Japanese Fall Traditions - Colorful Autumn Leaves

Japan is a scenic country all year round, but spring and fall battle it out for the most beautiful seasons. It's hard to pass up the wonder of cherry blossom season, but the colors of fall are truly spectacular, and with the leaves changing color more slowly than the cherry blossoms bloom, you have a better chance of being in the right place at the right time to enjoy a Japanese autumn.

The Japanese are good at making the most of what nature offers them, and during the two fall seasons that I spent in Japan, I was invited on or given tips about a huge array of fall leaf viewing outings, as they'd describe them. While there are often large groups of local tourists out in force to see the leaves, if you stay anywhere long enough they will disappear on to the next sight on their bus and you'll have some peaceful moments.

For me, the number one way to enjoy the fall colors near Osaka was to take a day trip to Akame, about an hour and a half by train and bus from Osaka, or about four hours from Tokyo, in Mie Prefecture. The Akame Shiju-hattaki Falls is an area on the Nabari River and there are at least 50 waterfalls here, with a well cared for path winding its way along and over the falls. They even have a small museum of salamanders at the entrance to the falls! There are all kinds of trees, including the gorgeous Japanese maples, lining the paths and hanging over the waterfalls, and when the fall colors are at full strength this must be one of the most picturesque places I've ever been. Just be sure to have plenty of memory space for the photos you'll want to take there.

There are also numerous sightseeing spots near temples and on mountains all over Japan where you can have a fantastic fall day out. If you're a photography nut then the contrasts of old temple and shrine buildings with the incredible array of fall colors will be something you can't stop exploring. Then there are some typically odd Japanese traditions that come with the fall: for example, you can find stalls where they have collected colored leaves from Japanese maple trees, dipped them in tempura batter and deep fried them! The result is not exactly delicious - you can really only taste the batter - but it is unique, and always in a pretty shape!