Mild temperatures and crisp, clear air make autumn in Japan ideal for a getaway. From traditional festivals and other events to cuisine using mushrooms, fruits, and other seasonal treats, you’ll find tempting travel options all over the country. Above all, admiring the brilliant reds and golds of the foliage is one of the greatest pleasures of a Japanese autumn. Many of Kyushu’s cities are located near unspoiled natural areas, with autumn colors to enjoy and the bounty of the sea and mountains to savor. Here are some of the wonders you can discover in a Kyushu autumn.
© Saga Prefectural Tourism Federation
Reflections that Double the Beauty of Autumn
Forests ablaze with vivid red, orange, and gold leaves are a symbol of autumn in Japan. Kankyo Geijutsu no Mori, a park on the slopes of Mt. Sakurei in Karatsu, Saga Prefecture, has a forest of 10,000 trees covering some 10 hectares where maple and ginkgo trees weave exquisite autumn brocades. Fuyusanso, a structure on the park grounds, is a particularly popular destination. Here, lacquered tables placed by the windows reflect the autumn foliage outside so vividly that the spot sees a steady stream of visitors seeking the perfect shot for their social media feeds. There’s also a walking circuit through the forest for close-up enjoyment of the colors.
A Festival That Brightens the Streets with Mellow Light
Chikuraku, the Taketa Festival of Bamboo Lanterns, features 20,000 lanterns made from cut bamboo that magically transform the streets of the castle town. The event is held every November in Taketa, a town in southwestern Oita Prefecture, with all the lanterns lit at once as the sun goes down, filling the streets with a mellow light. Taketa has extensive natural bamboo groves, and the festival was conceived in 2000 as a way to address falling demand for bamboo while preventing the groves from becoming overgrown. A team of decorative artists called
kewaishi is responsible for arranging the lanterns in eight locations, including Samurai Residence Street and the Sixteen Arhats (Juroku Rakan) at Kannonji Temple. Visitors can stop at booths to buy local food and refreshments as they stroll from venue to venue.
© Fukuoka Prefecture Tourism Association
Immerse Yourself in a Golden World
Hirokawa is a town in southern Fukuoka Prefecture. In mid- to late November, as autumn deepens, a grove of 80 ginkgo trees in the town’s Taibaru district becomes a world of gold. When the fallen leaves carpet the ground, the beautiful sight is known to elicit cries of joy from visitors. The grove stands on the site of a grape vineyard formerly run by a married couple. The wife loved viewing autumn foliage, and after her passing, her husband planted this grove in her honor. It is private property, but became so popular after being featured in a newspaper that the owner opens the grove to sightseers at this time of year.
Local Shiitake Bursting with Flavor
Tree-grown shiitake mushroom production flourishes in the sprawling kunugi (Japanese oak) forests of Oita, Miyazaki, and Kumamoto prefectures. These shiitake are cultivated patiently in a natural environment, making them more robust and flavorful than those grown artificially in mushroom beds. The shiitake harvested in autumn are particularly fragrant. Oita is Japan’s largest producer of dried shiitake, accounting for some 40% of the nation’s total. Drying these mushrooms actually increases their umami content due to the action of guanylic acid. Before cooking, dried shiitake are soaked in water to rehydrate them, and the water left over from this process is a precious resource that is used, like dried bonito or kombu kelp stock, to add umami to dishes.
