Autumn in Niigata Prefecture

Autumn is always a bittersweet month out here in snow country. The colors of the changing leaves are spectacularly gorgeous, and the weather is often in that sweet spot of "just right", but it has a tendency to feel like the calm before the storm. I don't enjoy the copious amount of snow we get out here for months on end, so I do try and soak up the pleasant temperatures and sunny skies when Mother Nature is at her best.

We didn't have the time to travel out of Niigata to enjoy autumn this year, but that's not a big deal since there's more than enough natural beauty to appreciate here. During fall last year we visited Yahiko Shrine to enjoy their chrysanthemum festival (definitely worth a visit if you're in the area), but didn't have time to pop over to Yahiko Park - two overtired kiddos that day cut our journey short. We wanted to remedy that this year, and it was well worth the hour or so drive to get there. You can't argue with views like these!

Yahiko Park is often revered as one of Niigata Prefecture's best spots to enjoy the stunning autumn leaves, and it's not hard to see why! 

It's one of Niigata Prefecture's most popular koyo spots, so if you can manage it, a weekday visit is ideal. There are far fewer crowds to contend with, which makes for a much more pleasant viewing experience! It's also much easier to find parking if you drive there, although even during the week you'll come across a pretty decent number of people. If you visit the area via public transportation, the closest stop is Yahiko Station on the JR Yahiko Line. From the station, the park is only a minute away on foot.

You can find the map details for Yahiko Park below.

We had also been advised from our neighbors that we needed to visit Lake Okutadami, another spot known for its beautiful autumn foliage. It's about an hour's drive from where we live, in the opposite direction from Yahiko Park - so if you want to visit both of these places you definitely would want to do them on separate days. Lake Okutadami is part of a man made reservoir system, but despite the fact that it's man made there's plenty of natural beauty to appreciate. As well as being incredibly popular in the autumn months, it's known for its springtime beauty, with quite a significant number of cherry trees scattered around the area. There are boat cruises you can take out on the water itself, but even if you don't opt for a boat ride you'll still find the area wonderfully scenic.

Some of the leaves here weren't even fully at their peak, but the views were still charming! Niigata has plenty of natural beauty to enjoy - come visit!

You can find the map details for Lake Okutadami below.

In the last week or so we've noticed that the leaves have been dropping a great deal, and there are snow showers on the weather forecast in the coming days. I know it's just a matter of time before many trees will be completely bare, and our region of Japan will be blanketed in its trademark winter white. So long until next year autumn - you'll be greatly missed.

And so it begins - the local area is carpeted with falling leaves in many spots, and whilst its beautiful it's also the prelude to long, cold, snowy winters...

Do you also dread the arrival of winter in Japan, and cling onto autumn for as long as possible?