2025 Tokyo Autumn Foliage: Best 5 Spots & When to Go (Peak Dates, Light-Up Info)

🍂 Planning a romantic autumn trip to Tokyo?
The best foliage spots, peak viewing dates,
and night illumination info —
everything you need for Tokyo's fall colors!

Wondering about 2025 Tokyo autumn foliage timing? If you're looking for the best Tokyo foliage spots for a romantic fall trip, read on. From local predictions on peak foliage dates to the standout features of the BEST 5 spots and light-up information, we've put it all together here.

🍂 2025 Tokyo Autumn Foliage: When Does It Peak?

Tokyo's autumn colors typically last from mid-November to early December. The peak timing varies slightly by tree type:

• Ginkgo trees (yellow foliage): Mid-November to late November
• Maple trees (red foliage): Late November to early December

✅ The 2025 Tokyo autumn foliage peak is expected around the last week of November. Keep this in mind when planning your trip!

🍁 Tokyo Autumn Foliage BEST 5 (Don't Miss These!)

Tokyo has tons of foliage spots, but we picked the top 5 based on accessibility and how rewarding they are for visitors.

1. Meiji Jingu Gaien (Ginkgo Avenue)

The "golden tunnel" that defines Tokyo's autumn. About 146 towering ginkgo trees line a 300-meter stretch, creating an overwhelming landscape.

In 2025, the Tokyo Christmas Market and night light-up will run at the same time as the ginkgo peak season, making this a particularly special year to visit.

• 🍁 Expected peak date: November 29, 2025
• 🚇 Access: Ginza Line "Gaienmae Station" / Oedo & Hanzomon Lines "Aoyama-itchome Station"
• 🕒 Hours: Open 24 hours
• 💰 Admission: Free

➡️ Meiji Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue: #1 November Foliage Spot, Light-Up & 2025 Christmas Market

📍 Good to visit together: Aoyama & Omotesando

After walking the ginkgo avenue, we recommend heading to the nearby Aoyama and Omotesando streets to browse stylish boutiques, galleries, and cafes.

➡️ Omotesando Guide: Coffee, Shopping, Restaurants & Architecture

2. Shinjuku Gyoen

A huge oasis right in the middle of the city. It has Japanese, French, and English-style gardens all in one place, so you get a variety of autumn scenery. The red maples reflected in the pond are genuinely spectacular.

• 🍁 Expected peak date: December 7, 2025
• 🚇 Access: Marunouchi Line "Shinjuku-gyoenmae Station" / Shinjuku & Fukutoshin Lines "Shinjuku-sanchome Station" / JR & Oedo Line "Shinjuku Station"
• 🕒 Hours: 9:00 - 16:30 (Closed Mondays)
• 💰 Admission: 500 yen (adults)

➡️ Tokyo Shinjuku Gyoen Guide: Admission, Hours, Starbucks, Picnic & Running (2025)

📍 Good to visit together: Shinjuku

Spend the morning enjoying the autumn colors at Shinjuku Gyoen, then head to Shinjuku's department stores for an afternoon of shopping and food — a solid full-day plan.

➡️ Shinjuku Guide: Restaurants, Shopping & Recommended Itineraries

3. Yoyogi Park

A big, open park near Harajuku and Shibuya. With its wide lawns and thick forests, it's a great place to relax and enjoy the fall colors alongside locals.

• 🍁 Expected peak date: November 30, 2025
• 🚇 Access: JR Yamanote Line "Harajuku Station" / Chiyoda & Fukutoshin Lines "Meiji-jingumae Station"
• 🕒 Hours: Open 24 hours
• 💰 Admission: Free

📍 Good to visit together: Harajuku & Shibuya

After a picnic at Yoyogi Park, walk over to Takeshita Street in Harajuku to check out the latest trends, then head to Shibuya for a lively evening — a high-energy day plan.

