Autumn in Kyoto unfolds little by little, then all at once. In October, the sakura trees redden and gingko leaves slowly reveal their gold as the green recedes.
But there seems to be little change in the maple trees. It's not till late autumn that they light up: the temperature suddenly plunges and the leaves blaze alive.
The city’s devotion to momiji-gari - maple hunting or viewing - is almost as old as Kyoto itself. During the Heian period (794–1185), courtiers enjoyed autumn colors on outings characterized by the flowing of verse and alcohol. Even the Man’yoshu, Japan’s oldest poetry anthology, sings of scarlet leaves.
The custom trickled down the social ladder and, by the late 17th century, momiji-gari was a pastime for all.
In the millennium that Kyoto served as the imperial capital, maples were planted in its temples, palaces and estates, ensuring that the practice of momiji-gari took firm root - and making the city one of the most beautiful places in Japan for autumn colors.
Has Fall Foliage Become Less Magical?
Japan's popularity as a travel destination has surged in recent years, with Kyoto high on visitors' lists.
Its allure has been amplified by the stunning autumn images flooding social media. Yet with fame comes crowds - camera tripods shoulder to shoulder in Arashiyama, long queues at temple gates and tour buses that arrive faster than the leaves can fall.
Even temples that once drew fewer visitors - such as Honen-in and Manshu-in - may no longer be the hidden gems they used to be.
And yet, there are still corners where time slows to the falling of a leaf. What follows is a guide to less well-known spots for viewing momiji, a map to sanctuaries of color and calm.
Western Kyoto
Arashiyama Yusai-tei: The Sound of the Mountains
In Arashiyama, an area loved for its mountains and maples, visitors go boating on the jade-green waters of the Katsura River as aristocrats once did.
Beside the river, on the grounds of the old Kameyama Palace is Yusai-tei, a restaurant-inn reborn as a gallery and atelier.
Built about 150 years ago, the villa was once called Chidori, a ryotei where Kyoto’s maiko and geiko entertained. It was also the retreat of Nobel laureate Yasunari Kawabata, who wrote The Sound of the Mountain here - fittingly, the events of the novel begin and end in autumn.
Today, Yusai-tei is the domain of dye artist Okuda Yusai, whose invention, Yume-Koro-Zome, creates textiles that shift color under sunlight. His works, stirring like maple leaves in the wind, hang throughout the villa.
The room where Kawabata once stayed frames the river through a great window. In autumn, the lacquered table reflects the red maples outside, so that the leaves appear to burn both above and below.
Next door, the Marumado no Heya - the Room of Round Windows - composes the world into circles of light, recalling the window at Genko-an that represents enlightenment. Upstairs, a terrace overlooks the river - visitors can sit here to listen to the sound of the mountains.
Online reservations, which help to prevent overcrowding, are required. Admittedly, the entrance charge is steeper than most temple admission fees but the experience offered cannot be found elsewhere.
Autumn colors opening hours: 8:00–17:00 (November 21 – December 7, 2025), 10:00–19:00 (December 8 – December 10, 2025). Closed on Thursdays.
Nearby sightseeing spots: Arashiyama bamboo grove, Tenryu-ji, Okochi Sanso Garden
Northwestern Kyoto
Daiho-in, Myoshin-ji: The Garden That Invites You to Tea
Tucked away in the vast Zen complex of Myoshin-ji is a little sub-temple called Daiho-in.
Open to the public for only a few weeks a year, the temple was founded in 1625 by Nagahime, granddaughter of Sanada Nobuyuki - elder brother to legendary warrior Sanada Yukimura - as Nobuyuki's family temple.
Its opening for the autumn foliage season is brief and precious. Beyond the gates is a roji garden - a space designed to prepare guests’ minds before they enter a tea room.
Visitors can take a seat on red felt mats to view the maples in the garden. Matcha and a sweet will be served — a phrase on the temple pamphlet reads, shaza kissa (且坐喫茶): come, sit down and have some tea.
The garden’s tea house, Yurinken (有隣軒), is modeled after a famed chashitsu of the Urasenke school.
Its name was inspired by a line in the Analects of Confucius: 徳不孤必有隣 ('Those of true virtue are never alone; they will always have companions.') And indeed, even when the garden is empty, you are not alone - the rustling of leaves feels like quiet conversation.
Visit in mid- to late November, when the maples reach their peak and the fallen leaves create a crimson carpet known as chiri-momiji. Few places capture the union of Zen and tea, of impermanence and presence, as gracefully as Daiho-in. The red felt carpet is waiting - won't you sit down for a bowl of tea?
Autumn 2025 opening dates: November 1–30, 2025
Nearby sightseeing spots: Taizo-in, Ninna-ji, Kitano Tenmangu Shrine, Ryoan-ji
Ninna-ji: Treasures on a Sea of Clouds
A Unesco World Heritage Site, Ninna-ji was built by imperial command and completed in 888.
While better known for its late-blooming cherry blossoms, the autumn foliage on its expansive grounds is equally magnificent - a blaze befitting the lineage of its abbots who, by tradition, come from the imperial family.
