JOURNAL ・ FIELD NOTES
Mt. Fuji & Autumn Maples at Lake Kawaguchi — The Maple Corridor
At Lake Kawaguchi in Yamanashi, Mt. Fuji rises beyond the water while crimson maples line the shore — a scene that is the very symbol of autumn in Japan. Along the Nashi River on the north shore runs the "Maple Corridor," an avenue of maples more than a century old. Beyond the tunnel of blazing red leaves, Mt. Fuji — just beginning to wear its snow — shows its face. Lake, autumn colour and the sacred mountain: a lavish autumn where all three come together.
Fuji and maples, an autumn on the lake
The greatest luxury of autumn at Kawaguchi is being able to hold Mt. Fuji and the maples in a single frame. On a windless morning the lake turns to a mirror, and an inverted Fuji and the maples reflect quietly upon it. The clearer the air, the sharper Fuji's ridgeline and the deeper the red of the leaves. The colder the wind across the lake, the more those colours sharpen.
A corridor of burning maples
Walk the "Maple Corridor" along the Nashi River and crimson maples arch overhead, their red reflected on the stream at your feet. The tunnel of red made by the old trees glows as it filters the daylight, and by night it is lit up, floating a double of autumn on the water. It is a red wholly unlike the colours of the emergency room — warm, and somehow nostalgic. The hand that presses the shutter naturally slows.
The sacred mountain beyond the lake;
burning maples mirrored on the water.
Planning your visit — season & festival
A few notes for those hoping to see it in person.
The autumn colour is usually at its best from early to mid-November. To coincide with it, the "Fujikawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival" is held around November each year. During the festival the Maple Corridor is lit up (from dusk into the night), offering a dreamlike scene of maples and Fuji emerging from the dark. Timing shifts with the cold each year, so check the latest foliage updates before you go.
Getting there & parking
By car, it is about 15 minutes from the Kawaguchiko IC on the Chūō Expressway. The Maple Corridor has no permanent parking; free temporary lots open only during the Autumn Leaves Festival. By public transport, take the Lake Kawaguchi sightseeing bus (the retro bus) from Kawaguchiko Station on the Fujikyu Line; the area around the "Kubota Itchiku Art Museum" stop is convenient. The festival period is very crowded, so an early hour is best, and mornings and evenings are cold — dress warmly.
Tips for photographers
To hold Mt. Fuji and the maples in one frame, a windless early morning is ideal. Including the inverted Fuji mirrored on the lake makes for a quiet, vertically symmetrical composition. In the Maple Corridor, using red leaves as a foreground blur to float Fuji in the distance gives a sense of depth. For the night light-up, set a tripod and capture even the reflections on the stream with care.
While you're in the area
The area around Lake Kawaguchi is dotted with the sights of the Fuji Five Lakes and the mountain's foothills. You can walk the lakeside paths, or visit seasonal flower fields and museums — an easy place to spend an unhurried day with Mt. Fuji in view.
Mt. Fuji and the autumn maples of Lake Kawaguchi are available as fine-art silver-halide prints on premium FUJICOLOR paper, hand-printed in Japan and shipped worldwide.
View the print →