[Kyoto]How to enjoy most attracting season for tourists--Autumn

[Kyoto]How to enjoy most attracting season for tourists–Autumn2013.09.17

When is the best season of Kyoto?
We can’t answer the question, but autumn is the season which attracts the greatest number of tourist for Kyoto.
What is the charms of autumn Kyoto? Today, we introduce the best 3 charms!

1. Enjoy the long night!

When you watch the moon?
In Japan, the best season of watching moon is autumn. The air and sky are clear in autumn, so the moon shines more blightly than usual.
Around the harvest moon, many temples, shrines or other organization hold the full moon-watching party.

Photo by iandeth

2. Enjoy festivals!

Many festivals are held at autumn. The most popular festival at autumn is Jidai matsuri (it is one of the 3 biggest festival in Kyoto).
Jidai matsuri, means festival of the Ages, is a kind of costume parade.
2000 people dressed as historical personage and walk through Kyoto street. Women in the parade are white-painted like Geisha/Maiko, wear gorgeous Japanese dress. People in this parade are disguise themselves as people in Japanese history, so you can lern Japanese history while enjoying the parade.
There are lot of other splendid festivals in Kyoto at autumn, please check them!

Photo by #96

3. Enjoy the red leaves of Japanese maple!

What is the best point of Kyoto in autumn?
Of course, it is the red leaves of Japanese maple!
Actually, Japanese maple is the reason why a lot of people come to Kyoto at autumn.
There are so many temples which popular with Japanese maple (Kiyomizu-dera, Kodaiji, Hosenin, Unryuin and so on…).
All of them are amazing, so you will be satisfied with any temple of those.
Some of those temple illuminate Japanese maple while night. It is very romantic and not so crowded.

Photo by Norio.NAKAYAMA