Local Guide
Recommended 6 Autumn Foliage Spots in the Kaga and Komatsu Area for 2025

The Kaga and Komatsu area is located in the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture. This area is also home to "Tsurusenkei," which boasts the best valley beauty in Hokuriku, and "Nayanji Temple," which is popular among foreigners visiting Japan. The area is full of attractions throughout the year, but especially during the autumn foliage season, you will be able to enjoy spectacular views that are beyond description in many places. In this article, we will introduce six spots in the Kaga and Komatsu areas that you should visit during the autumn foliage season.

After strolling in the autumn foliage, enjoy sweets on a riverbed

Yamanaka Hot Spring, said to have been a favorite of Matsuo Basho. The Daishoji River valley along the hot spring resort area, called "Tsurusenkei," is in full bloom around mid-November when the autumn leaves are in full bloom. Deciduous trees such as maple, maple, and ginkgo turn the valley red and yellow. The 1,300-meter promenade from the Korogi Bridge upstream to the Kurodani Bridge is especially worth seeing, especially near the Korogi Bridge, where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of maple trees and autumn leaves woven together with the new bridge made of all-cypress, which was replaced in October 2019.
While admiring the autumn leaves, visitors can appreciate antiques at MUGEN-AN, a samurai-style shoin-style house built by the Kaga clan near the bridge, or enjoy the autumn scenery and sweets at a riverside restaurant near Ayatohashi on the way to the bridge. Near Kurotani Bridge, there is a "Basho Hall" dedicated to Matsuo Basho, so you can think back to Basho's travels in this area.

Beginning of color change] Usually in early November.
Best time to see the leaves: Usually mid-November to late November.
Maples, maple trees, ginkgo trees, etc.

Kakusenkei (Tsurusenkei River)
  • Address Yamanaka Onsen Higashi-machi 1 - Koorogi-cho, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • Direction by bus From JR Kaga Onsen Station, take the Kaga Onsen Bus bound for Kayano (34 min.). 4-min. walk from the Kikunoyu-mae stop.
  • TEL 0761-78-0330（Yamanaka Onsen Tourist Association)
  • Parking None

Autumn leaf viewing begins with a photogenic suspension bridge

This 942-meter-high mountain is located at the back of Yamanaka Onsen, one of the hot spring resorts in Kaga. It is said to have received its name from its resemblance to Mt. Fuji when seen from the hot spring resort area. It is also famous as the first mountain that Hisaya Fukada (1903-1971), author of "One Hundred Famous Mountains of Japan" known to all mountain climbers, climbed in his life. In spring, many climbers come to enjoy the deep pink rhododendrons, and in fall, there are always climbers who come to view the autumn leaves.
There are four main trails on Mt. Fuji, the most popular of which is the "Gaya Course," which takes about two hours to reach the summit. The Gaya Course starts by crossing the Gaya Dam Lake via a red suspension bridge, which is secretly popular among climbers because of the photogenic view from the bridge and the suspension bridge itself. After viewing the autumn leaves, you can sweat it out at Yamanaka Hot Spring's one-day hot spring bath, killing two birds with one stone.

Start of color change] Usually in early November.
Best time to view the leaves: Usually from mid-November to late November.
Kind of foliage】Beech, etc.

Fuji Shagatake
  • Address Yamanaka Onsen Ouchi-cho, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • Direction 40 minutes by car from JR Kaga Onsen Station (Gaya trailhead)
  • TEL 0761-78-0330（Yamanaka Onsen Tourist Association)

A sacred place for mountain lovers is dyed in yellow ginkgo leaves.

A 10-minute drive from Kaga Onsen Station is the museum of Hisaya Fukada, a mountain writer and author of "One Hundred Famous Mountains of Japan," the bible for mountaineers. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum is a spot where visitors can experience the history and culture of the mountain through special exhibitions. After satisfying your intellectual curiosity by touring the museum, head to the garden. Three ginkgo trees, including an old tree estimated to be over 650 years old, and a maple tree gradually begin to change color in mid-October, signaling the arrival of autumn. From mid-November, when the leaves are at their peak, until after the 20th, the ginkgo trees are covered with fallen leaves, creating a golden autumnal scene. This is one of the most atmospheric places to stop by when visiting Kaga in autumn.

Beginning of the changing of colors: Usually mid-October.
Usually from mid-November to late November.
Ginkgo and maple trees

Hisaya Fukada Mountain Culture Museum
  • Address 18-2 Banba-cho, Daishoji, Daishoji, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 20 min. walk from JR Daishoji Station
  • Business hours 9:00-17:00 (last admission at 16:30)
  • Regular holidays Tuesdays (open if Tuesday is a national holiday), December 30 - January 1
  • Admission fee Adults 350 yen, Free for high school students and younger, Seniors (75 and older) 170 yen
  • TEL 0761-72-3313
  • Parking Free of charge

The pond garden with its magnificent autumn foliage in subdued and atmospheric tones

©︎ Kaga City Tourism Exchange Organization
©︎ Kaga City Tourism Exchange Organization

