Category: Autumn

Autumn 2015: Karuizawa

Visit Date: 11/01/2015 (Best viewing Time: mid October to early November)

Karuizawa is an upmarket mountain resort situated at the foot of the active volcano, Mt. Asama in Nagano Prefecture. The town is surrounded by various mountains with different trees like birch, lark, and pine trees giving it a breezy atmosphere. It also boast iconic architecture such as the Mikasa Hotel, Karuizawa Stone Church and St. Paul Church as well as natural scenery like the Shiraito Waterfall, Kumoba Pond, Onioshidashi Park, and Usui Observation deck.

Karuizawa is one of the popular autumn destination as it possesses a beautiful foliage.

Karuizawa A beautiful autumn spot along the Kumoba pond.

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Autumn 2015: Showa Kinen Park

Visit Date: 10/09/2015 (Best viewing Time: early November to early December)

The Showa Memorial Park 昭和記念公園 located in Tachikawa, which is about 60 minutes from Tokyo Station, is a massive park that is very popular in spring and autumn. The park has gorgeous flowers particularly sakura (cherry flower), tulips, and poppies in spring and vibrant fall colors.

As of today, the park has already started to show autumn colors, although still at the very early stage. The cherry trees have turned orange while some of the maple trees are starting to turn orange and the ginkgo trees are already showing some yellow.

Showakinen_2015-10-09_01 Cherry trees along the dry canal.

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Autumn 2014: Rikugien Garden

Visit Date: 11/28/2014 (Best viewing Time: late November to early December)

 

Rikugien Garden (六義園) in Bunkyō-ku is considered as one of the most beautiful traditional Japanese garden in Tokyo. It was built around the 1700 and its name means Garden of the Six Principles of Poetry. The garden was donated to the city of Tokyo in 1938 and was then opened to the public.

The autumn colors around the garden has just started & hasn’t reached its peak yet.

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Autumn 2014: Meiji-jingu Gaien Park’s Ginkgo Avenue

Visit Date: 11/27/2014 (Best viewing Time: mid November to early December)

The Icho Namiki (銀杏並木) or Ginkgo Avenue located in Meiji-jingu Gaien Park, just a short walk from Aoyama-Itchome Station, is one of the most popular autumn viewing spot in Tokyo. Around 300 meters long boulevard turns into a golden corridor which seems to transport visitors to a different world.

Meiji-jingu Ginkgo Avenue - 01

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Autumn 2014: A walk around Showa Kinen Park

Visit Date: 11/17/2014 (Best viewing Time: early November to early December)

Showakinen Park (officially known as Showa Commemorative National Government Park 国営昭和記念公園) is located in Tachikawa, which is only a little over 30 minutes by train from Shinjuku station. With its about 163 hectares land area, the park includes sport fields, barbecue pits, a boating pond, pools, and different magnificent gardens that blooms at various time throughout the year.

Visitors to the park can choose to get off from several stations and we chose the Nishi-Tachikawa station as it is only less than five minutes walk to the entrance gate.

The koyo season around the park usually tends to begin earlier than most of the Tokyo parks, which starts around late October and peak either mid or late November. The colors in this entrance however is still very green, only few trees have changed color.

Showakinen Park Autumn 2014 - 01 Maple tree with orange, green, and red leaves along the path to the park’s open field.

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