Karuizawa: Approaching Peak

Following our autumn color report in Nikko, I headed to the upmarket resort town of Karuizawa in Nagano Prefecture, located an hour away from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen.

I generally found the colors to be not quite at peak around the town, while at their best in higher elevations, and past peak further north.

My first stop was the Usui Pass Observation Platform, where I arrived just in time for sunrise. The surrounding mountains were glowing a fiery red in the morning light. Trees around the platform showed beautiful red and yellow colors, while a few trees were still a vivid green.

My next stop was Kumobaike Pond in Kyukaruizawa, a 15-minute drive down from the platform. The leaves here were not quite at peak yet, with the trees on the east side still mostly green, though some of the paths on the west side were framed by vivid reds.

My last stop of the day was the Shiraito Falls. The colors here were past their peak, with most of the trees already bare. The waterfall was still a pleasant sight, though, and I had it all to myself, having arrived right at opening time.