Jeepney Press November-December 2022 / Liza Barte

Autumn with Kids by Liza Barte

Autumn in Japan has always been the most beautiful of the seasons. With its gorgeous fall foliage, perfect weather, and an abundance of cozy comfort food, it’s easily the best time to explore Japan. But if the colorful leaves are not enough to keep your kids as excited as you for fall, here are some fun kid-friendly ways to enjoy this season.

1. Camping

Most Japanese go camping during summer, but early autumn is also an ideal time for this activity. Cooler weather means bugs have gone back into hiding and makes tents much more comfortable to sleep in. As autumn nights are also crisp and clear, you can also add stargazing as another activity with the kids. Yamanashi-ken has a lot of good camping sites, with some of the best ones situated right beside any of the Fuji Five Lakes.

2. Fruit-picking

Though not as popular as winter’s ichigo-gari (strawberry picking), fall fruit picking is another popular and kid-friendly activity. Shizuoka-ken has their mikan-gari (orange picking), Yamanashi has budou-gari (grapes picking), and Funabashi in Chiba-ken has nashi-gari (pear picking).

3. A stroll through cosmos fields

Referred to here in Japan as autumn’s cherry blossoms, cosmos flowers are in full bloom during this season. Showa Kinen Park, known for its gingko trees and autumn foliage, also draws a crowd for its colorful cosmos fields.