orange and even red already, and the peak of their seasonal charm is only a few days away.

Next, I visited Sanzenin Temple in the mountains north of central Kyoto where autumn colors typically arrive a few days earlier than in the city center. Indeed, the colors on Sanzenin's temple grounds were already spectacular and rather close to their peak.

My final stop was Tofukuji Temple, one of central Kyoto's most famous koyo spots. In comparison to other spots in the city center, autumn colors at Tofukuji seem to have advanced already quite far, with the Kyoto tourist office declaring them at 70 percent. Indeed, the fall foliage around the temple structures were breathtaking, although it will further improve over the coming days.

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List of Posts:
2009/12/08 - Tokyo
2009/12/02 - Kamakura

2009/11/27 - Tokyo
2009/11/26 - Kyoto
2009/11/25 - Kyoto: Light Up
2009/11/23 - Nara
2009/11/22 - Kyoto: Ohara
2009/11/21 - Kyoto
2009/11/19 - Kyoto: Arashiyama
2009/11/18 - Tokyo
2009/11/18 - Kyoto: Higashiyama
2009/11/16 - Kyoto: Kurama
2009/11/16 - Mount Takao (Takaosan)
2009/11/12 - Kyoto
2009/11/09 - Fuji Five Lakes
2009/11/04 - Hakone

2009/10/28 - Mount Fuji
2009/10/19 - Nikko
2009/10/16 - Onuma Park
2009/10/15 - Noboribetsu Onsen
2009/10/14 - Shikotsu-Toya National Park
2009/10/07 - Hachimantai
2009/10/06 - Mount Akita-Komagatake
2009/10/05 - Nikko

2009/09/30 - Kusatsu Onsen
2009/09/28 - Kamikochi
2009/09/24 - Oze National Park
2009/09/16 - Tokachidake Onsen
2009/09/15 - Ginsendai
2009/09/14 - Mount Asahidake