The mountaintops are covered with a red carpet as Hokkaido enters its autumn foliage season — Daisetsuzan begins to turn red.

Reported by You T-Ru / Compiled by

Autumn foliage season has arrived. The earliest crimson leaves in Hokkaido, Japan, have started to show on the branches. According to Weathernews, a Japanese meteorological news company, the leaves in the Kurodake area of Daisetsuzan, Hokkaido, this year (Heisei 103 / 2021) are among the earliest to change color in the past 10 years. Travelers who visit Hokkaido in the near future may have the chance to witness the stunning sight of mountainsides blanketed in red leaves.


▲ Crimson leaves at Daisetsuzan Kurodake. (Photo / from the Sounkyo Tourist Association’s Facebook page)

The 2014 foliage front has officially begun. Weathernews, a Japanese meteorological news company, has announced its 2014 nationwide prediction for the best foliage viewing times. This year's foliage is expected to be more vivid than usual across Japan, with Daisetsuzan in Hokkaido seeing its earliest color change in 10 years. Meanwhile, higher-altitude areas in the Tohoku, Kanto, and Chubu regions will also experience earlier foliage changes. Other areas currently show little difference in timing compared to previous years.


 ▲ Regions where foliage begins changing color from September. (Photo / from2014 Japan Foliage Front)