#autumn in japan

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 14:30 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

Part of the trail up the to peak of the mountain was closed due to fallen tress from the recent Typhoon, which was a shame, but no the end of the world. I felt satisfied in my visit to Kurama today, so so beautiful.

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 13:00 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

The higher I walked towards the top of the mountain the more intense and beautiful the Koyo became. I had definitely decided to visit on the best day, I feel like the Koyo was at its peak here. 

Thursday 23rd November 2017. 12:00 Mt. Kurama Kyoto.

Today was another public holiday, which I didn’t know about again until this morning haha, so I decided to get the train to Kyoto and climb Mt. Kurama. It was only a few days ago when I was thinking about the Koyo in Kyoto so I was grateful for this day off to go and see the Koyo and have some time outside. It was a beautiful day, but the trains were super busy due to it being the public holiday.

Kurama didn’t disappoint, it was a dream!

Monday 6th November 2017. 16:30 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

On our descent from Kongo San we were greeted by beautiful golden hour light combined with the awesome autumn colours of the mountain was perfect. We also came across the most amazing tree which looked like it had started as one but has split during it’s growth, it was huge! 

Monday 6th November 2017. 14:00 Mt.Kongo Osaka.

We reached the summit after about an hour and 30/40 minutes climbing. There is actually nothing more satisfying than climbing a big old mountain. I’ve always loved hiking, ever since I was little, and to be able to it here so regularly is amazing. 

Although it was a beautiful sunny day there was a haze over the city so we couldn’t actually see anything below haha but still rewarding nonetheless. I would love to come back here when it’s covered in snow, that would be something special. They say the best time to come is in February so we’ll see! 

Sunday 5th November 2017. 17:30 Osaka Castle Park.

We spent a couple of hours mooching around the park and we came across the festival parade leaving the park grounds. It was super dark but the carts looked so cool all lit up. There was so much energy, the men were tipping the carts up and down, running backwards and forwards, chanting, singing, everything. Such a vibe. Nice Sunday.

Sunday 5th November 2017. 14:30 Osaka Castle Park.

Osaka Castle Park (大阪城公園 Osaka-Jō-Kōen) is a public urban park and historical site situated at Osaka-Jō in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. It lies on the south of the Ōkawa (Kyū-Yodo River) and occupies a large area in the centre of the city of Osaka. This park is the second largest park in the city.

This place is so close to my house, 2 stops down on the train or a 25 minute bike ride. Perfect.

We jumped on the train and went for a wander. We were greeted by a huge festival, we had no idea this was taking place, but there was such a great vibe and everything was so loud! We walked up to the castle and sat on the top of the turrets watching the sunset over the city. The koyo looked amazing too. 

Friday 3rd November 2017. 14:30 Minoo Osaka.

Today was yet another public holiday, which I completely forgot about until late last night, so it came as a nice surprise. I decided to get some fresh air away from the city and head to Minoo Park.

Minoo Park (箕面公園, Minō Kōen, also spelled Mino or Minoh) is a forested valley on the outskirts of Osaka, just north of the urban sprawl. During the fall, it is one of the best places in the Kansai Region to see the autumn colours in a natural setting, as opposed to the attractive fall foliage found at temples and gardens. The colours are usually best in the second half of November.

Similar to Tokyo’s Mount Takao, Minoo Park is the closest spot to the busy metropolis of Osaka to find a spacious natural recreation area. The park can be reached in less than 30 minutes from the downtown Umeda area. Another similarity, Takao and Minoo were both given quasi-national park status in 1967 to commemorate the hundredth anniversary of the Meiji Period (1867-1912).

Minoo Park is famous for its waterfall but unfortunately when I arrived and had walked through the village, the rest of the walk leading up to the waterfall was closed off due to damage and fallen trees on the path caused by the typhoon a few weeks ago. It was still beautiful and made for a lovely afternoon out of the city. I also saw my first ever Japanese Giant Hornet but of course I didn’t get close enough to take a picture lol.