Shirakawa-go Autumn Foliage

Can anyone advise if nice Autumn foliage can still be seen in Shirakawa-go during mid Nov? and what abt end nov?

also, i read that smoking is prohibited there, except for designated smoking areas. pls advise where are these areas,as i would love to book a ryokan really near to any of these smoking areas.


thanks a lot.

Shirakawago is not a famous autumn color destination, but seems to have some colorful trees. The colors can usually be seen from late October to mid November.

We were in Shirakawago on the 25th of November last year. It looked past the peak time for Autumn colours, as there were quite a lot of leaves on the ground, but there were a few trees in the hills and around the museum area. Behind the car park near the bus stop was still ok, most of the leaves along the river had already fallen. There aren't really that many trees in the town area but the hillside looked like it had a few colours. I think mid-November would be slightly better but as Uji said, not really a Koyo spot. Nearby Kanazawa was very nice, including Kenrokuen of course. The train ride on the Hida Wideview from Takayama to Nagoya was still nice, although a week earlier would have been better no doubt!

We had a great time travelling around Japan from mid November to early December. The Autumn colours were more interesting than Cherry Blossom time I think. If you do go during Autumn then I would highly recommend visiting some of the night illuminations especially in Kyoto. Kiyomizudera, Kodaiji, and Eikando, were all stunning.

Enjoy your trip!

Hi guys,
Thanks for your reply. I will try to go there early or mid Nov then.
Will also definitely do the night illuminations in Kyoto. hopefully, tripod will be allowed in the outdoor areas.

What abt the smoking areas in Shirakawa-go? anyone can advise pls? thanks.

I have been there in November. Shirakawa Go is not such a great spot for koyos but you can enjoy nice scenery and colours on the road between Takayama and Shirakawa Go.
Nice autumn colours in Takayama.
Enjoy your trip