Spectacular Ginkgo Spots in Japan You Won’t Find in Taiwan

Text by MOOK Scenic Spots Editorial Team

As crisp autumn weather arrives, visiting Japan during this season offers not only the chance to admire red leaves but also an unforgettable experience of dreamy ginkgo scenery. Ginkgo trees, turning from green to golden yellow, paint the blue sky and green lawns in brilliant shades of yellow, creating a fairytale-like and extraordinarily romantic atmosphere. Below are ten recommended ginkgo viewing spots in Japan, each offering a breathtaking cascade of golden leaves — a beautiful sight you won’t find in Taiwan. Travelers can take notes for their next trip to Japan.

1. Tokyo – Showa Park
Just over 30 minutes from Shinjuku Station by express train, the national Showa Memorial Park is a great choice for those wanting to escape the crowds at popular urban autumn leaf spots. Dominated by ginkgo trees, the park’s 180 hectares are covered with golden-yellow ginkgo leaves that form a carpet-like spread on the ground, creating a poetic, picturesque scene where you can enjoy the rare sense of openness and greenery in Tokyo.

2. Tokyo – Meiji Jingu Gaien
During autumn, the ginkgo-lined promenade in Meiji Jingu Gaien is one of Tokyo’s most famous scenic spots to enjoy the season. With over a hundred towering ginkgo trees lining both sides, it’s a popular choice for locals during the fall and often gets extremely crowded on weekends, making it one of the most iconic and well-loved attractions in central Tokyo.

3. Kyoto – Nishi Honganji Temple
Located in Kyoto, Nishi Honganji Temple features a ginkgo tree in front of the temple grounds that is over 400 years old. Every autumn, the massive ginkgo transforms into a brilliant burst of gold, seemingly greeting visitors with boundless energy. In addition, Kyoto also has many streets lined with ginkgo trees as roadside plantings. Especially near the intersections of Horikawa-dori, Higashi-oji-dori, and Kinugasa-gawa-dori close to Kyoto University, rows of golden ginkgos present an incredibly beautiful sight.

4. Hokkaido – Hokkaido University
Hokkaido University owns vast research forests in Tomakomai. Although these are primarily used by the university’s Faculty of Agriculture for research, parts of them are open to visitors. Spanning 2,700 hectares, the expansive area attracts many tourists every autumn when the maple and other trees change color.