AUTUMN COLORS IN JAPAN

I don't know if it is the same in your country. In Japan, there are leaves that change colors and fall at the beginning of winter (deciduous trees like gingko, maple and cherry trees) and leaves that don't (evergreen trees like pine, cedar, and camellia). As autumn deepens, leaves change colors from the top of the mountain to the bottom, and from Northern Japan to Southern Japan. In Tokyo, where it is relatively warm, autumn colors come late.

When that happens, mountains and parks are a mixture of different colors, including red, orange, yellow, brown, and green. Colors are more vivid when the temperature falls suddenly rather than gradually. Hot summer helps to improve colors as well. Japanese people love to see this autumn event, which is comparable to another spectacular event in spring when all cherry trees blossom like pink bombs. People wouldn't mind taking crowded roads and trains to enjoy the view. But even in Tokyo, you can appreciate this natural beauty.

Yamadera (Mountain Temple) in Yamagata Prefecture, north of Tokyo.

<Click photos below for enlargement>

Tsuta (ivy) leaves turning from green to yellow, then red	Kaede (maple) leaves turn red but matsu (pine) remains green	Kaki (persimmon) bears orange fruits.	Kaki in close-up. A typical scene in rural areas

All kinds of colors in Hibiya Park	Hibiya Park (Ministry of Welfare & Labor in back)	Mountains, river & bridge in Komagane City, Nagano	Susuki (Japanese pampas grass) in Imperial Palace (see note below)

Note: The Imperial Palace was previously off-limits, but now its eastern section is open to public (admission free!) This section was also where the Edo Castle, headquarters of the Edo Government, stood. It now looks like an ordinary park, but we can still see the foundation of its main tower (rather small as a symbol of central authority) and related structures. This main tower was burnt down in 1657 and never reconstructed.