Kōyō and Momijigari — Autumn Leaves in Japan
Autumn's answer to hanami: leaf-hunting, the red-leaf front, maple tempura, and why autumn is the season of appetite, reading and sports.
Hanami has an autumn twin. When maples turn crimson and ginkgos turn gold, Japan goes 紅葉狩り (momijigari) — literally “red-leaf hunting”, though the only thing captured is photographs. The same TV maps that tracked cherry blossoms in spring now run in reverse: the 紅葉前線 (autumn color front) starts in Hokkaidō in September and sweeps south through early December.
Autumn leaf vocabulary
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 紅葉 | こうよう kouyou | autumn leaves turning color (also read momiji = maple) |
| 紅葉狩り | もみじがり momijigari | going out to view autumn leaves |
| 銀杏 | いちょう ichou | ginkgo tree — the golden one |
| 落ち葉 | おちば ochiba | fallen leaves |
| ライトアップ | らいとあっぷ raitoappu | illumination of temples/gardens at night |
The season of 〜の秋
Japanese has a charming template: 〇〇の秋, “autumn of ___”. The classics are 食欲の秋 (autumn of appetite), 読書の秋 (autumn of reading) and スポーツの秋 (autumn of sports) — the idea being that the cool air after summer makes you hungry, bookish and energetic all at once. Companies use the template in ads for everything, so you'll see it everywhere each September.
Words for the season of appetite
| Word | Reading | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 食欲 | しょくよく shokuyoku | appetite |
| 読書 | どくしょ dokusho | reading |
| 栗 | くり kuri | chestnut — the flavor of autumn sweets |
| さつまいも | さつまいも satsumaimo | sweet potato (roasted, from a truck with a song) |
| 秋刀魚 | さんま sanma | Pacific saury — THE autumn fish, grilled with grated daikon |
Kyoto's temples at peak color are the most famous sight, but any shrine with one big ginkgo turns into a neighborhood event. Start with the kanji 秋 (autumn) and 葉 (leaf).
🔊 Tap any word in the vocabulary tables to hear it spoken.