Autumn leaves in Tokyo 2026: when and where to see koyo

Tokyo’s autumn leaves (koyo) peak later than most visitors expect: the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 1991–2020 normals put central Tokyo’s ginkgo trees at full yellow on 23 November and its maples at full red on 28 November, and the gardens stay colourful into early December. So the plan depends on your dates. In early and mid-November, go out of town: Nikko’s shrine area and Lake Kawaguchiko are forecast at their best in early to mid-November, and Mt Takao, about an hour west of Shinjuku, from mid-November to early December. From about 20 November, stay in the city: walk the free Icho Namiki ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien, then choose a garden; Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen (¥300 each) have the best maples and both open at night in 2026. Book a tour where it saves effort, such as Mt Takao with Showa Kinen Park, or a coach to Nikko or the Fuji Five Lakes. Checked 22 October 2026.

Tokyo autumn leaves: which tour or ticket to book

Tokyo’s best autumn colour is in gardens you pay ¥150–¥500 to enter at the gate, and on a ginkgo avenue that costs nothing, so most visitors need no tour in the city. Book where it saves effort: a guide in Shinjuku Gyoen, a day out to Mt Takao and Showa Kinen Park, or a coach to Nikko, Lake Kawaguchiko or Hakone. Prices were checked on 22 October 2026 and live prices are shown on each card; every tour below offers free cancellation up to 24 hours before. The Rikugien night viewing is sold only by the garden itself.

Where available, you can reserve now and pay later. Payment dates and eligibility depend on the experience and the options shown at checkout.

Finding experiences…

Shinjuku Gyoen 2-hour guided garden walk

From ¥3,047

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

2 hours · A first look at a Tokyo garden in autumn with someone to explain the Japanese, French and English landscapes

Groups of up to 12 meet at Exit 1 of Shinjuku-gyoemmae Station, visit the garden’s four areas and a tea house, and finish near JR Sendagaya Station. Admission is listed as included, but the operator also asks you to bring cash for the ¥500 entry, so carry it. The garden is closed on Mondays from 16 November. Instant confirmation; free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Mt Takao and Showa Kinen Park autumn day tour

From ¥9,664

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

12 to 13 hours · Two of Tokyo’s biggest autumn sights in one day without working out trains: mountain maples, then ginkgo avenues at dusk

Leaves from Shinjuku or Tokyo Station with an English, Korean and Chinese-speaking guide: free time on Mt Takao (Yakuo-in Temple, the viewpoints), then Showa Kinen Park, admission included. Choose the option with the cable car or chairlift ticket if you do not want to walk up; the Japanese garden light-up ticket is paid on site in cash. Instant confirmation; free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Private Mt Takao hike with hot spring

From ¥20,000

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

About 5 hours 30 minutes · Walkers who want a guide to pick a quieter trail, then a soak afterwards

A private guide meets you at Takaosanguchi Station (you take the train there yourself), chooses a route to suit you, and includes a cable car or chairlift ride down and entry to Takaosan Onsen. Minimum age 7; people with tattoos cannot use the hot spring. Confirmation is by request, so book early for November weekends. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Nikko day tour: Toshogu, Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji

From ¥14,895

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

About 11 hours · Early November, when Nikko’s shrine area is at its forecast peak

A coach from Ginza with an English and Spanish-speaking guide: the Shinkyo Bridge from the bus, Toshogu Shrine (entry with the ticket option), about 1 hour 20 minutes at Kegon Falls and time at Lake Chuzenji. Lunch is not included. If weather closes the mountain road, Kegon Falls is swapped for Rinnoji Temple. Instant confirmation; free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Lake Kawaguchiko and Chureito Pagoda coach tour

From ¥9,647

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

10 to 11 hours · Mount Fuji with autumn colour during the Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival (7–29 November 2026)

Departs Tokyo Station Yaesu at 7:50am or Shinjuku at 8:30am and returns to Shinjuku only. Stops include Oshino Hakkai, Oishi Park and the Chureito Pagoda; the Momiji Corridor is listed as a pass-by. Lunch is optional. Instant confirmation; free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Mt Fuji and Hakone tour with bullet train return

