Autumn in Japan

 

 

 

OK, a bit of a confession: I’m actually a secret leaf-peeper. It started when No 1 Son and I went to Washington for my birthday one November, and since then, every excuse I get to look at beautiful autumn leaves and take photos of them, I take.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And of course autumn in Japan is known for it’s fabulous fall colours.

 

 

 

 

 

There’s even a word for autumn leaves in Japanese, ‘koyo’ (isn’t it gorgeous?).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So we were there at exactly the right time last week, as the leaves were starting to turn ruby and copper.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For real leaf-peeping thrills, you can’t beat a ride in the cable car (the Hakkoda ropeway) over the tops of the trees in the Hakkoda Mountains near Aomori; they’re just so BIG.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You see lots of maples and ginkgo and it’s absolutely stunning, even on a misty autumn day.

 

 

 

 

And the trees at Lake Towada were breathtaking, too (the blue skies really accentuated the autumn colours).

I’d love to return in the spring, when the cherry blossom is out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

*This is my entry for The Gallery – the theme this week is ‘autumn’.