Local Guide
[2025 Edition] 6 Recommended Spots for Viewing Autumn Leaves in the Kaga and Komatsu Areas

The Kaga-Komatsu area is located in the southern part of Ishikawa Prefecture. This area is also home to Kakusenkei, the most beautiful valley in the Hokuriku region, and Natadera Temple, which is popular among foreign visitors to Japan. The area is full of attractions all year round, but during the autumn foliage season in particular, you can see breathtaking views that are hard to put into words. In this article, we will introduce six spots in the Kaga-Komatsu area that you should visit during the autumn foliage season.

After a stroll through the autumn leaves, enjoy sweets on the riverside terrace

Yamanaka hot spring is said to have been a favorite of Matsuo Basho. The Kakusenkei Valley of the Daishoji River that runs alongside hot spring town is in full autumn color in mid-November. Deciduous trees such as maples and ginkgo trees paint the valley red and yellow. A 1,300m promenade stretches from Koorogi Bridge upstream to Kurodani Bridge, and the area around Koorogi Bridge is particularly well worth seeing, with many maples. You can enjoy the beautiful scenery created by the new bridge, which was rebuilt entirely from cypress in October 2019, and the autumn leaves.
While admiring the autumn leaves, you can view antique art at Mugenan, a building built in the style of a samurai shoin from the Kaga domain near the bridge, or enjoy the autumn scenery and sweets on the riverside terrace near Ayatori Bridge along the way. Near Kurodani Bridge is Bashodo, a shrine to Matsuo Basho, so why not think back to Basho's journey through this area?

[Start of coloring] Early November
[Best time to see] Mid-November to late November
[Types of autumn leaves] Maple, Japanese maple, ginkgo, etc.

Kakusenkei
  • 住所Ishikawa Prefecture Kaga City Yamanaka Onsen hot spring 1 ~ Korogimachi MAP
  • バスアクセスFrom JR hot spring Station, take hot spring Bus bound for Kayano for 34 minutes, get off at "Kiku no Yu Mae" and walk for about 4 minutes
  • TEL0761-78-0330（山中温泉観光協会）
  • 駐車場None

A photogenic suspension bridge is the starting point for viewing autumn leaves

Located deep in Yamanaka Onsen, one of the hot hot spring hot spring in Kaga, this 942m-high mountain is said to have been named after its resemblance to Mount Fuji when viewed from the hot spring town. It is also famous as the first mountain climbed by Kyuya Fukada (1903-1971), author of "Japan's 100 Famous Mountains," a book known to all mountaineers. In spring, many people climb the mountain to enjoy the deep pink rhododendrons, and in autumn, there is a constant stream of climbers who come to see the autumn leaves.
There are four main hiking trails to Mount Fuji Utsugatake, but the most popular is the Gatani Course. It takes about two hours to reach the summit. The Gatani Course also starts by crossing the Gatani Dam Lake on a red suspension bridge, and the view from the bridge and the bridge itself are photogenic, making it a secretly popular spot among people other than hikers. After viewing the autumn leaves, you can wash off the sweat in the day spa at Yamanaka hot spring, killing two birds with one stone.

[Start of coloring] Early November
[Best time to see] Mid-November to late November
[Type of autumn leaves] Beech and others

Mount Fuji
  • 住所Ishikawa Prefecture Kaga City Yamanaka hot spring Ouchicho MAP
  • アクセスAbout 40 minutes by car from JR hot spring Station (Wagaya trailhead)
  • TEL0761-78-0330（山中温泉観光協会）

A mecca for mountaineers turns yellow with ginkgo leaves

About a 10-minute drive from hot spring Station is the museum of Kyuya Fukada, a mountain scholar and author of "Japan's 100 Famous Mountains," a bible for mountaineers. The museum, which was renovated from a silk weaving factory built in 1910 (Meiji 43), houses over 500 items, including his works and posthumous manuscripts. In addition to the permanent exhibition, the museum is also a spot where you can experience the history and culture of mountains through special exhibitions. After satisfying your intellectual curiosity by touring the museum, head to the garden. Three ginkgo trees, including one that is estimated to be over 650 years old, and maples begin to change color little by little in mid-October, announcing the arrival of autumn. From mid-November until the 20th, when the autumn leaves peak, the ginkgo leaves are spread all over the ground, creating a golden autumn landscape. If you visit Kaga in autumn, this is one of the quaint spots you should definitely stop by.

