Kyoto's maples are running late: when the 2026 autumn colours are forecast to peak

A warm autumn has held back the colour across Japan. The Japan Weather Association says the leaves will turn slowly and peak at the usual time or later across the country, with many lowland spots in eastern and western Japan later than average. Weathernews titled its forecast on the same theme: colour stalled by the heat. On 25 October Arashiyama, Eikando and Kiyomizudera were still green, according to the association's tenki.jp site.

What the forecasts say

The two forecasters disagree, sometimes by more than a week. The association forecasts Japanese maples, and its spot pages give a window; Weathernews counts a spot as at its peak from the day about 70% of it has coloured until the leaves start to fall, and gives a single date. Both update through November, the association three or four more times.

The association issued its forecast on 14 October, and its spot pages showed the same dates when we read them on 25 October. The Weathernews dates come from its spot pages on 25 October, which do not say when the forecast was issued. Weathernews also expects Ohara's Sanzen-in and Jingoji, both in the hills north and west of the city, around 16 November, earlier than the temples in town.

Getting around Kyoto in the high season

Kyoto City Bus starts its autumn crowd measures on Saturday 31 October. On Saturdays and holidays until 29 November, buses run from Kyoto Station towards Kiyomizu and Gion every three to four minutes between 9am and noon, combining the tourist express, which costs ¥500 for adults, with routes 206 and 106. From 21 to 23 November and on 28 and 29 November the tourist express takes a different route, via Shichijo-dori and Higashiyama-dori. Tofukuji closes its car parks from late October to early December, tenki.jp notes.

For day trips to Nara, Kintetsu's weekend free pass becomes digital-only from 10am on Thursday 5 November, at ¥6,000 for adults, valid on three consecutive days that include a Saturday and Sunday. The paper version is last sold on Friday 30 October.

The Momiji Matsuri

Arashiyama's maple festival runs on Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 November, from 11:30 to 17:00 on the river above the Togetsukyo bridge, Kyoto City's tourism site says. It is cancelled if it rains. By either forecast, the festival comes before the peak.