I’m a couple of weeks late on this post, but if you happen to be in Hokkaido at the moment, this is the best time to go out and see the autumn leaves turn color. I know that it’s not a great time to be traveling at the moment, but if you can do it, I highly suggest going out and enjoying the crisp, cool weather. I am a creature of fall and I love this season the most. Plus, the added bonus of seeing the beautiful canvas of mother nature always gives me a lift when I find myself feeling all sad and depressed.

Anyway, Japanese people have a tradition of celebrating fall: 紅葉 (こうよう). Kouyou is basically enjoying the colors of fall. The kanji is red and leaf, respectively. And they are not kidding. Normally, this is a time for most Japanese to travel out to famous places to go see and enjoy the fall colors.

I’ve got a couple of places for you to enjoy a nice, brisk walk and be out in nature. It’s an added bonus if you can bring a warm bottle of tea and sit on a bench somewhere to enjoy your drink while looking at the fiery colors of yellow, orange, and red.

Maruyama Park in Sapporo

As always, this is a beautiful place to visit because there’s lots to see and do in the Maruyama area. It’s also right smack in the middle of Sapporo, so I always recommend going here no matter what the season.

Iwamizawa, Gyokusenkan Atochi Park

Getting to Iwamizawa requires a train, a bus, or a car. There’s really not much to do in this park, but the view is quiet and it’s a good place to relax and contemplate life.

Jozankei

This area has the added bonus of being an onsen town. Of course, it’s a bit of a travel away from the city center of Sapporo, but it’s easy to get to because there are lots of buses that go to Jozankei. The scenery of the drive up to the area is quite wonderful, too.

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Hokkaido University

I saved this one for last because it is my favorite. This has got to be the best place to take photos of fall. Ginko Avenue on the campus is quite famous and very Instagram worthy. If you’re in the area, definitely head over to the university because you’ll definitely be impressed by the sheer amount of yellow ginko leaves.

I love this place and I can’t recommend it enough.