‘I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.’
Just like this quote from Canadian ‘Anne of Green Gables’ author L.M. Montgomery suggests, autumn is one of the most beautiful seasons of the year. The leaves turn brilliant shades of red and gold, and the entire city transforms into a work of art. In Japan, autumn is considered the perfect season for so many things—eating, reading, art, and more. Here, we’ll introduce five great ways to make the most of all the possibilities this time of year has to offer.
1. Experience Autumn with Japanese cuisine
Japanese cuisine reflects the seasons. Tokyo offers an array of seasonal ingredients gathered from across Japan. Why not try experiencing an authentic Japanese autumn with Tokyo’s distinctive cuisine featuring the rich bounties of land and sea? Pacific saury (Samma), matsutake mushrooms, chestnuts, and Japanese sweet potatoes. Enjoy boneless Pacific saury at Sharikimon Onozawa. At Noto Kanazawanosachi Ginza Furuta, appetisers featuring vividly colourful ingredients from Ishikawa Prefecture are a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Matsutake mushrooms with soba noodles are a delicious autumn delicacy at Osobano Kouga. Indulge in all the delicious flavours and sensations of autumn with these dishes that delight both the eyes and tastebuds.
Search for more Japanese restaurants in Tokyo.
2. Bib Gourmand + A Relaxing Day in the Park
Why not take a stroll through a nearby park and satisfy your appetite with bib gourmand?
With its vast space and pastoral scenery, Shinjuku Gyoen Park is truly one of a kind in Tokyo. Many people choose to spend an entire day here, enjoying grassy fields, gardens, museums, and cafés.
Nearby Bib Gourmand: SOBAHOUSE KONJIKI HOTOTOGISU
Hamarikyu Gardens were formerly private gardens belonging to the Tokugawa shogun family. Tokyo’s Shiodome area offers unique views juxtaposing greenery, flowers and Tokyo Bay against a backdrop of soaring Tokyo skyscrapers.
Nearby Bib Gourmand: HARU CHAN Ramen
Along with grassy fields and walking paths, Yoyogi Park is also the site of various food festivals and other weekend events. You’ll want to check park events in advance when planning your visit.
Nearby Bib Gourmand: Cristiano’s
3. Afternoon Tea at a MICHELIN Hotel
Indulge in a decadent afternoon tea at a hotel listed in the MICHELIN Guide during this autumn season that often stimulates the appetite.
You can enjoy afternoon tea featuring seasonal fruits and ingredients at the MICHELIN Select Restaurant MAISON MARUNOUCHI inside the Four Seasons Hotel Tokyo at Marunouchi. During the afternoon tea at Lounge Bar Privé in the Palace Hotel Tokyo, ESTERRE’s Chef Kojima prepares spectacular dishes reflecting the autumn scenery just outside the windows. You also won’t want to miss afternoon tea at The Lobby in The Peninsula Tokyo—a hotel founded in British-influenced Hong Kong—or at the Mandarin Oriental Tokyo’s Oriental Lounge. The elegant and traditional three-tiered tea stand is especially striking.
4. Travel the World of Books
Remarkably quiet. Aisles you could lose yourself in. A subtle, gentle fragrance developed over time. The first visit to a library is always thrilling. Visit this unique library and embark on a journey through books.
The Hibiya Library and Museum offers a library, a history museum, and special event programmes. You can even bring books into the first-floor café before you check them out.
The International Library of Children’s Literature in the National Diet Library located in Ueno Park is divided into a brick building and an arched building, with endless shelves of picture books and children’s books from Japan and around the world. Just walking around and browsing the pages is exciting in this majestic building completed in 1906 as the Imperial Library of the Empire of Japan.
The Waseda International House of Literature Library (The Haruki Murakami Library) is a library that anyone can use for free. Visitors can browse all books written by Haruki Murakami in both the original Japanese and foreign languages. You can also see artworks related to Murakami’s writings, interviews, and records—all donated and provided by Haruki Murakami himself.
5. Venture out a bit further, and...
How about leaving the bustling city for a bit to commune with nature?
Accessible by direct train from Shinjuku, Yamanashi is one of Japan’s most prolific grape production regions. You’ll want to enjoy wine tasting at Katsunuma and Kofu wineries to discover your perfect wine.
Mt. Takao is a 599-metre mountain in Hachioji, a more rural area within greater Tokyo. A daytrip to the hot springs at Gokuraku-no-Yu is the perfect way to relax after admiring the beautiful autumn foliage here.
Extending across greater Tokyo’s Tachikawa City and Akishima City, the vast Showa Memorial Park offers beautiful rows of ginkgo trees and fields of cosmos flowers often referred to as ‘autumn cherry blossoms.’
And at Inokashira Park in Tokyo’s Kichijoji area, visitors can appreciate the shifting seasonal views on board paddleboats. And the Ghibli Museum featuring Japan’s renowned anime works is conveniently located right next door.
