Recommended Fall Color Locations Close to Tokyo for Enjoying Short Trip

As fall deepens, leaves gradually change color. The area served by the Tobu Group of course includes Nikko, famous for its autumn foliage, but there are numerous other wonderful destinations close to Tokyo suitable for enjoying seasonal spectacles, relaxing fresh air, traditional Japanese architecture and beautiful scenery.

Fall Colors Along the Aizu Railway, a Local Railway
The Aizu Railway serves an area around three hours from Tokyo. The fall leaves are at their most beautiful from mid-October through to early November. The special seasonal train, the ‘Pisces Toro outlook train’, which winds its way through the mountains, is a wonderful way to enjoy the beautiful mountain scenery from a train window (see the website for timetable information and details on how to reserve a seat). The Yuttari Aizu Tobu Free Pass, a ticket allowing unlimited journeys within the local area, is a cost-effective way to explore the region.

Aizu Railway website :http://www.aizutetsudo.jp/
The Yuttari Aizu Tobu free pass: http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/pass/aizu.html

◆Experience the feel of bygone days at Ouchi-juku
This destination, surrounded by forested hills, contains numerous buildings designated as important cultural assets. Visitors to the village, which remains unchanged since its days as a staging post in Japan's Edo period, feel as if they have gone back in time. The fall leaves heighten the atmosphere. Dining options include buckwheat noodles with a whole leek and a boxed lunch with Matsutake mushrooms.

http://www.aizutetsudo.jp/trip/ouchijuku/

◆Meet the Feline Stationmaster at Ashinomaki-Onsen Station
This station is famous for its furry mascot who might meet you on the platform if you are lucky. The cute cat is very popular with tourists.

Enjoying Autumn Colors Along the Tobu Tojo Line for Just One Hour from Central Tokyo
Just one hour from downtown Tokyo is a popular and very accessible park for viewing fall colors.

◆Nighttime Illuminations at Musashi-Kyuryo National Government Park (Access from Shinrin-koen Station)
This extensive park, approximately one hour from Ikebukuro, is a great place to experience the passing seasons. During the fall, around 500 different maple trees of 20 different varieties are lit up. Peak viewing time is in late November. We recommend visiting the park together with a trip to Kawagoe, which is known as Little Edo, due to its traces of Japan's Edo period. Use the Kawagoe Discount Pass, intended primarily for foreign visitors to Japan, to travel from Ikebukuro to Kawagoe and receive discounts on your train fare and other discount services.

Musashi-Kyuryo National Government Park website : http://www.shinrinkoen.jp/en/
Kawagoe Discount Pass : http://www.tobu.co.jp/foreign/en/news/20180202.html

Enjoying Autumn Colors from the Sky

◆Zao Ropeway
Approximately 3 hours and 15 minutes away from Tokyo, the fall colors of Mt. Zao turn gradually, with a 360° panorama of reds, yellows and oranges visible from the ropeway at the height of the season, which runs from early to late October.

http://zaoropeway.co.jp/en/

◆Tanigawadake Ropeway
Approximately 2 hours from Tokyo, Tanigawadake, a mountain in Gunma Prefecture, is a great peak to climb. From late September through to early November, between altitudes of 1,500 m and 1,700 m, the untouched natural scenery is visible from the ropeway and other lifts.

http://www.tanigawadake-rw.com/