Japan gets two great travel seasons, and autumn is the calmer one. From late September the colour starts in the Hokkaido mountains and rolls south for about ten weeks. Momijigari, or red leaf hunting, is a national pastime. It is also the season when Japan changes two money rules that directly affect what your trip costs.
Japan’s autumn colour runs from mid September in Hokkaido to early December in Kyushu, with Tokyo and Kyoto peaking from late November. From 1 November 2026 tax free shopping moves to an airport refund system. Indian visitors need a visa and should carry yen on a forex card.
This guide covers when the colour peaks, where to go, the costs, transport, shopping and tax changes, food, luxury travel, medical cover, and how to carry yen.
When the Colour Peaks
Autumn runs the opposite way to cherry blossom. It starts in the north and at altitude, then works down to the cities over about ten weeks.
Region by Region
Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido turns from mid to late September. Tohoku and Nikko follow in mid to late October. Kanto and Chubu run from late October into mid November. Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka peak from about 20 November into early December, and Kyushu closes the season.
Reading the 2026 Forecast
The Japan Meteorological Corporation publishes its first 2026 forecast in early September, so nothing is fixed yet. Warm summers pushed the last two seasons later than average, and forecasters expect 2026 to run a few days late as well. Recheck about two weeks before you fly.
Where to Go
Kyoto
Kyoto is the classic. Tofuku-ji, Eikando, and Arashiyama are the headline spots, and several temples run evening illuminations from mid November. Go at opening time, around 8 or 9 in the morning, and you get the same view without the crush.
Around Tokyo
Nikko is the best October option, with Lake Chuzenji and the Irohazaka switchbacks. In the city itself, the ginkgo avenue at Meiji Jingu Gaien turns bright yellow in late November, and Rikugien runs night viewing.
Mount Fuji and Central Japan
The Kawaguchiko maple corridor runs through November with Fuji behind it. In Aichi, Korankei is the region’s most famous maple valley and holds a November festival.
If your dates are fixed in October, head north to Tohoku or up to Nikko. If you can only travel in December, Kyushu and coastal Kanagawa still hold colour.
Getting Around
A one way Tokyo to Kyoto Shinkansen seat is roughly ¥14,000, so a single round trip does not justify a national pass by itself.
Is the JR Pass Worth It?
The seven day Japan Rail Pass rises from ¥50,000 to ¥53,000 on 1 October 2026, but only through overseas sales agents. Book on the official JR Pass website instead and you can still pay the old price, at least for now. JR has not said when that window closes, so check before you buy. It pays off on a multi region route, such as Tokyo, Nikko, Sendai, and Kyoto in one week. For a single region, buy a regional pass instead.
Local Travel and Seat Reservations
An IC card such as Suica or Pasmo covers local trains, buses, and convenience stores. Kyoto’s buses are slow in peak season, so use trains and walk where you can.
Reserve Shinkansen seats for late November weekends. Trains fill up, and standing from Tokyo to Kyoto with luggage is a poor start to a holiday.
What the Season Costs
Autumn is peak pricing. Kyoto rooms in the peak fortnight can run 40 to 70 percent above a shoulder week, and the best ryokan sell out six to twelve months ahead. Basing in Osaka or Nara and day tripping into Kyoto is the standard workaround.
The New Taxes
Kyoto raised its accommodation tax on 1 March 2026. It now runs from Â¥200 a night at the budget end to Â¥10,000 per person a night for rooms of Â¥100,000 or more, which makes it a genuine line item for luxury stays. Japan’s departure tax also tripled to Â¥3,000 per person from 1 July 2026, bundled into your ticket.
A Daily Budget
A lean day runs ¥10,000 to ¥15,000 per person. A comfortable day with a good hotel and sit down meals sits at ¥30,000 to ¥50,000. A ryokan with kaiseki dinner, private transport, and a guide will pass ¥150,000.
Shopping and the 1 November Tax Change
Until 31 October, eligible visitors shop tax free at the till. Show your passport, spend at least ¥5,000 before tax at one shop on one day, and the 10 percent consumption tax comes off immediately.
From 1 November, Japan switches to a refund system. You pay the full price including the tax, then clear a customs check at the airport before you fly. That step only confirms the goods are leaving Japan. The money itself comes back from the shop or its refund agent, by card, bank transfer, or app, so the timing varies by retailer. Some shops may still refund you at the till.
