Seeing the leaves changing in Japan is on the bucket list of many travellers​. Japan is famed for its glorious autumn leaves transformation when nature brightens up the skies with the colourful outburst of beauty. Kyoto in particular is highly visited during the late fall seasonal awakening, but Tokyo offers as much pasture for the colour-hungry eyes. The Shinjuku Gyoen National Park and the Imperial Palace gardens sate you with the endless visual pleasure.

The Japanese have planted their gardens, parks and temple yards savvily for the future wondering at nature’s beauty. A German forester, Peter Wohlleben humanised trees in his best-selling book The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate, writing “trees are very social beings, and they help each other out”. When you consider the life of trees and their relationships, you may see the autumnal wardrobe change with different eyes.

For me the leaves changing in Japan​ is as it appears to the shinto believers:

Nature is the temple

The Goddess that enlightens your spirit

Soothes your soul and

Guides the zen life you need

Japan Gingko leafs
Leafs changing colours in Autumnal Japan
Japan bright yellow Ginkgo tree
autumnal leaves
Teahouse and changing leafs in Japan
autumnal leaves
Japan autumnal leafs in the garden
Kyoto Temple
Leafs changing colours in Japanese garden
Japanese lantern
Japanese Garden in Tokyo

Beyond Japan, there are many other locations for the best autumn leaves​ sightings. New England in the US bordering Canada, the UK and the Blue Mountains in New South Wales, Australia rank among the most visited fall destinations for nature lovers. Still, the perfection achieved by the rigorous Japanese is hard to surpass. Their garden landscaping and the meticulous attention to detail in planting the ideal species where they strike your eyes most emotionally, makes a trip to the island nation worth the Far-Eastern journey. The leaves changing in Japan​ is just magical!