Tokyo Autumn Leaves 2026: When the Gardens Peak, and Where to See the Light-Ups
The mornings in Tokyo have turned crisp, and the gardens are quietly getting ready for winter. Autumn leaves season is almost here.
Every year our guests ask the same two questions: when do the leaves peak, and when do the gardens light up at night? Here is our 2026 guide, from a tour guide who also works as a gardener.
When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Tokyo?
In Tokyo's Japanese gardens, the maples usually peak from late November to early December.
This year's forecasts lean a little late: early to mid-December for Rikugien (Japan Weather Association, tenki.jp), and around December 4 for Koishikawa Korakuen (Weathernews). As of October 22, both gardens are still green.
On our October 17 tour, a few trees in the Japanese garden at Kyu-Furukawa Gardens had just started to turn.
A gardener's note: autumn color never arrives all at once. It deepens as cold mornings repeat, and even within one garden, trees in the sun and trees in the shade change at different times. That is why a garden at its peak shows red, orange, yellow and green all together.
Tokyo garden autumn light-ups in 2026
Koishikawa Korakuen: Night Opening ("Miyama Kōyō")
Dates: November 13 (Fri) to November 24 (Tue)
Hours: 6:00 to 9:00 pm (last entry 8:00 pm)
Tickets: ¥1,000 in advance (online only, until November 12) / ¥1,200 on the day
The Hitotsu-matsu pine, Horai Island, and the Karamon gate with its yukitsuri are lit up, and there is projection mapping on the Engetsu-kyo (Full Moon Bridge) and the old earthen wall. At night you enter by the West Gate and leave by the East Gate.
Yukitsuri are ropes strung from a tall pole to hold up pine branches so heavy snow can't break them. Snow rarely piles up in Tokyo, but gardeners still put them up as part of the winter garden scene.
Rikugien: Autumn Leaves Night Viewing
Dates: November 25 (Wed) to December 6 (Sun)
Hours: 6:00 to 8:30 pm (last entry 7:30 pm)
Tickets: ¥1,000 in advance (online only) / ¥1,200 on the day (cash only at the gate)
The maple areas are illuminated, and new this year is projection mapping on the old storehouse and the bamboo grove. You can also have matcha and Japanese sweets at the Fukiage Chaya and Shinsentei teahouses. The entrance is the Main Gate. Ticket sale dates will be announced on the official website.
By day: Koishikawa Korakuen autumn festival
November 21 (Sat) to December 6 (Sun), 9:00 am to 5:00 pm (last entry 4:30 pm)
Regular admission ¥300
A tea gathering (November 22), Noh theater (November 28) and gagaku court music (December 5), plus garden guides on Saturdays, Sundays, Mondays and holidays.
Jingu Gaien Ginkgo Avenue
The ginkgo festival is usually held from mid-November to early December. The 2026 dates have not been officially confirmed yet, so check the official site before you go.
Unlike the reds of the garden maples, the ginkgo turns a clear, bright yellow, and its fallen leaves carpet the sidewalk.
Day or night? A gardener's tip
By day, you see color. At night, the light shows you shape. The same maple feels like a different garden.
If you can, see both. Get to know the garden in daylight, the names of the trees and how the ponds and paths are laid out, and then come back after dark. The light-up will look completely different.
The garden is still beautiful after the peak, when fallen maple leaves rest on the moss and the ground turns red, even in my own small garden.
Visiting in early November? The maples will still be green, but some gardens have cosmos instead. On November 2 last year, the cosmos field at Hama-rikyu Gardens was in full bloom.
Dates and access
Koishikawa Korakuen: night opening November 13 to 24; daytime festival November 21 to December 6. West Gate: 3 minutes on foot from Iidabashi Station (Toei Oedo Line, Exit C3). East Gate: 5 minutes from JR Suidobashi Station (West Exit)
Rikugien: night viewing November 25 to December 6. 7 minutes on foot from Komagome Station (JR Yamanote Line / Tokyo Metro Namboku Line)
Peak forecasts: tenki.jp (Rikugien) / Weathernews (Koishikawa Korakuen)
FAQ
Q. When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Tokyo in 2026?
Usually late November to early December. The 2026 forecasts say early to mid-December for Rikugien and around December 4 for Koishikawa Korakuen.
Q. Do I need to book the light-up events?
There are no timed reservations, but you need a night-viewing ticket. Advance tickets are sold online only; same-day tickets are also sold at the gate (cash only).
Q. Koishikawa Korakuen or Rikugien: which light-up should I choose?
They run at different times. Mid-November is Koishikawa Korakuen; late November to early December is Rikugien. If color is your priority, Rikugien's later dates are closer to the forecast peak.
Q. Can I see autumn leaves on an e-bike tour?
Yes. In autumn we take you to the gardens that look best at that moment. Let us know which gardens you'd like to see and your preferred date.
Ready to see Tokyo's gardens in autumn color? Book your e-bike garden tour here.
Please contact us through the website contact form or by email. Besides e-bike tours, we also offer walking and public-transport tours, family tours with small children, private tours, and tea ceremony experiences in Japanese gardens.
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