Lake Kawaguchi is beloved for its spectacular views of Mt. Fuji, and among the best times to visit it is in autumn, with maple leaves flushed in red contrasting the stately blue and white of Mt. Fuji in the distance. The grand scenery is celebrated in a month-long event called “Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival.”
Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival 2023
In 2023, the 25th Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival will take place from Oct. 28th to Nov. 23rd. Operating hours are from 9 AM to 7 PM. The Maple Corridor will be lit up until 10 in the evening. There will be no stalls selling food, but various events and performances are scheduled to take place.
Where to Take Fall Foliage Photos
The highlight of the festival is the Lake Kawaguchi Maple Corridor (Momiji Kairo, 紅葉回路), where two rows of maple trees form a foliage canopy. The walk is fairly short and you can capture beautiful photos along the way. On festival dates, the Maple Corridor is lit up at night, allowing opportunities for gorgeous nighttime photos.
The picture above is taken at the end of the corridor, on the small bridge where you can make a U-turn to get back to your starting point. If you go past this bridge and continue to the end of the road, you’ll get to a towpath where you can see Mt. Fuji. This is one of the places you can photograph the mountain framed by fall foliage.
If you’re looking to take portraits with fall foliage in the background, the Maple Corridor is not ideal because it can get crowded. There are plenty of spots with fall foliage around the area, and my advice is to find a quieter spot.
In my opinion, the Maple Corridor is enough for all your photo needs. If you want to check out other viewing/photography spots, however, this page lists a few more.
Best Time to Take Photos of Lake Kawaguchi Fall Foliage
The Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival usually takes place in November, but since the dates are decided much earlier than when more accurate fall foliage forecasts come out, a portion of the dates don’t usually coincide with peak colors. Your best bet is to check updates on Walker+. The site is regularly updated to show which areas of Japan are in peak fall season. It’s only available in Japanese, but can be navigated in choppy English through Google Translate.
Lake Kawaguchi & Maple Corridor Fall Foliage Photos
Video of Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival
Mt. Fuji Tour with Lake Kawaguchiko Maple Corridor from Tokyo
In 2023, the following tours visit the Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival as part of its itinerary.
| Tour | Itinerary | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Mt. Fuji & Lake Kawaguchi Autumn Maple Day Tour from Tokyo | 5th Station Oshino Hakkai Maple Coridor Lake Sagami |
USD 75.65 |
| Arakurayama Sengen Park, Hikawa Clock Shop, & Oshino Hakkai Day Tour | Arakurayama Sengen Park Oshino Hakkai Maple Corridor |
USD 68.70 |
| Mount Fuji Day Tour from Tokyo or Shinjuku | Arakurayama Sengen Park Hikawa Clock Shop Oshino Hakkai Maple Corridor |
USD 56.39 |
| Mt. Fuji Lake Kawaguchi & Yamanakako Hot Spring Day Tour from Tokyo | Maple Corridor Oishi Park Arakurayama Sengen Park Red Fuji no Yu |
USD 40.29 |
| Mt Fuji Ice Cave & Saiko Healing Village & Oishi Park One Day Tour | Narusawa Ice Cave Oishi Park Shikido Maple Corridor |
USD 70.65 |
| Mt. Fuji View & Gotemba Premium Outlets One Day Tour from Tokyo | Arakurayama Sengen Park Maple Corridor Gotemba Premium Outlets |
USD 46.80 |
| Mt. Fuji Flower Festival Tour with Ropeway Experience from Tokyo | fruit picking Maple Corridor 5th Station Mt. Fuji Panoramic Ropeway |
USD 78.79 |
Click here to see other Mt. Fuji Tours from Tokyo.
Access
Festival Location
Maple Corridor
Kawaguchi, Fujikawaguchiko, Minamitsuru District, Yamanashi 401-0304
0555-72-3168
Google Maps URL
You can also find a map indicating where you can see maple leaves in the area here.
How to Get to Lake Kawaguchi from Tokyo
By Bus (Cheaper)
The cheapest option is to travel by bus. The round-trip fare is around ¥4,000 and the travel time is around 2-3 hours.
Buses get more difficult to book during peak season and prices may be slightly higher. Be sure to book beforehand. You can do that in English through this site.
Another downside to buses is that traffic may cause delays so arrival times may vary.
By Train
The Fuji Excursion service introduced just recently takes passengers from Shinjuku to Kawaguchiko Station. The travel time is under 2 hours for a fee of ¥4,060. You can find more information about this on this page.
Alternatively, you can use your JR Pass to go to Otsuki Station and transfer to the Fujikyuko Line to get to Kawaguchiko Station. Fujikyuko is not covered by the JR Pass, so you will need to buy tickets for this separately.
You can book the JR Pass through tours and activity sites like VELTRA.
[…] Similarly, fall foliage surrounding Mt. Fuji is celebrated with the Fuji Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival, which I personally find enchanting. I wrote about my experience in detail in this post. […]