After a hot and humid summer comes the warm, beautiful glow of the Japanese autumn, one of the best times to travel to the country to see its natural beauty through the seasonal colours.
The “Kouyou” season in Japan, which comes in October and November is literally translated into red leaves indicative of the famous Japanese maple tree or “momiji”.
All over the country, establishments are decorated with red paper garlands and travel agencies have posters of grand autumnal landscapes plastered on their shop windows. Leaves of varying shapes take on the colours of a Japanese autumn, with the most famous Kouyou trees being the bright red Japanese maple, rich golden lacquer and beech and the sunny yellow gingko.
Unlike the internationally-reknowned Cherry Blossom season, which occurs in the spring and lasts only for fleeting periods to about a week, the autumnal season is longer, and appreciated in a quiet way by the locals without the fanfare of the cherry blossom festivities.
The dazzling array of colours and their varying intensities occur according to the altitude and speed of climate change. For instance, the richest colours appear in places where the temperature has dropped at rapid rates, while slower drops in temperature create less-intensely coloured leaves.
[tags]Japan, seasons, autumn, Japanese maple[/tags]