From ¥24,616

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

About 11 hours · Hakone’s upper slopes, which colour first, in early to mid-November

From Ginza (7:20am) or Shinjuku (7:50am): Mt Fuji’s 5th Station, the Hakone Ropeway and a Lake Ashi cruise (both included), then the bullet train from Odawara to Tokyo Station, arriving at about 6:10pm. Lunch is optional. Confirmation is by request, and latecomers are not refunded. Free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Rikugien autumn night viewing (official ticket)

¥1,000 in advance online · ¥1,200 on the night

Guide price · checked October 22, 2026

6pm to 8:30pm (last entry 7:30pm), 25 November – 6 December 2026 · Tokyo’s best-known maple light-up in a garden built in 1702

A separate night ticket is needed; day tickets are not valid. Advance tickets are online only; on the night, tickets are sold online or for cash at the main gate (6pm–7:30pm), with a daily cap and a priority lane for online buyers. Primary-school age and under free.

Where to see autumn leaves in and around Tokyo

When autumn leaves peak in Tokyo: the official dates

In central Tokyo the leaves peak in the last week of November. The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) records the first day on which most leaves of a fixed specimen tree have turned: its 1991–2020 normal for Tokyo is 23 November for ginkgo (yellow) and 28 November for maple (red). Leaf fall follows, with normals of 3 December for ginkgo and 13 December for maple.

The date moves from year to year. In 2025 Tokyo’s ginkgo turned on 22 November and its maples on 23 November; in 2024 both turned on 3 December. GO TOKYO, the city’s official guide, gives mid-November to early December for most city spots and late November to mid-December for Rikugien and Showa Kinen Park. Private weather companies publish forecasts each autumn; treat them as estimates and check the gardens’ own updates.

Icho Namiki: Tokyo’s ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien

The Icho Namiki is a public avenue of 146 ginkgo trees in four rows, running from the Aoyama-dori entrance of Meiji Jingu Gaien towards the white Seitoku Memorial Picture Gallery. It is free, with no ticket or opening hours, and GO TOKYO calls it one of the city’s most popular autumn photo spots. The nearest stations are Gaiemmae (Ginza Line) and Aoyama-itchome.

Gaien’s own site lists Ginkgo Festivals (Icho Matsuri) up to 2016 and had announced none for 2026 as of 22 October. Come for the trees, not for stalls, and come early on a weekday.

Tokyo gardens for autumn leaves: Rikugien, Koishikawa Korakuen and more

For maples, choose one of the historic gardens run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Park Association. All are open from 9am to 5pm (last entry 4:30pm) and close from 29 December to 1 January. Pay at the gate, by IC card or card, or buy a same-day online ticket.

Rikugien (¥300; 65 and over ¥150), a strolling garden created in 1702, colours from late November to mid-December according to GO TOKYO. Koishikawa Korakuen (¥300), the oldest surviving daimyo garden in Tokyo, has Japanese maples on its steep “mountain scenery”, and its own calendar gives mid- to late November. Its 2026 night-opening notice says the Tsutenkyo bridge and Oikawa stream area, normally a maple highlight, cannot be seen because of works.

Kyu-Furukawa Gardens (¥150) pairs maples, from mid-November to early December, with autumn roses around a Western-style house designed by Josiah Conder; its 2026 autumn event runs from 7 November to 6 December. A combined Rikugien and Kyu-Furukawa ticket costs ¥400 and does not expire. Hama-rikyu (¥300), between Shiodome’s towers and Tokyo Bay, colours from late November to early December.

Shinjuku Gyoen (¥500; students and 65 and over ¥250; junior-high age and under free) is the easiest garden for families; GO TOKYO gives mid-November to early December. From 1 October to 14 March it opens from 9am to 4:30pm (last entry 4pm), and alcohol is not allowed. It opens every day during its chrysanthemum exhibition (1–15 November), then closes on Mondays.

