Autumn leaves and goldfish in Tokyo, Japan

Red-leaf hunting in Japan. Red-leaf hunting in Japan

It’s a centuries-old tradition in Japan to wander through gardens and forests while taking in the show of colourful leaves. The Japanese call it ‘koyo’ or ‘momiji-gari,’ which literally means ‘hunting red leaves’. The autumn colours of Japanese maples, ginkgo and other native trees first come to the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, usually in early October, then move slowly southward until they reach the rest of the island nation. The 'leaf-peeping' season is as popular in Japan as the springtime cherry blossom season. Both phases of the year are praised as symbols of the transient nature of life.