How to Handle the Refund
Keep every receipt, carry the goods in hand luggage, and do not pack them in checked bags before customs sees them. Allow extra time at the airport, since refund counters will be busy in peak season. Goods must leave Japan within 90 days of purchase.
Food Worth Planning Around
Matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts, persimmon, new rice, and sanma, the grilled pacific saury, all arrive together. Warm canned drinks appear in vending machines from about October, which tells you the season has turned.
In Kyoto, a seasonal kaiseki dinner is worth one splurge. The best counters take reservations months ahead, and many will only accept a booking through a hotel or a Japanese speaking intermediary.
Momiji manju, a maple leaf shaped cake, is the season’s souvenir. Roasted chestnuts and sweet potato carts appear outside temples through November.
Travelling at the Top End
Ryokan and Hotels
Autumn is when Japan’s luxury stock earns its rate. A ryokan room with a private onsen and a maple view is the classic booking. In Kyoto, Aman Kyoto, HOSHINOYA, the Ritz-Carlton, the Four Seasons, and Park Hyatt all go early, and the Ritz-Carlton has held a Forbes five star rating for nine consecutive years.
Luxury Trains and Cruising
Japan runs some of the world’s best. Seven Stars in Kyushu, Train Suite Shiki-shima, and Twilight Express Mizukaze sell multi day itineraries with autumn departures, and they book roughly a year ahead.
The small ship Guntû cruises the Seto Inland Sea, and international lines run autumn sailings from Yokohama and Kobe. A cruise leg solves the accommodation crunch neatly, because your room moves with you.
A licensed guide with a car turns a Kyoto day around. They know which temple gates open first, which back streets skip the queue, and how to time an illumination slot.
Emergencies and Medical Care
Dial 110 for police and 119 for fire or ambulance. The ambulance itself is free, but treatment is not.
How Billing Works
India has no health agreement with Japan, so you pay the full cost of care and claim it back from your insurer. Buy a policy with solid medical cover before you fly, and check whether your insurer settles directly with Japanese hospitals.
Practical Points
Many clinics take cash only. English is not guaranteed outside big hospitals, so save the generic names of your medicines rather than Indian brand names. Japan restricts some common medicines, so check before packing anything stronger than everyday painkillers.
Mountain and rural foliage spots have thinner medical coverage than the cities. On a hiking day, tell someone your route, and remember that mobile signal drops in the valleys.
Visa and Entry
Indian passport holders need a visa. The Embassy of Japan charges ₹500 for a single or multiple entry visa, and VFS Global adds ₹800 per application. That is ₹1,300 in fees, and courier return of your passport costs another ₹550, so budget closer to ₹2,000 in practice.
India is on the Japan eVISA list for single entry tourism. Check the current application route on the official eVISA site before you start, because it has been revised more than once since launch.
India is on the Japan eVISA list for single entry tourism. Check the current application route on the official eVISA site before you start, because it has been revised more than once since launch.
The Currency Question: How to Carry Yen
One yen was worth about ₹0.60 in mid August 2026, so ¥1,000 is roughly ₹600.
1. Indian Cards
An Indian card adds a forex markup of about 2 to 3.5 percent, plus 18 percent GST on that markup, and a network cross currency charge on top.
2. Airport Counters
Airport counters are among the least competitive places to buy notes. Buy in India at a live rate instead.
3. A Forex Card Loaded With Yen
A forex card loaded with JPY locks the rate on the day you load it and avoids the cross currency fee. The BookMyForex forex card holds yen among its 14 currencies, with zero issuance, reload, or annual fees.
Temple entry fees, small ryokan, rural buses, and the accommodation tax at check in often want notes and coins. Keep a few thousand yen on you at all times.
There is a cap on how much of that cash you can carry out. India releases up to USD 3,000 per trip in foreign currency notes, which is roughly ¥475,000 at current rates. That is far more than a normal trip needs, but worth knowing if you plan to settle a ryokan bill in cash. Anything beyond it goes on the card.
Where to Check the Real Cost
Counter rates rarely show how they compare with the live interbank benchmark, and that gap is where the cost hides. The BookMyForex JPY to INR converter shows the live yen rate through the day.
Check it before you buy, then compare it with the airport quote. Book the room early, time the trip to the September forecast, load yen at a fair rate, and the leaves do the rest.
About the Author
Kshitij Pandey is the Content Manager at BookMyForex with over 7 years of experience in content marketing, blogging, and social media strategy. He has worked extensively on building engaging campaigns and informative resources that help users understand forex, international money transfers, and travel-related financial services.