Tokyo autumn light-ups in 2026: dates and tickets

The garden night openings need their own tickets, capped each evening: Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen close at 5pm and reopen at 6pm.

Koishikawa Korakuen opens at night from 13 to 24 November 2026 (Friday to Tuesday), 6pm to 9pm (last entry 8pm), with lit pines and gates and projection mapping. Tickets cost ¥1,000 if bought online by 12 November and ¥1,200 online on the day, and a limited number are sold in cash at the West Gate from 6pm to 8pm. Everyone from junior-high age needs a night ticket, including annual pass holders. You enter by the West Gate and leave by the East Gate.

Rikugien follows from 25 November to 6 December (Wednesday to Sunday), 6pm to 8:30pm, with the whole garden lit, projection mapping and matcha at two tea houses. At Showa Kinen Park, the Autumn Night Walk runs from 29 October to 29 November 2026: the park stays open until 9pm and lights are on from 4:30pm to 8:30pm. The ginkgo avenues need only park entry; the Japanese garden needs a light-up ticket (¥1,200 online). On Mt Takao, the slopes along the cable car are lit from sunset to 8:30pm on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and holidays from 1 November to 6 December.

Mt Takao in autumn: the Momiji Festival and the cable car

Mt Takao is the nearest mountain for autumn colour, about an hour from Shinjuku on the Keio Line, and it is busiest in November. The Hachioji tourism association gives a usual peak of mid-November to early December and runs the Mt Takao Momiji Festival from 24 October to 13 December 2026, with events by Kiyotaki Station at the foot of the cable car.

The cable car (about 6 minutes; ¥490 one way, ¥980 return; children ¥250 and ¥500) runs every 15 minutes from 8am, with extra cars when busy; in November the last car leaves at 5:45pm on weekdays and 6pm at weekends and on holidays. The chairlift costs the same and runs from 9am to 4:30pm. From 1 November 2026 you can tap a Suica or PASMO at the gate instead of queuing for a ticket. Keio’s Takao-san Kippu bundles the return train from Shinjuku with the cable car or chairlift: ¥1,450 with a return ride or ¥1,090 with a one-way ride, from Keio station ticket machines (not sold at Takaosanguchi).

Showa Kinen Park: Tokyo’s ginkgo avenues in the west

Showa Kinen Park in Tachikawa has two ginkgo walks: the Katarai ginkgo avenue is 300 m of trees left to grow in their natural shape, and the Canal at the park’s main entrance has two more rows beside a channel and fountains. The park also recommends the Japanese garden’s maples. GO TOKYO gives late November to mid-December.

Entry costs ¥450 for adults and ¥210 for 65 and over; junior-high age and under are free. From November to February the park opens from 9:30am to 4:30pm, longer during the Autumn Night Walk.

Autumn leaves near Tokyo: Nikko, Hakone or Lake Kawaguchiko?

Choose by date. Nikko spans a great range of altitude, so its colours run from early September to late November. The city tourism association’s 2026 forecasts put Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls and the Irohazaka road at mid-October to early November, and the World Heritage shrines and temples at early to mid-November.

Hakone’s season runs from late October through November: the Hakone Tourism Association says the upper slopes are at their best in early to mid-November, seen from the Hakone Tozan Railway, with Lake Ashi and Onshi Park also recommended.

Lake Kawaguchiko is best from early to mid-November, when, according to the town, its 400 to 500 lakeside trees are at their peak. The Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival runs from 7 to 29 November 2026 (Saturday to Sunday), with free entry and the Momiji Corridor lit from sunset to 9pm. On a clear day it is the one trip that gives you maples and Mount Fuji together.

Tokyo autumn leaves map: gardens, ginkgo avenues and mountains

The map is centred on the Icho Namiki ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien. Distances are straight-line estimates, labelled as the crow flies; walking times from stations come from each garden’s or operator’s own access page.

