Enjoy fall to the fullest by soaking up a splash of color with autumn leaves and onsen

Here are four great places in Japan where you can enjoy both the fall foliage as well as a soak in the hot springs.

Many parts of Japan are celebrating the arrival of autumn with scenic festivals or seasonal changes to the menu at the moment. As the days get chillier, the thought of a visit to a hot spring also sounds more and more appealing. Luckily, Booking.com Japan has compiled a list of highly user-ranked places from across Japan where travelers can soak in both the foliage as well as a hot bath. After all, why spring for just one when you can fall for both?

● Area for leaf-peeping: Sounkyo Onsen (Hokkaido)
Lodging name: Sounkaku
Online rating: 8.2/10 points
Website

The first recommendation is also the furthest north on the island prefecture of Hokkaido. The leaves in the Sounkyo Onsen area are sometimes called “the earliest foliage in Japan” because they begin changing color at the end of August and last through mid-October. Allow yourself a special treat by staying at the oldest hotel in the area, Sounkaku, which was built in 1923 during Japan’s Taisho period (1912-1926). You can enjoy the fall leaves from an open-air bath on the premises or at other popular leaf-peeping spots nearby such as the Ginsendai trailhead at Daisetsuzan National Park or Daisetsu Kogen Onsen.

● Area for leaf-peeping: Daisen (Tottori Prefecture)
Lodging name: Shukubo Kanshoin Yamarakuso
Online rating: 9.0/10 points
Website

Next, let’s travel south to Tottori Prefecture’s Mt. Daisen, which is the tallest mountain in the Chugoku region of Japan. It’s known as a preeminent spot for leaf-viewing in the western part of the country, where the leaves typically begin changing color in early October and last through early November. Daisenji, an important temple in the area with a centuries-old history, offers lodging where visitors can also sample vegetarian Buddhist cuisine, practice zazen meditation, or copy sutras. Once you’ve had your fill of that, you can go on a long hike on the mountain before relaxing in a large bath at the end of the day.

● Area for leaf-peeping: Iya (Tokushima Prefecture)
Lodging name: Iya no Yado Kazuraya
Online rating: 9.2/10 points
Website

The Iya region of Tokushima Prefecture is still considered to be a largely unexplored gem due to its remoteness on the island of Shikoku. Most famous for its kazurabashi, or vine suspension bridges, Iya’s fall foliage is spectacular in early November. The Iya no Yado Kazuraya hotel, which has a gorgeous open-air bath and cuisine based on edible wild plants and river fish, is only a ten-minute walk from the largest vine bridge–itself a registered Tangible Folk Culture Property of Japan. There are plenty of other local places from which to enjoy the fall colors as well, including Mt. Tsurugi, the Oku-Iya Double Vine Bridge area, and Hinoji Valley.

● Area for leaf-peeping: Zao (Miyagi Prefecture)
Lodging name: Chikusenso Onsen
Online rating: 9.3/10 points
Website

Mt. Zao, which is home to a well-known skiing resort that straddles Miyagi and Yamagata Prefectures, is a mecca for fall foliage. The Chikusenso resort hotel is located just off of the Zao Echo Line scenic road and has its own walking path on the premises to enjoy the seasonal colors. With its spacious grounds, clear mountain stream, natural onsen, and traditional Japanese banquet cuisine making use of local flavors, it’s no wonder that this entry scored one of the highest online ratings for enjoying all that autumn has to offer.

Japanese news reports are so far saying that the prime leaf-peeping season should be on average time or a little bit later than usual this year. Whether you go to one of the above locales or just admire the leaves from your bedroom window, make sure you simply take the time to soak it all in.

Source, images: PR Times
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