Hokkaido has some of the most beautiful scenes in autumn! Hokkaido's autumn foliage season begins from around mid-September.
Let’s take a look at the beautifully colored mountains and streets lined with colorful trees! Here we'll share exactly when you can catch the fall leaves in Hokkaido in all their glory.
When can you see autumn leaves in Hokkaido?
According to the Japan Meteorological Corporation, the forecast for red leaves in 2021 for Hokkaido is in early November.
Fall colors in Hokkaido start from Mount Asahi in the Daisetsuzan Volcanic Group and move south. A unique feature of the mountains in Hokkaido is various broadleaf trees, and conifers are mixed, such as maple (kaede), Japanese rowan (nanakamado), black locust (niseakashia), Ezo spruce (Ezo matsu, and Sakhalin fir (todo matsu).
For this reason, there are three colors of red, yellow, and green which come together and create something special.
Also, you don’t have to go to the mountains or forest to enjoy the fall colors: you can find streets lined with trees like Japanese rowan, which turns red, and ginkgo (icho) and poplar, which turn yellow. The ginkgo in Hokkaido changes color around mid to late October, around 1 month before Tokyo.
Autumn in Japan: When & Where To Enjoy The Fall Foliage Season (+Forecast, Nearby Hotels)
1. Mount Asahidake: See autumn beauty Daisetsuzan from the Asahidake Ropeway!
・Best time to visit Mount Asahi in autumn: Mid-late September
From Asahidake Onsen Sanroku Station at an altitude of 1,000m, it takes 10 minutes riding the ropeway to reach Sugatami Station at 1,600m. From Sugatami Station, it takes about an hour's walk to reach the First Observation Point, Fourth Observation Point, Sugatami Observation Point, and Fifth Observation Point.
From here, you can view Hokkaido’s tallest Mountain, Mount Asahi (reaching 2,291m), and the reflection of Mount Asahi on Sugatami Pond. It is said that this is the first place in Japan where autumn’s colors start, and the best viewing season is from mid to late September. Japanese rowan and Erma’s birch (dakekanba) fill the mountainside with red and yellow.
Access: About a 2.5-hour drive from Sapporo City to Asahidake Onsen. 1 hour and 25 minutes via express train from JR Sapporo Station, get off at Asahikawa Station and take the shuttle bus Ideyu-Go for an hour and 30 minutes and get off at Asahidake.
DAISETSUZAN ASAHIDAKE ROPEWAY
1418, Yukomanbetsu, Higashikawa-cho, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido
Asahikawa
0166-68-9111
2. Ginga Falls and Ryusei Falls in Sounkyo: Two waterfalls flow in tandem off the colorful cliffs
・Best time to visit Sounkyo in autumn: Late September ~ mid-October
Sounkyo is a hot spring area that is located in Kawakami Town, which is east of Asahikawa. Along the Ishikari River, there is a cliffside of about 24km in the valley. There are also around a dozen hotels in the area. In autumn, th…