Getting to Tokyo’s autumn gardens by train and metro

Every city spot is a short walk from a station. For the Icho Namiki, use Gaiemmae (Ginza Line) or Aoyama-itchome. Shinjuku Gyoen’s Shinjuku Gate is 5 minutes from Shinjuku-gyoemmae (Marunouchi Line, Exit 1) or 10 minutes from the South Exit of JR Shinjuku; the Sendagaya Gate is 5 minutes from JR Sendagaya.

Rikugien is 7 minutes from Komagome (JR Yamanote and Namboku lines), and Kyu-Furukawa is 7 minutes from Nishigahara (Namboku Line) or Kami-Nakasato (JR), so the two pair well on the ¥400 combined ticket. Koishikawa Korakuen is 2 minutes from Iidabashi on the Oedo Line, and Hama-rikyu 7 minutes from Shiodome.

Getting to Mt Takao and Showa Kinen Park

Take the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Takaosanguchi, about an hour; on weekends and holidays the reserved-seat Mt. TAKAO train also runs (a seat ticket is extra). The cable car’s Kiyotaki Station is about 5 minutes on foot from Takaosanguchi Station.

For Showa Kinen Park, the Nishi-Tachikawa Gate is 2 minutes from Nishi-Tachikawa Station (JR Ome Line), and the nearest gate is about 10 minutes on foot from the North Exit of JR Tachikawa Station. GO TOKYO describes the trip as about 30 minutes from central Tokyo.

Getting to Nikko, Hakone and Lake Kawaguchiko in autumn

Nikko: limited express trains run from Tobu Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko in about 1 hour 50 minutes, and through trains from JR Shinjuku take about 2 hours. Tobu warns that in October and November, buses from Tobu-Nikko to Lake Chuzenji can take more than two hours longer than usual because of traffic, with no refunds for delays; for a day trip it suggests the NIKKO PASS World Heritage Area, which covers the shrine area.

Lake Kawaguchiko: highway buses from Shinjuku reach Kawaguchiko Station in about 1 hour 45 minutes. During the festival a free shuttle bus links the No. 1 car park and Oike Park from 10am to 5pm. Hakone is reached by Odakyu trains from Shinjuku; our day trips guide compares the options.

Autumn leaves spots around Tokyo, from the ginkgo avenue

Tokyo autumn leaves calendar: where to go each week

  • Late October to early November: Nikko’s higher areas (Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls, Irohazaka), forecast mid-October to early November in 2026.
  • Early to mid-November: Nikko’s shrines and temples, Lake Kawaguchiko (festival 7–29 November 2026) and Hakone’s upper slopes.
  • Mid-November to early December: Mt Takao, Kyu-Furukawa and Koishikawa Korakuen’s maples, Shinjuku Gyoen and the Icho Namiki.
  • Late November to mid-December: the Tokyo ginkgo and maple peaks (JMA normals 23 and 28 November), Rikugien and Showa Kinen Park.

Tips for Tokyo’s autumn leaves: crowds, rules and timing

  • Go on a weekday morning. GO TOKYO warns that weekends and holidays are crowded, and 23 November 2026 (Monday), Labour Thanksgiving Day, makes a three-day weekend at the likely peak.
  • Be at the garden gates for 9am, and start Mt Takao early: the Hachioji tourism association calls autumn the busiest time of the year on the mountain.
  • Buy night-viewing tickets online in advance: they cost less and numbers are capped each evening.
  • Leave the tripod at home. Koishikawa Korakuen bans tripods, monopods, selfie sticks, gimbals, folding chairs and mats from 21 November to 20 December and during its night opening; Rikugien does not allow sketching from 1 November to 15 December.
  • Check Shinjuku Gyoen’s days: it is open every day from 1 to 15 November, then closed on Mondays (16 and 30 November, 7 December) and on Tuesday 24 November, the weekday after the holiday.
  • Carry some cash: Rikugien’s night ticket window, Koishikawa Korakuen’s West Gate night window and its night tea house take cash only.

