When do the leaves change in Japanese Alps — Chūbu?

Central Honshu's high peaks lead Japan's main-island color, from Kamikochi's valley larch and the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route down to Nikko's shrines and the Fuji Five Lakes.

A beech in coppery autumn leaf
Autumn in Japanese Alps — Chūbu· Photo: Markusmachtphotos / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

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Weather data for Japanese Alps — Chūbu lands with the next model run. Meanwhile, explore the map.

Known for

  • Kamikochi valley color
  • Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route
  • Nikko shrine maples
  • Fuji Five Lakes

Things to do in fall in Japanese Alps — Chūbu

1 iconic stop — scenic drives, farms, haunts, and the views locals plan their October around.

Kamikochi

National park

A car-free valley in the Northern Japan Alps, ringed by the jagged Hotaka peaks and walked via the Kappabashi Bridge over the Azusa River. Beech and larch color moves down from the ridgelines through mid-to-late October.

Don’t miss: Kappabashi Bridge · Taisho Pond reflections · Hotaka Range views

Understand the season in Japanese Alps — Chūbu

Short explainers on why and when the color arrives here.

Fiery red Japanese maples framing a temple in Kyoto in autumn

Traditions Around the World

Momijigari: Japan's Thousand-Year Art of Leaf Hunting

Momijigari is Japan's centuries-old custom of autumn leaf viewing, from Heian court poetry to modern forecast maps and Kyoto's temple gardens.

2026-07-17 · 7 min read

See it on the map

Nearby & similar

Tōhoku — Northern HonshūKansai — Kyōto & NaraHokkaidōAll of Japan →

Cities in Japanese Alps — Chūbu

Local peak timing and things to do in fall, computed for each city.

Tokyo