Here’s the first official 2025 forecast for autumn leaves in Japan

With the summer heat still lingering, autumn is most likely to arrive later than usual this year. However, that doesn’t mean we can’t get excited about koyo, or Japan’s always stunning autumn leaves, which will arrive in due time.

On October 2, the Japan Meteorological Corporation released the second edition of its official autumn leaves forecast, which predicts the autumn foliage around Japan spanning from Hokkaido to Kagoshima. It details the two most popular types of koyo: the red momiji maple and yellow ginkgo leaves.

Here’s a detailed look at the second forecast.

Autumn leaves forecast 2025
Photo: Japan Meteorological Corporation

Red momiji leaves forecast

The maple leaves in Hokkaido will be the first to see colour change, with Sapporo projected to get red momiji around November 9 – about 12 days later than usual. The best time to see momiji in Nagano is November 24, and in Kanazawa it should be December 1.

As for Tokyo, you can expect to see the leaves turn red around December 1. Similarly, Osaka won’t see the foliage glisten until early December, with the forecast predicting December 5. For Kyoto, the leaves will turn even later, on December 12. Further south, the leaves in Fukuoka will only start turning colourful around December 9, while the date for Kagoshima is December 13.

Autumn leaves forecast 2025
Photo: Japan Meteorological Corporation

Yellow ginkgo leaves forecast

For the yellow ginkgo trees, the leaves are predicted to change around the same time as usual, with the projected date in Sapporo being November 7. Similarly, leaves in Aomori will be at their best on November 7. For Kanazawa, you’ll want to be in the area around November 12 and in Nagano around November 17.

In Tokyo, the ginkgo will turn yellow by November 27, while Osaka is forecasted for November 24 and Kyoto for November 28. Down in Kyushu, the yellow leaves are expected in Fukuoka on November 28 and in Kagoshima by November 29.

To see the full, detailed forecast with more destinations across Japan, visit the JMC website.

We’ll continue to keep you posted as the forecast changes. The next update from the JMC is scheduled for early November.

This article was published on September 3 2025 and updated on October 2 2025.