AUTUMN LEAVES

ARCHIPELAGO ALIGHT WITH NATURE’S FIREWORKS

For many residents of Japan, making a trip out to see the autumn foliage is just as convivial as gathering under the springtime cherry blossoms.

It may come as a surprise to learn, however, that this was not always the case. Though the phrase “momijigari” (literally “crimson leaf hunting”) can be traced back to the “Manyoshu” — Japan’s oldest extant collection of poetic musings compiled in the Nara Period (710 to 794) — the concept of appreciating fall scenery is a tad more contemporary.

Theories suggest that, aside from the unappealing (and frankly, hazardous) distance required to reach the densely packed deciduous forests of the mountainside, the sight of red leaves meant little to the Japanese commonfolk beyond the cold and loneliness associated with winter.

The momijigari that Japan celebrates today didn’t garner popularity until the Edo Period (1603 to 1868). It was around the tail end of the prior Sengoku (Warring States) Period (1482 to 1573) that settlements started seeing an increased prevalence of religious pilgrimages — most notably Ise kō, a regular congregation of worshippers to Ise Shrine in Mie Prefecture, and Kumano mōde, a seasonal visit to the three major shrines of the Kumano faith in Wakayama Prefecture.

Gradually, the frequency of these religious pilgrimages sparked postulation among the general public that such travels could be taken as a form of leisure. That sentiment was further nurtured by the “Miyako Meisho Zue,” an 18th-century guidebook series that introduced a variety of recommended places to appreciate autumn foliage.

The guidebooks rapidly drew large crowds to see the changing leaves as a sort of rudimentary form of tourism. By the latter half of the Edo Period, momijigari had transformed into a purely secular and widely celebrated occasion that was simply about delighting in the fall season.

Interestingly, the term “gari” by itself means hunting (as one would a wild boar); as time passed, it came to take on a broader meaning of trapping smaller animals or wild birds. These days, it is even used as a synonym for harvesting, such as with the popular spring pastime of ichigo gari, or strawberry picking.

Gari took on its autumnal meaning thanks to the country’s nobility, who of course didn’t deign themselves to actually hunt. Since maple trees were best found out in the wilderness, appreciating their multicolored leaves required setting out to find them among the mountains and streams — or “hunting” for the right viewing spot, so to speak.

Today, momijigari is ubiquitous throughout Japan as a seasonal form of entertainment. There are countless hiking trails, resort hotels, hot spring facilities and even dining establishments that invite travelers to take in the sights and smells of autumn.

Yet the true delight of momijigari is that no place is the same twice. Just as weather patterns are unique from year to year, so are the annual collages that Mother Nature scatters about the tranquil outdoors. The only way to know precisely what blends of yellow, gold and red hues await is to go see them in person. So, let the hunt begin.

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① Jozankei Onsen (Sapporo, Hokkaido)

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② Mount Takao (Tokyo)

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③ Lake Tanuki (Fujinomiya, Shizuoka)

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④ Korankei (Toyota, Aichi)

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⑤ Osaka Castle Park (Osaka)

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⑥ Mount Rokko (Kobe)

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⑦ Lake Kinrin (Yufu, Oita)