What to skip when seeing autumn leaves in Tokyo

  • A guided walk of the Icho Namiki: it is a free public street of 146 trees and needs no guide.
  • Hunting for a Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Festival: none had been announced for 2026 as of 22 October.
  • Lake Chuzenji by bus on an autumn weekend. Tobu warns of delays of two hours or more; in November, Nikko’s shrine area is the better target anyway.
  • Mt Takao’s cable car queue at midday on a weekend: walk up Trail 1 or go back on a weekday.

Mistakes to avoid with autumn leaves in Tokyo

  • Planning Tokyo’s peak for early November. The JMA normals are 23 November for ginkgo and 28 November for maples.
  • Arriving at a garden after 4:30pm. Last entry is 4:30pm at the metropolitan gardens and 4pm at Shinjuku Gyoen, and you need a separate ticket to return for a light-up.
  • Assuming a daytime, online or annual-pass ticket covers the night openings. It does not, at either Rikugien or Koishikawa Korakuen.
  • Expecting Koishikawa Korakuen’s Tsutenkyo bridge view in 2026. The garden says the area cannot be seen because of works.
  • Assuming every Fuji Five Lakes tour stops at the Momiji Corridor. If the maples are your main reason to go, check whether the itinerary stops there or only passes by.

Autumn leaves in Tokyo: frequently asked questions

When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Tokyo in 2026?

In central Tokyo, the last week of November and the first days of December: the Japan Meteorological Agency’s normals are 23 November for ginkgo and 28 November for maple. Mountains and day-trip areas peak earlier.

When do the ginkgo trees turn yellow in Tokyo?

Around 23 November in an average year, the JMA 1991–2020 normal, with leaf fall around 3 December. The date varies: it was 22 November in 2025 and 3 December in 2024.

Is the Jingu Gaien ginkgo avenue free, and is there a Ginkgo Festival in 2026?

Yes, the Icho Namiki is a public avenue of 146 ginkgo trees with no ticket. As of 22 October 2026, Meiji Jingu Gaien had not announced a 2026 Ginkgo Festival; its website lists festivals up to 2016.

Which Tokyo garden is best for autumn leaves?

For maples, Rikugien and Koishikawa Korakuen (¥300 each). Shinjuku Gyoen (¥500) is the easiest with children, and Kyu-Furukawa (¥150) adds autumn roses.

Are there autumn light-ups in Tokyo in 2026?

Yes. Koishikawa Korakuen opens at night from 13 to 24 November and Rikugien from 25 November to 6 December (separate tickets, ¥1,000–¥1,200). Showa Kinen Park’s Autumn Night Walk runs until 29 November, and Mt Takao’s cable car slopes are lit on Friday to Sunday and holiday evenings until 6 December.

How do I get to Mt Takao, and how busy is it in November?

Take the Keio Line from Shinjuku to Takaosanguchi, about an hour; the Takao-san Kippu (¥1,450 with a return cable car or chairlift ride) covers the train and the ride. The leaf season is the mountain’s busiest time of year, so go on a weekday and start early.

Is Shinjuku Gyoen open on Mondays in November?

Only from 1 to 15 November, during the chrysanthemum exhibition. After that it is closed on Mondays, but it opens on the 23 November 2026 holiday (a Monday) and closes on Tuesday 24 November instead.

Where can I see autumn leaves near Tokyo in early November?

Outside the city. Nikko’s shrine area and Lake Kawaguchiko are forecast at their best in early to mid-November, and Hakone’s upper slopes in early to mid-November. Tokyo’s own gardens usually colour from mid-November.

Do I need a tour to see autumn leaves in Tokyo?

Not in the city: garden tickets are sold at the gate and the ginkgo avenue is free. A tour helps for Mt Takao with Showa Kinen Park, Nikko or the Fuji Five Lakes; those listed here offer free cancellation up to 24 hours before.

Are Tokyo’s gardens open over New Year?

No. Rikugien, Koishikawa Korakuen, Hama-rikyu and Kyu-Furukawa close from 29 December to 1 January, Shinjuku Gyoen from 29 December to 3 January, and Showa Kinen Park on 31 December and 1 January.

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Sources

We checked the facts on this page against these sources on October 22, 2026. Prices and times can change, so confirm them when you book.

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