[Start of coloring] Mid-October
[Best time to see] Mid-November to late November
[Types of autumn leaves] Ginkgo, maple

Kyuya Fukada Mountain Culture Museum
  • 住所18-2 Banbacho, Daishoji, Kaga City, Ishikawa Prefecture MAP
  • アクセスAbout 20 minutes walk from JR Daishoji Station
  • 営業時間9:00-17:00 (last entry at 16:30)
  • 定休日Tuesdays (open on public holidays), December 30th to January 1st
  • 入場料Adults: 350 yen, high school students and younger: free, seniors (75 years and older): 170 yen
  • TEL0761-72-3313
  • 駐車場free

A stroll-style pond garden with beautiful autumn foliage in muted shades

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

This shrine enshrines Maeda Toshiharu, the first feudal lord of the Daishoji Domain in Kaga Province, and Sugawara no Michizane, who is associated with the Maeda family. It is affectionately known as "Tenma-san" by locals, and many citizens visit the shrine for strolls every November during the autumn foliage season. There is a rare samurai garden on the grounds. It is a stroll-style garden with a pond influenced by Kenrokuen Garden, and has many attractions such as a pond, Yatsuhashi bridges, and spring water.
The garden is at its most beautiful during the autumn foliage season. You can admire the autumn leaves that have a similar atmosphere to that of the castle town of Daishoji. In one corner, you will also find Choryutei, which was built as a summer rest house for Maeda Toshinao, the third lord of the Daishoji domain. It has been designated as an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and if you make a reservation by the day before, you can even tour the interior of the hipped-gabled, thatched-roof building.

[Start of coloring] Early November
[Best time to see] Mid to late November
[Types of autumn leaves] Ginkgo, maple

©︎Kaga City Tourism and Exchange Organization
©︎Kaga City Tourism and Exchange Organization
Enuma Shrine
  • 住所Ishikawa Prefecture, Kaga City, Daishoji, Hachimanmichi 55 MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 16 minutes walk from JR Daishoji Station
  • 営業時間March to October 9:00 to 16:00, November to February 9:00 to 15:00 (Choryu-tei)
  • 定休日December 29th to January 3rd (Chouryutei) *Open during festivals (Chouryutei)
  • 入場料400 yen (Chourutei)
  • TEL0761-72-0551
  • 駐車場free
  • メモReservations are required to visit Choryutei

The autumn leaves reflected on the surface of the river are very picturesque. The beauty of the valley is just like a nishiki-e painting.

This scenic spot is located in the narrowest part of the valley, in the middle reaches of the Osugidani River that flows through the mountains of Komatsu City. Although it is usually a quiet valley, it becomes crowded with many tourists during the autumn foliage season. Every year around mid-November, the maples and zelkova trees from the river surface to the mountain peak turn yellow and orange, creating a magnificent landscape reminiscent of a nishiki-e painting. A 400m-long promenade runs along the valley, allowing you to enjoy the autumn leaves while taking a leisurely stroll. Yasunabashi Bridge, which spans near the starting point of the promenade, is a great vantage point from which you can see the autumn leaves and the valley at the same time. You can enjoy the beauty of the valley to your heart's content, with the trees overhanging the river and the mountainside along the river turning color, as well as the meandering flow and oddly shaped rocks.

[When the leaves start to change color] Usually mid-November
[Best time to see] Mid-November to late November
[Types of autumn leaves] Maple, oak, chestnut, zelkova, sawtooth oak, maple, etc.

Aramata Gorge
  • 住所Ishikawa Prefecture Komatsu City Akase Town MAP
  • アクセスApproximately 30 minutes by car from JR Komatsu Station
  • バスアクセスFrom JR Komatsu Station, take the Komatsu Bus bound for Osugikamimachi for approximately 37 minutes, get off at "Aramatakyo" and walk for approximately 2 minutes
  • TEL0761-22-4111（小松市役所 代表）
  • 駐車場free

The spectacular maples stand out against the dynamic white rocks

If you want to enjoy the dynamic autumn foliage that blends in with nature, head to this 1,300-year-old ancient temple of Hakusan faith, about a 15-minute drive from hot spring Station. The beautiful landscape that makes use of the rocky mountain is dotted with buildings designated as important cultural properties of the country, and the temple has been awarded one star in the Michelin Green Guide Japan for its many sights. The temple grounds, which cover an area of about 23 hectares, are centered around the strangely shaped rocks of "Kigan Yusenkyo," and are home to 1,000 trees of 15 different species, including Japanese maples and Enkianthus campanulatus, which turn red and yellow in mid-November. The view from the observation deck, which overlooks the entire temple grounds, is particularly spectacular. The red of the maples stands out against the white rocks of Kigan Yusenkyo, drawing you in with a mysterious and vibrant view.

[Foliage begins to change color] Early November
[Best time to see] Mid-November to late November
[Types of autumn leaves] Japanese maple, Enkianthus campanulatus, ginkgo, etc.

Natadera Temple
  • 住所Ishikawa Prefecture Komatsu City Natanicho Yu 122 MAP
  • バスアクセスFrom JR Awazu Station, take the Komatsu Bus Awazu Line (downbound) for about 10 minutes and get off at "Natadera Temple"
  • 営業時間9:15～16:00
  • 入場料Adults (junior high school students and above) 1,000 yen, elementary school students 300 yen, infants free
  • TEL0761-65-2111
  • 駐車場free

MAP

Kaga (Yamanaka hot spring /Daishoji) area
Komatsu area
Nearby Hoshino Resorts Property
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