If you love weather that's cool but not as cold and biting as winter, plus you want to see the beauty of leaves gradually changing color in every direction, a truly colorful sight, you need to go to Japan in October. It marks the start of autumn, bringing together everything many people look for in a month: good weather, wonderful nature, plus plenty of great festivals to check out one after another. It's also a great month to take the whole family on a Japan adventure. For many reasons, October is one of the most popular months for travelers visiting this land of the rising sun. So what makes traveling Japan in October so appealing? Let's find out.
Weather
This month is quite a bit cooler than September. Daytime temperatures in Tokyo are around 13-23°C, perfect weather for a relaxed walk, not too hot and not too cold. If you head to Sapporo, though, temperatures are even cooler than in Tokyo, around 3-19°C, ideal for anyone who loves traveling in cool weather that's starting to turn cold.
Interesting Attractions for Kids
Japan is a very child-friendly country, from the special welcome kids get from staff everywhere to special privileges for young children. Most importantly, there are so many attractions kids will enjoy so much they'll lose track of time. Many of them also weave in learning along the way, such as museums that are well designed and fun, not dull at all.
Seasonal Food and Fruit
October brings plenty of delicious seasonal food and fruit. Even the rice harvested at this time, known as "new rice," is said to taste better than at other times: soft, sweet, and very fragrant. One dish worth trying is ginkgo nut rice, which looks simple but tastes amazing, especially paired with hot charcoal-grilled sanma, whose flesh is especially plump and firm this time of year, making it even more satisfying. Finish with a roasted sweet potato, perfect for the cool weather. For fruit lovers, try juicy, sweet, crisp pears, or the many varieties of grapes that come out in abundance this month.
Festivals
This is a month packed with all kinds of festivals held across Japan to choose from. Let's take a look at some of the highlights.
Autumn Leaves Viewing Festivals : This month, many places across the country start holding autumn leaves viewing events, with plenty of cities to choose from, each offering beautiful, unique scenery. These include Daisetsuzan National Park in Kamikawa, where the park setting alone guarantees rich natural beauty, plus a viewpoint near Mount Ginsendai offering sweeping views of the autumn leaves. There's also the Kamikochi highlands in Nagano, one of Japan's finest highlands, whose highlight is the Kappa Bridge area, one of the most beautiful spots to view autumn leaves. Ryuzu Falls in Nikko, a World Heritage city, has an autumn leaves viewing spot said to be the most beautiful in the area, with the falls looking stunning surrounded by red or golden leaves. And Nara Park in Nara lets you enjoy beautiful red leaves while also feeding the wild deer that wander around the area.
Yosakoi Dance Festival : A spectacular dance festival with as many as 100 competing teams each year, held around October 7-8 every year at 8 different locations across Tokyo. It's a lively, high-energy festival where each team brings its own dazzling choreography along with elaborate costumes, all competing to outdo one another.
Osaka Kitchenware Street Festival : A huge annual food festival, held on October 8 in 2018. The whole street is transformed into a feast of delicious food from a wide range of vendors, like visiting every great restaurant in one place, and you can also marvel at a giant takoyaki recognized by the Guinness Book of Records.
Bakeneko Festival : A cat festival featuring a cat cosplay parade, where the public can also join in and dress up as cats. This festival is held on October 15 every year in the Shinjuku area of Tokyo.
Nagasaki Kunchi Festival : A festival of Nagasaki's rich history and culture, with a history spanning as long as 400 years, held over three full days and nights. It's an event where you can see the beauty of authentic Nagasaki arts and culture performed by as many as 59 groups, with processions full of graceful movement and plenty of fun woven in. It's held around early October every year.
Halloween Festival : Japan is known for putting on amazing Halloween events, with everyone going all out on their costumes. Events are held in major cities across the country. In Tokyo, the main spots include Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Roppongi, and Harajuku. In Osaka, it's all about Universal Studios, and in Nagasaki, Huis Ten Bosch holds a Halloween event every autumn. Check the official website for this year's dates and program. Most events run from mid-October through late October.