➡️ Shibuya Guide: From Shibuya Sky Reservations to Shopping & Restaurants

➡️ Harajuku Guide: Harry Potter Store to Takeshita Street & Cat Street

4. Rikugien Garden

A classic Edo-period Japanese garden where you can stroll along carefully designed ponds and hills while taking in quiet autumn scenery. The real highlight here is the "Autumn Foliage Night Light-Up" held every fall, which fills the garden with color after dark.

• 🍁 Expected peak date: December 7, 2025
• 🚇 Access: JR Yamanote & Namboku Lines "Komagome Station" / Mita Line "Sengoku Station"
• 🕒 Hours: 9:00 - 17:00 (Extended hours during light-up period)
• 💰 Admission: 300 yen (adults)

📍 Good to visit together: Yanaka & Nezu

After enjoying the foliage at Rikugien, head over to the "Yanesen" area (Yanaka-Nezu-Sendagi) to explore Tokyo's old-town atmosphere — cats wandering around, vintage shopping streets, that kind of thing.

5. Inokashira Park

A lovely park in Kichijoji. Riding swan boats on the lake while surrounded by colorful autumn leaves is a pretty special experience.

• 🍁 Expected peak date: December 6, 2025
• 🚇 Access: JR Chuo Line & Keio Inokashira Line "Kichijoji Station"
• 🕒 Hours: Open 24 hours
• 💰 Admission: Free (Some facilities have fees)

📍 Good to visit together: Kichijoji & Ghibli Museum

Inokashira Park sits right between Kichijoji's shopping streets and the Ghibli Museum. We recommend exploring the neighborhood's small shops and restaurants before or after your park walk, or combining it with a Ghibli Museum visit.

➡️ Kichijoji: Where to Go & What to Do (with Ghibli Museum)

➡️ Mitaka Ghibli Museum Reservation Guide

✨ More Foliage Spots by Interest

If you want to explore beyond the BEST 5, these are also great options:

🍁 Ueno Park (Free admission / Expected peak: December 3)

A cultural complex where you can enjoy fall colors alongside museums, art galleries, and the zoo. The huge ginkgo tree in front of Tokyo National Museum is an underrated photo spot.

🍁 Koishikawa Korakuen (300 yen admission / Expected peak: December 3)

A traditional garden near Tokyo Dome, known for its particularly beautiful red maples.

🍁 Hibiya Park (Free admission / Expected peak: December 1)

An urban park in the middle of Tokyo's office district. You can enjoy the autumn colors alongside office workers on their lunch break. The foliage around the cloud-shaped "Kumogataikei Pond" is especially nice.

🍁 Kitanomaru Park & Ninomaru Garden (Free admission / Expected peak: December 3)

Beautiful Japanese gardens east of the Imperial Palace. Unlike more crowded spots, you can enjoy relatively quiet, relaxed foliage viewing here.

🍁 Hamarikyu Gardens (300 yen admission / Expected peak: December 4)

You get a unique view here — autumn leaves with skyscrapers and Tokyo Bay as the backdrop.

🍁 Mount Takao (Expected peak: November 23)

About an hour by train from Shinjuku. You can see the whole mountain turn red — it's quite a sight.

🍁 Hakone (Expected peak: November 13)

Hakone, the top hot spring destination near Tokyo, is also gorgeous in autumn. Ride the Hakone Tozan Railway through a tunnel of fall leaves, or look out at the red mountains from a Lake Ashi pleasure boat — hard to forget.

➡️ Hakone Travel Guide: Day Trip vs Ryokan Stay (Hakone Free Pass & Romancecar)

💡 Tokyo Autumn Foliage Tips (When to Visit & What to Wear)

• Avoiding crowds: Weekends and holidays get packed. If you can, visit on a weekday morning for the most relaxed experience.
• What to wear: November in Tokyo feels like mid-to-late October in Korea. A light down jacket or thick cardigan works during the day, but mornings and evenings get chilly — bring a scarf or thin gloves.

Tokyo's autumn, with its reds and yellows, has a different kind of romance and beauty compared to cherry blossom season. We hope this guide helps you get some great photos and memories on your 2025 Tokyo fall trip!

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