From October to November, you can enjoy Japanese maple, and ginkgo trees as the color of their leaves slowly start to transform into striking yellows and reds. What’s more, these trees can often be seen around traditional tourist spots, including temples, shrines, traditional Japanese gardens, and even trains!
You won’t want to miss out on this limited-time event. Enjoy stopping by the uniquely Japanese spots for fall foliage in Osaka, Hyogo, and Wakayama Prefecture with a camera in hand!
Image credit: Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
1. Mount Koya (Wakayama Prefecture): Admire fall leaves from a sacred site in the sky
Image credit: Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
Located in the northern region of Wakayama Prefecture, Mount Koya looks like a basin compared to the range of 1,000-meter-tall mountains that surround it.
Around 1200 years ago, this mountain became a sacred site for Shingon Buddhism due to the many shrines established by the Japanese monk, Kukai (Kobo Daishi). Here you can find over 100 temples that offer beautiful scenery.
Also, because this low-altitude mountain is abundant in nature, it’s the number-one famous spot in Wakayama Prefecture to view fall foliage.
Mount Koya is also a UNESCO World Heritage site, registered as Sacred Sites and Pilgrimage Routes in the Kii Mountain Range. What’s more, it’s also a popular spot among foreign guests, receiving three stars in Japan’s travel guidebook-the Michelin Green Guide Japan.
Image credit: Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
One of the best places to enjoy the foliage is when on Jabara-michi Road. This is the road you pass on your way from Kongobu-ji Temple to Dojo Garan – a complex built by Kukai that has many religious sites.
With temperatures on Mount Koya being slightly cooler than the lowlands, the best time to go see fall foliage is around late October to early November. You can let all your worries drift away as you enjoy the reds and yellows of maple and ginkgo leaves during your walk around impressive Buddhist buildings.
Image credit: Nankai Electric Railway Co., Ltd.
To get to Mount Koya from Osaka City, you can take an approximately 90-minute ride on the limited-express train running from Nankai Electric Railway’s Namba Station. Once getting off a Gokurakubashi Station, you can transfer to the cable car until you’re at Koyasan Station. From there, take either a bus or taxi to get to one of the many shrines scattered across the mountain.
Also, from Hashimoto Station to Gokurakubashi Station, the Nankai Electric Railway offers a sightseeing train called Tenku. Offering spectacular views of fall leaves from its large windows and observatory deck, a ride on this train is an experience you won’…