The shrine is dedicated to Toshiharu Maeda, the first lord of the Daishoji Domain in Kaga Province, and Michizane Sugawara, who was related to the Maeda family. Locals call the shrine "Tenma-san," and every year in November, when the leaves turn red, many local residents visit the shrine to take a stroll. A rare samurai garden still exists on the shrine grounds. Influenced by Kenrokuen Garden, the garden is a pond garden with a circular path around a pond, a yatsuhashi bridge, a spring, and many other attractions.
The garden is at its most beautiful during the season of autumn leaves. The garden is at its most beautiful during the fall foliage season, when the leaves turn red and the atmosphere of the castle town, Daidoji, is very atmospheric. In a corner of the garden is the Choryu-tei Pavilion, which was built as a summer resting place for Toshinao Maeda, the third lord of the Daishojiji domain. Designated as a National Important Cultural Property, visitors can tour the interior of the building, which is made of shingled roofs, if they make a reservation at least one day in advance.

Beginning of the changing of colors: Usually in early November.
Best time to see the leaves: Usually mid to late November.
Ginkgo and maple trees

©︎ Kaga City Tourism Exchange Organization
©︎ Kaga City Tourism Exchange Organization
Enuma Shrine
  • Address 55 Hachimamichi, Daishoji Daishoji, Kaga, Ishikawa MAP
  • Direction 16 min. walk from JR Daishoji Station
  • Business hours Mar-Oct 9:00-16:00, Nov-Feb 9:00-15:00 (Choryutei)
  • Regular holidays Dec. 29-Jan. 3 (Choryu-tei) *Observations are not permitted during festivals (Choryu-tei).
  • Admission fee 400 yen (Choryu-tei)
  • TEL 0761-72-0551
  • Parking Free of charge
  • Memo Reservations required to visit Choryutei.

The autumn leaves reflected on the surface of the river are also full of charm. The beauty of the valley is like a brocade.

This scenic spot is located in the narrowest part of the valley in the middle reaches of the Osugi River, which flows through the mountainous area of Komatsu City. Although the valley is usually quiet, it is crowded with many tourists during the fall foliage season. Usually around mid-November, the maples and zelkova trees from the river to the top of the mountain turn yellow and orange, creating a magnificent scene reminiscent of a nishikie (woodblock print). There is a 400-meter promenade along the canyon, where visitors can enjoy the autumn colors while taking a leisurely stroll. Yasunabashi Bridge, which crosses near the start of the trail, is an excellent viewpoint from which you can see both the autumn leaves and the gorge at the same time. The trees overhanging the river and the mountainsides along the river change color, and the beauty of the valley created by the meandering stream and oddly shaped rocks can be enjoyed to your heart's content.

Beginning of color change] Usually in mid-November.
Best time to see the leaves: Usually from mid-November to late November.
Kinds of autumn foliage: maple, oak, chestnut, zelkova, sawtooth oak, maple, etc.

Aramata Gorge
  • Address Akase-cho, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • Direction Approx. 30 min. by car from JR Komatsu Station
  • Bus Direction From JR Komatsu Station, take the Komatsu Bus bound for Osugi Kamimachi (approx. 37 min.); approx. 2 min. walk from Aramata Gorge stop.
  • TEL 0761-22-4111 (Representative of Komatsu City Hall)
  • Parking Free of charge

Spectacular maple leaves reflected on the dynamic white rock surface

If you want to enjoy dynamic autumn foliage in harmony with nature, drive about 15 minutes from Kaga Onsen Station to an ancient temple of the Hakusan faith with a 1,300-year history. The temple has been awarded one star in the "Michelin Green Guide Japon" due to its many highlights, including buildings designated as national important cultural properties scattered among the scenic beauty of the rocky mountains. The 23-hectare grounds, centering on the "Kiiwa Yusenkyo (Strange Rock Garden)," which is lined with strangely shaped rocks, are planted with 1,000 trees of 15 varieties, including mountain maples and dodan azaleas, which turn red and yellow in mid-November. The view from the observatory is particularly spectacular, offering a panoramic view of the entire temple grounds. The red of the burning maples against the white rock surfaces of the strange rock formations in the area is an ethereal and life-like sight that will draw you in.

Beginning of the changing of colors】Early November
Best time to see the leaves: Mid-November to late November.
Kind of foliage】Yama-momiji, dodan-tsutsuji, ginkgo, etc.

Natadera Temple
  • Address 122 Yu, Nayacho, Komatsu City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • Bus Direction From JR Awazu Station, take the Komatsu bus bound for Awazu A line (10 min.), and get off at "Naya-dera" bus stop.
  • Business hours 9:15-16:00
  • Admission fee Adults (junior high school students and older): 1,000 yen, elementary school students: 300 yen, toddlers: free
  • TEL 0761-65-2111
  • Parking Free of charge

MAP

Kaga (Yamanaka hot spring, Daishoji temple) area
Komatsu Area
Hoshino Resorts facilities nearby
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The information in this article is current as of the date of the update. Please check before visiting as they are subject to change.