News On Japan

Tateyama Alpine Route Awash in Autumn Colors, Set to Peak in October

Toyama, Sep 29, 2024 (News On Japan) - Autumn foliage is advancing early in the Tateyama region of the Northern Alps in Toyama Prefecture, with vibrant red and yellow hues starting to appear.

At the Murodo area of Tateyama, located at an altitude of 2,450 meters, high-altitude plants such as "Chinguruma" and "Iwaichou" are beginning to change color, creating a vivid carpet of red and yellow.

A hiker commented, 'The foliage is beautiful. I was wondering how it would look since the lower areas are still green.'

'There were some autumn colors. It was warmer than I expected, and it felt really nice,' said another visitor.

According to the Tateyama Nature Conservation Center, the autumn colors are about a week behind schedule this year. However, with temperatures dropping below 10°C on many days this week, around 60 to 70% of the foliage has changed color so far.

The foliage is expected to become even more vibrant with the larger temperature fluctuations between day and night leading up to early October, reaching its peak viewing period.

The autumn colors will gradually spread down to the foothills of Tateyama in November, offering various spots along the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route for visitors to enjoy the stunning scenery.

Source: ANN

News On Japan
POPULAR NEWS

Successive linear rainbands formed across five prefectures in Kyushu through the morning of July 2, bringing disaster-level rain that caused river flooding, landslides and inundated roads, while Typhoon No. 9 formed over waters far southeast of Japan.

Former Nissan Motor Chairman Carlos Ghosn said the automaker is in a "state of emergency" and signaled he would be willing to return as chief executive officer, arguing that only a true decision-maker in the CEO role could rescue the company.

The entire Negishi Housing Area in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, has been returned to Japan for the first time in 79 years, ending its use as a residential district for U.S. military personnel and their families.

Strong earthquakes have continued to shake parts of Japan in recent weeks, with 11 temblors measuring lower 5 or above on the Japanese seismic intensity scale recorded across the country since April 2026.

A Kintetsu Railway train derailed inside Kyoto Station on the morning of June 29, forcing partial suspensions on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line for the rest of the day and causing long delays that hit commuters, students and tourists.

MEDIA CHANNELS
         

MORE Travel NEWS

Mount Fuji’s Yoshida Route on the Yamanashi Prefecture side opened for the climbing season on July 1, with favorable weather at the 3,776-meter summit giving visitors a clear view of the sunrise at around 4:30 a.m. as sunlight broke through gaps in the clouds.

A man in his 70s was injured early on June 30 after being attacked by a bear near an elementary school in Tochigi Prefecture, as bear-related incidents continue to rise across Japan ahead of the full onset of summer heat in July.

Japan’s tourism recovery has entered a new phase in 2026, marked not just by rising visitor numbers but by a deeper structural shift in how the country manages entry procedures.

Kyoto’s Gion Festival, one of Japan’s three major festivals, began on July 1 with the Osendo ritual at Yasaka Shrine, where the child messenger and his attendants prayed for the safe completion of their major role in the monthlong event.

A Kintetsu Railway train derailed inside Kyoto Station on the morning of June 29, forcing partial suspensions on the Kintetsu Kyoto Line for the rest of the day and causing long delays that hit commuters, students and tourists.

A section of stone wall at Hikone Castle, one of Japan’s few surviving original Edo-period castles and a National Treasure whose main keep remains intact more than 400 years after its construction, collapsed after heavy rain caused by Typhoons No. 7 and No. 8, Hikone city officials said.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said at around 2 p.m. on June 29 that the rainy season appeared to have ended in Okinawa, marking a later-than-usual start to summer after an especially wet period.

Japan’s weather agency carried out field inspections in Yamanashi Prefecture on June 28 after a powerful earthquake struck the Fuji Five Lakes area late on June 26, registering a lower 6 on Japan’s seismic intensity scale in Fujikawaguchiko and injuring six people.