Autumn Foliage Viewing Shifts to Winter: Early December Becomes the New Peak

A New Timeline for Leaf Peeping
Visitors planning to enjoy Japan’s autumn foliage next year may need to delay their trips until early December. According to recent data from the Japan Meteorological Agency, climate change is profoundly altering the timing and characteristics of the fall foliage season. Over the past several decades, the timing of leaves turning red and eventually falling has shifted significantly, with peak foliage increasingly extending into winter. Since the 1950s, the duration from the onset of autumn colors to leaf fall has shortened by more than eight days, and in some areas, the foliage peak now occurs after December, challenging the traditional concept of autumn scenery.

Data Shows Delays and a Shorter Viewing Window
The Japan Meteorological Agency has systematically recorded the nationwide maple leaf turning (kōyō) and falling dates since 1953, analyzing long-term trends across 20 observation points. “Leaf-turning day” refers to the date when most leaves turn red, while “leaf-fall day” indicates when 80% of the leaves have fallen. In the past five years, leaf-turning dates have been delayed by four days compared to the 1991–2020 average and by 19 days compared to 70 years ago. However, leaf-fall dates have seen smaller delays, resulting in the time span between…