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What to Do in Japan in November: Autumn Foliage & Events
If you’ve ever dreamed of experiencing Japan in autumn, November is one of the best months to do it. Cool weather, fiery red maple leaves, seasonal food, and traditional festivals make it a special time to explore or plan your next trip.
Top Autumn Foliage Spots (Kōyō)
KYOTO
○Arashiyama (bamboo grove & river area)
OSAKA
TOKYO
○Rikugien Garden (Bunkyō ward)
○Meiji Jingu Gaien (Ginkgo Avenue)
ALL AROUND JAPAN
Hokkaidō
○Daisetsuzan National Park (Sounkyō Gorge, Ginsendai)
○Jōzankei Onsen (near Sapporo)
○Shikisai-no-Oka area (late season views)
Tōhoku
○Yamadera temple area (Yamagata)
○Shirakami-Sanchi beech forests
Hokuriku / Chūbu
○Kamikōchi valley (late Oct–early Nov edges)
Kantō (outside Tokyo proper)
○Nikkō (Irohazaka, Lake Chūzenji, Ryūzu Falls)
○Hakone (Lake Ashi, Sengokuhara)
○Mito Kairakuen (seasonal areas)
Chūgoku
Shikoku
○Iya Valley (Vine bridges area)
Kyūshū
○Unzen Hell Valley rim (Nagasaki)
Onsen season begins : It's the perfect time to enjoy hot springs like Hakone, Kusatsu, Arima onsen, Kinosaki, or Beppu.
Illuminations start early: Tokyo, Osaka, and Kobe light up with winter illuminations around mid-November.
🎎 Main festivals & events
Nov 1 : Meiji Jingu Autumn Grand Festival (classical & traditional performances), Tokyo. Nov 1–3 — Tokyo Ramen Festa (outdoor ramen festival), Tokyo (Komazawa).
Nov 1–3 : Fujiwara Autumn Festival (historic processions), Hiraizumi, Iwate. Nov 1–30 : Fuji-Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival & night illumination, Yamanashi (Lake Kawaguchi).
Nov 2–3 : Ohara Matsuri (Kyūshū’s big dance festival), Kagoshima.
Nov 2–4 : Karatsu Kunchi (grand float festival), Saga (Kyūshū).
Nov 3 : Culture Day (Bunka no Hi, national holiday), nationwide.
Nov 3 : Minoh Falls Autumn Festival, Osaka.
Nov 6–9 : Rally Japan (WRC), Aichi / Toyota
Nov 7 : Ōhitaki Fire Festival (fire purification ritual), Kifune Shrine, Kyoto.
Nov 1–30 (most days/weekends) : Mount Takao Autumn Leaves Festival (performances & koyo), Tokyo.
Nov 9 : Arashiyama Momiji Festival (boat performances), Kyoto.
Nov 15 : Shichi-Go-San (children’s blessing day), nationwide.
Nov 15–Dec 1 : Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Festival (golden avenue & stalls), Tokyo.
Nov 1–9 : “Kokera Otoshi” Maiko & Geiko Performances (Miyagawachō theater opening), Kyoto.
Tokyo. Nov 9–23 : Grand Sumo Tournament (Kyūshū basho, 15 days), Fukuoka. Nov 20–30 : Ritsurin Garden Autumn Illumination (night garden), Kagawa (Shikoku).
All off Kyoto autumn illumination here.
All of Tokyo events are here
Notes:
• Some city events publish exact times closer to date; always re-check official pages linked above.
• I used up-to-date sources (Tokyo Cheapo, official tourism, Kyoto/Osaka/Kagoshima pages, Sumo Association) and listed only November-relevant items.
🍵 What to eat this month
○ Sweet potatoes (Yaki-imo) sold warm on streets.
○ Matsutake mushrooms, a luxury autumn delicacy.
○ Hot pot (Nabe) and oden, perfect for chilly evenings.
○ Persimmons (Kaki) sweet, seasonal fruits everywhere.
💡 Travel tips
○ November is busy in Japan for autumn foliage : book accommodations or activities early.
○ Pack layers: chilly mornings, mild afternoons.
○ For photography lovers, sunsets are around 4:30 to 5 PM (if you want to catch it somewhere)
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Details on what you'll have
Best of both world : touristy & off the beaten path places
+ 1000 things to do, filterable by category & tags
Lifetime access to my itinerary and all future updates.
10 to 30 days curated itineraries, fully customizable
Kanto (Tokyo & surroundings) Day by Day customizable Itinerary (10 to 15 days)
Kansai (Osaka, Kyoto, Nara...) Day by day Itinerary customizable (13 to 15 days)
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15+ additional day trips detailed for exploring nearby destinations from Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto.
Interactive map with all key spots marked & filterable by category & tags
Benefit from in-depth practical advice (navigation, accomodation, restaurants, cultural experiences)
PDF & Excel sheets (with less updates than online version)
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Marie creator behind @Tabimawari
Hi, I’m Marie, the creator behind @tabimawari.
I lived in Kyoto, learned Japanese, and keep returning to explore Japan beyond the obvious.
Planning a trip to Japan usually breaks at the same point: you save a lot of places, but don’t know how to turn them into a realistic route. Cities are large, distances are not intuitive, and it’s hard to know what actually fits in one day.
This guide was created to solve that. It helps you understand how places connect, how many days make sense per area, and how to build an itinerary that flows.
With the interactive map, you can explore curated spots across Japan, follow ready-made itineraries and day trips, mix my routes with your own, and adapt everything to your pace.
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Marie creator behind @Tabimawari
Hi, I’m Marie.
French islander from Reunion island, Japan lover, and travel planner behind Tabimawari.
I spent a year living in Kyoto, learning Japanese and falling in love with the culture. Since then, I’ve kept going back, exploring every corner from Tokyo to the tiniest hidden towns.
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