By YUKIKO KITAMURA/ Staff Writer
November 30, 2024 at 15:54 JST
An Eizan Electric Railway Co. train runs between lit-up maple trees in Kyoto’s Sakyo Ward on Nov. 1. (Yoshiaki Arai)
KYOTO--Unseasonably high temperatures are playing havoc with the autumn foliage season that draws hordes of visitors to Kyoto at this time of year.
Officials now say the autumn leaves will be at their best around mid-December.
Only about 10 percent of the leaves on four Japanese maples designated as specimen trees at Nijo Castle in Nakagyo Ward had changed color by Nov. 22, according to the Kyoto Local Meteorological Office. As of Nov. 28, the figure was still only 20-30 percent.
Japan Meteorological Corp., a private weather company based in Osaka, said Dec. 18 is likely the best date to see the changing hues of the maple trees.
This is 13 days later than normal and four days later than in 2015, the latest so far, according to the company.
“Fall temperatures from September to November were much higher than in past years, which has clearly had an impact,” a company official said.
The company also gives the best time to enjoy the changing leaves at each tourist spot. The Arashiyama district in the city’s Ukyo Ward is expected to be at its best from Dec. 1 to 14. The normal season is from mid-November, and this is about two weeks later than usual, according to the company. At Eikando temple in Sakyo Ward, the leaves will likely be at their best until Dec. 10.
The delayed autumn foliage is also affecting the sightseeing industry. Eizan Electric Railway Co., which operates a service through mountainous northern Kyoto, announced it will continue to light up the maple trees along a 250-meter stretch between Ichihara and Ninose stations on its Kurama Line.
The service was originally scheduled to end on Nov. 24, but the company extended it until Dec. 1 to take account of the slower coloring of the autumn leaves, and then again until Dec. 8.
“This is the first time for us to extend the period for a second time,” said a transportation division official. “The best time to view the leaves is now, so we hope people will come and visit.”
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