Top 5 Trending places to visit in Japan this Autumn 2022
This is my 3rd time in Japan for Autumn and Autumn in Japan has always been the most beautiful to me.
Autumn in Japan is from September to November. Foliage starts to change from Hokkaido southward by mid-October. By the end of November, the leaves in many areas will be at their best.
1) 思い出横丁, 新宿, 東京
Omoide Yokocho, Shinjuku Tokyo
Omoide Yokocho means Memory Lane - or a place that you feel nostalgic about.
In the past, after World War II, Omoide Yokocho started a black market and it was the only way that the locals could get food supplies.
When Shinjuku Station was built in the late 1960s, the area was then legalised as restaurants area and food stalls could be set up by proper licensed restaurants.
Today the area is a maze of narrow alleys with tiny izakaya (居酒屋), restaurants and open barbecue food stalls. It gets usually very crowded during dinner time with tired Tokyo office workers relaxing over beer and enjoying yakitori (焼き鳥).
The beautiful thing about this place is that the alley is decorated with the elements of the changing seasons! The perfect destination for photos!
2. 白川郷, 大野郡, 岐阜市
Shirakawa, Oni District, Gifu Prefecture
Shirakawa is famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old.
Gassho-zukuri means "constructed like hands in prayer", as the farmhouses' steep thatched roofs resemble the hands of Buddhist monks pressed together in prayer. The architectural style developed over many generations and is designed to withstand the large amounts of heavy snow that falls in the region during winter. The roofs, made without nails, provided a large attic space used for cultivating silkworms.
Shirakawa-go is a UNESCO world heritage site since 1995.
3. 高山市, 岐阜市
Takayama, Gifu Prefecture
Located deep within the mountains of Central Japan, Takayama (高山) is famous for the excellent preservation its Edo Period (1603-1868) historical centre, known as the ‘Sannomachi’.
Once under the direct control of the shogunate / bakufu (幕府), Takayama was a merchant town known for the skill of its carpenters and artisans.
Today, the old town is beautifully preserved with much of the Edo streetscape and building facades intact attracting visitors from all over the world.
The city is equally well-known for its thriving food scene including its famous Hida beef and Takayama ramen.
4. 祇園, 京都
Gion, Kyoto
Gion (祇園) is Kyoto's most famous geisha district. The district was built to accommodate the needs of travellers and visitors to the shrine.
The area is filled with shops, restaurants and ochaya (teahouses), where geiko (Kyoto dialect for geisha) and maiko (geiko apprentices) entertain.
5. 金沢市, 石川県
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture
One of my favourite Japanese cities I visited during my time in Japan is which means ‘marsh of gold’. It is also known best for City of Samurai.
Under the rule of the Maeda clan during the Edo Period (1603-1868), Kanazawa developed into one of Japan’s most important cities. It accumulated vast wealth and attracting artisans and services the needs of the samurai class.
Today, Kanazawa remains a city of historic districts and modern entertainments.
