Visiting Japan in October

One of the loveliest months to visit Japan, the temperatures have dropped across the country and the autumn landscape is a riot of golds and reds with the leaves of maple and gingko trees changing colour throughout the month. While Hokkaido is becoming colder, the temperature in the main cities is still around 18-20C, perfect weather for sight-seeing, exploring or getting outdoors, such as on the Nakasendo trail. It’s a great month for a holiday to Japan if you love culture too, with lots of exhibitions traditionally beginning at museums and galleries this month. And the harvest season is firmly underway, with everything from Japanese pears and persimmons to chestnuts turning up on menus across the country.

Festivals: The Takayama Autumn Festival is Japan’s third largest, taking place every October in the Takayama region, celebrating nature’s bounty with dances, marionettes and a parade of decorative floats.
The first weekend and Monday in October sees the annual Nihonmatsu Lantern Festival, one of the most impressive lantern festivals in the country, with festival floats reaching as high as 11 metres tall.
And on October 22, the Jidai Matsuri festival marks the anniversary of Kyoto’s founding with an impressive parade from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine.

Best for: Autumn colours, harvest festivals and foods, perfect sightseeing weather.