Enter through the towering Niomon, designated as an Important Cultural Property and regarded as one of Kyoto's three greatest temple gates.
Beyond it, a maple-lined path leads to the Kondo, the temple’s main hall, a National Treasure relocated from the Kyoto Imperial Palace. A five-story pagoda, another Important Cultural Property, rises behind the hall like a brush against the sky, its tiers glowing between the boughs.
Evenings bring another enchantment: the annual autumn light-up, held from late October till mid-December. Manmade mist wreathes the Kondo and maples in a cloud sea - unryu - creating a scene reminiscent of an ink painting.
As dusk gathers, the temple drifts between worlds. Ninna-ji preserves its imperial past even as it teaches what all seasons do: that the glories of this world are beautiful precisely because they end.
Autumn light-up: 18:30–21:00 (last entry: 20:30) on Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from October 24 – December 14, 2025.
Nearby sightseeing spots: Myoshin-ji, Ryoan-ji
Northeastern Kyoto
Hakuryuen: A Community Brocade
Nestled in the wooded hills north of the city, Hakuryuen, owned and created by Kyoto apparel maker Aono, feels like a dream garden stitched into the landscape.
Located about 10 minutes on foot from Ninose Station on the Eizan Electric Railway, Hakuryuen was built not by professionals alone but by many hands - the company’s owner, employees, their families and local residents - over years.
The garden opens to the public for only a few weeks each spring and autumn. In November, when sunlight pours through the maple canopy, every ripple of breeze creates a new composition.
Access is strictly by reservation and limited to 50 visitors per session. Those who enter will find quiet paths looping past gazebos and carpets of moss that glow beneath a vermilion bridge.
Visit around midday, when the sun threads gold through the red canopy, and walk through a living tapestry.
Autumn opening: October 10 – December 4, 2025
Nearby sightseeing spots: Kifune Shrine, Kurama Temple
Eastern Kyoto (Higashiyama District)
Seikan-ji: Explorations Above the City
Few temples feel as quietly removed yet so close to the heart of Kyoto as Seikan-ji, perched as it is behind Kiyomizu-dera, about five minutes on foot from its Koyasu Pagoda.
Not everyone who makes their way to this 9th-century hillside temple comes for the scenic views. Saigo Takamori, the famed samurai of the Meiji Restoration, is said to have met the monk Gessho here to discuss plans to overthrow the shogunate.
Now, the temple sees mainly visitors plotting an escape from the crowds.
From its terrace, Kyoto stretches below, the hills of Higashiyama forming a fan-shaped panorama.
On the grounds lies a large, sacred stone, the Kaname-ishi - it's said that if you pray to the stone, your wish will come true. But if you simply wished for some quiet, just taking the path that leads to the temple will fulfill your desire.
Nearby sightseeing spots: Kodai-ji, Yasaka Pagoda, Ninenzaka and Sannenzaka districts
Shoren-in: Garden of Blue Light
At the foot of the Higashiyama hills stands Shoren-in, a temple that once served as a temporary palace and whose abbots have traditionally come from the imperial family.
Ancient camphor trees - all designated as national monuments - guard the grounds, inspiring as much awe as the temple's statues.
By day, the stroll garden and pond, attributed to landscape design master Soami, offer the chance for quiet reflection. But, at night, this esoteric Buddhist temple reveals its otherworldly side.
Every spring and autumn, the temple holds evening illuminations - not merely for spectacle but as a form of devotion.
The principal image enshrined here, Shishoko Nyorai, is said to be light itself. His manifestation Acala, known as Fudo Myoo in Japan, carries the light of fire on his back. In honor of this divine connection, Shoren-in transforms into a temple of radiance.
A thousand lights great and small illuminate the temple grounds. They glow in hues of blue and gold, the trees appearing and disappearing with the shifting dark. The temple’s hope is simple yet profound: that each person’s inner light will rise to illuminate the world.
Light-ups have become common in Kyoto but few of them feel as sacred as the one at Shoren-in, a place where light becomes prayer and prayer becomes light.
Autumn light-up: 18:00–22:00 (last entry: 21:30), November 7 – December 7, 2025
Nearby sightseeing spots: Heian Jingu, Chion-in, Maruyama Park, Yasaka Shrine
How to Escape The Crowds
Kyoto’s autumn colors generally peak in the second half of November though the season has been shifting slightly later in recent years, sometimes lasting into early December.
If you visit in autumn, use the subway whenever possible - not only will the roads be congested but the buses will be also packed, especially from Friday to Sunday and on national holidays.
Domestic travelers also arrive in droves for momiji-gari. If your itinerary allows, go sightseeing early in the morning or just before closing time - the two quietest hours of the day.
Viewing Autumn: The Colors Inside
What makes for a beautiful autumn experience in Kyoto? Visiting the famous temples and taking souvenir shots in all of them?
In the end, the best fall spots may not be those with the most maples or the brightest leaves, but those that remind us how to look as people once did when time moved more slowly.
There is splendor too in a red leaf on your restaurant plate and in that small maple by your hotel. By all means, seek out spots to enjoy the foliage but how you experience autumn in Kyoto really depends on the heart you unpack.
By Janice Tay