Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Hi, I'm Lydia!Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Hi, I'm Lydia!Lydia Schrandt is a writer, editor, and award-winning photographer currently based in Houston. She’s a contributor for USA TODAY 10Best and serves as the first chair of the Editors Council of the Society of American Travel Writers. Her work has appeared in Draft, Time Out Beijing, Travel+, USA TODAY, San Francisco Chronicle, and others.
Colorful autumn foliage, known as koyo or momiji in Japanese, makes autumn a popular time for visitors to Japan—nearly as popular as the spring cherry blossom season. Here's what you need to know about experiencing koyo as it sweeps across the country in a parade of color each year.
The season for fall colors typically kicks off in mid-September and lasts until December, with red, orange, and yellow colors lasting in a single location for as long as five weeks. Much like the cherry blossoms in spring, the fall spectacle reaches its peak at different times depending on the location and weather.
While Japan has no shortage of scenic spots for leaf-peeping, some of the most famous include the temples of Kyoto, the national parks on Hokkaido (Japan's northernmost island), Biwako Valley, Lake Towada in Aomori Prefecture, Arashiyama, Mt. Fuji, Tokyo's parks and gardens, and Nikko National Park, located just a couple hours outside the capital.
During the fall leaf-peeping season, tours to see the natural spectacle depart from Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto, and Nagoya. Choose a day trip, such as a guided tour of Nikko or a Tokyo walking tour, or a multi-day tour that take you to several of Japan's best spots for koyo. Choose a two-day journey through Miyagi and Fukushima prefectures to both enjoy autumn colors and onsen hot spring soaks.
