Tokyo: Peak Colors

Six days after our previous autumn color report from Tokyo, I returned to the capital city to check on the state of the colors.

The autumn color season in Tokyo is now approaching the end of its peak. The maple trees were at their finest across all the gardens I visited, but many of the other species have already begun to fade.

While pockets of attractive colors can likely be found in some corners of the city into mid December, I expect the overall peak to wrap up later this week.

This is our final autumn color report of the year. We plan to resume our seasonal reporting as early as next month from some of Japan's earliest cherry blossom spots.

My first stop was Rikugien, one of my two favorite Japanese gardens in Tokyo. While colors have started to become sparse around the garden's central pond, the maple trees in the groves surrounding the pond were at their peak today. I expect them to remain worth a visit for a few more days. Evening illuminations will continue through December 9 (18:00 to 20:30; entry until 19:30).

My second stop was the other of my two favorite Japanese gardens in Tokyo, Koishikawa Korakuen. The autumn color situation here was very similar as at Rikugien: the peak of the season nearing its end, with the maples at their best.

My third stop was the Imperial Palace East Gardens, which encompass the innermost citadels of the former Edo Castle. While colors were sparse in the Honmaru (primary citadel), the colors in the Ninomaru (secondary citadel) were plenty and at their peak.

On my walk back to Tokyo Station I checked out a final location, the beautiful ginkgo-lined Gyoko-dori Avenue, which leads for about 450 meters from the Imperial Palace towards the station. While some of the many trees were still at their best, others have already lost a considerable number of their leaves. And while the peak has passed, the colors should remain attractive for a few more days.