Stunning Instagram Photos of Fall Foliage in Japan · Global Voices
Nevin Thompson

Autumn in Japan. Photo by Nevin Thompson.
Like many other countries and regions around the world, Japan enjoys distinct seasons throughout the year.
While summers are torrid and winter can be unpleasant due to the lack of central heating in most of the country, spring and fall provide residents with a brief respite from the climatic extremes that Japan experiences the rest of the year.
The autumn months of October and November bring on quite a spectrum of colors as the leaves on the trees lose their green. Many people upload their snapshots of the fall foliage to social media.
Here is a selection of photos from Nikko, a popular tourist spot in the mountains northeast of Tokyo. Nikko is known for its splendid fall colors, especially the vibrant reds of the Japanese maple (Acer palmatum).
*** 真っ赤なモミジ♡
A photo posted by yumi♡ (@yumihr) on
Brilliantly red maples
The chief attraction of Nikko is a complex of gaudily decorated shrines and temples constructed as the mausoleum of the Tokugawa shoguns who unified Japan following a long period of civil war.
While the Tokugawa clan was famous for their military prowess, their aesthetic sense was not as highly developed, leaving visitors to Nikko overloaded with the visual stimuli of temples coated in gold and vermilion hues.
A photo posted by Bonhomme (@bonhommeupstate) on
紅葉の素晴らしさ . #栃木県 #日光 #佐野 #紅葉 #2015 #観光 #日光国立公園 #華厳の滝 #ニ荒山神社 #日光東照宮 #大猷院 #竜宮門 #湯滝 #湯ノ湖 #休日 #満喫 #さやの湯 #岩盤浴 #リフレッシュ
A photo posted by u.ttttt＊ (@u_takaraaaaa) on
The beauty of fall foliage. #tochigi #nikko #sano #2015 #travel #Nikko National Park #waterfall
During the fall, however, the surrounding hills are more than a match for Tokugawa's temples.
A photo posted by tammy (@tammy____) on
Autumn leaves
A photo posted by Satoru Soeta (@torucho) on
Light is Right // Perhaps the most beautiful moment in our short sojourn to the Okunikko region in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, was when we laid out eyes on Kirifuri Falls (霧降の滝). "霧降" literally means descending fog, but we were fortunate enough to see these magnificent two-step falls so clearly, and while they were resplendent in autumn foliage. The masters of @instagram have taught me that the patience in waiting for the right light can be rewarding, and I think this is an illustration of the point. It was a bit cloudy on the day, but for a couple of minutes, the sun behind us broke through the clouds and cast magnificent soft light across the foliage and the lower part of the falls, illuminating it. We were speechless. Indeed, this was such a pretty scene that nothing else we saw during the trip was quite able to match the beauty we saw in this brief moment. The light was, indeed, just right!  Have a great week ahead, friends far and wide! ––––––––––––––––––––––  Sunday Salutations  My humble thanks to these hubs and moderators for recent features! Please check them out and show some love  @igpodium | @jamjammal @ig_shotz_bridges | @tanja123456 @creative_architecture | @franciscortega @fantastic_landscap | @francisca_s_goncalves @earth_ravens | @picarus –––––––––––––––––––––––
A photo posted by Bernie Ng (@itsbernie81) on
Nikko is more than temple town. It's also a popular outdoor destination. The mild temperatures of Japan's fall months make Nikko a popular vacation spot.
A photo posted by 19VintageVW75 (@19vintagevw75) on
The weather is nippy enough, however, to make wearing a muffler mandatory.
A photo posted by @bucch0 on
The drive up to Nikko from the Tokyo region is fantastic. Here we see a roadway lined with towering cryptomeria trees.
日光街道をドライブ♪ (^ー^)
A photo posted by kaz–tam (@tam_926) on
The drive up on the Nikko Highway
すがすがしい栃木旅行の天気！ 早起きしすぎて今、ブランチ やはり栃木の蕎麦は美味しいわ〜
A photo posted by りりか (@ririkankan) on
Our trip to Tochigi is enjoying awesome fall weather! We got up early and now we're eating brunch. Tochigi soba noodles are delicious!
2015/10/25 NikkoToshogu✨ ザ・日本の秋 #nikko #toshogu #momiji #japaneseautumn #autumncolours #red #blue #green #autumn #beautiful #nature #nofilter #日光 #東照宮 #もみじ #紅葉 #自然 #美しい #美しすぎる #きれい #秋 #秋色 #赤 #青 #緑 #日本の秋 #感動 #絵になる
A photo posted by Liubov Wakabayashi (@wakabayashi_ai) on
Nikko, Toshogu: Travel in Autumn
Seasonal foods play a big role in Japanese cuisine. Here we see a shop in Nikko preparing two favorite fall snacks, grilled dango rice dumplings, along with charcoal-grilled ayu river trout.
烤糰子及魚 #湯滝瀑布
A photo posted by Bonnie (@bonniewen) on
Dango and fish skewers
While a hot spring can be enjoyed at any time of year in Japan, there's something about the crisp, cool air of fall that makes a dip in an outdoor bath even more enjoyable.
#温泉#日光#奥日光#奥日光高原ホテル 最高だった‼
A photo posted by miki (@suzuki0502) on
#hot spring #oku nikko #Nikko Kogen Hotel… This is awesome!!
And, just like spring, autumn ends all too fast. The bright, sunny days of October and early November are soon replaced by the winter rains that wash the colorful hues of fall away.
A photo posted by Christy Chiu (@christy_cchin) on
This post was researched used Echosec‘s location-based social media search and monitoring tool.