Autumn Leaves in Kyoto and Nikko: 16 Photo Spots

Autumn leaves are a November thing. If you believe that, you will miss the autumn that begins on the high plateaus in September.

This is a photographer's guide to 16 autumn-foliage locations in Kyoto, Oku-Nikko, Tokyo, Yamanashi, Aichi and Chiba, arranged in the order they peak. It starts with red spider lilies and golden marsh grass in September, moves down through Oku-Nikko in October, reaches the five Kyoto temples and Korankei in November, and ends with the ginkgo avenue in front of Tokyo Station in early December.

Every entry lists the best time, access, hours, parking, admission and tripod rules. Each item was checked against the official site, the local government, or the site's management, and where nothing could be confirmed, the book says so.

Tripod entries distinguish places that prohibit them outright from places that simply do not say.

How-to-shoot notes come in two versions, "with a camera" and "with a phone," so you can use the book without owning a camera.

Two photographs per location, 35 in all, each with camera, lens, focal length, aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and the name of the preset used to finish it.

A twelve-month shooting calendar and a week-by-week autumn calendar open the book; a chapter on reading the camera data and a full index close it.

Kyoto　Tofuku-ji, Nanzen-in, Yusai-tei, Rurikoin, To-ji

Tochigi　Senjogahara, Odashirogahara, Sanbonmatsu, Hangetsuyama, Roppozawa Bridge

Aichi　Korankei

Yamanashi　Lake Kawaguchi, Hananomiyako Park

Tokyo　Gyoko-dori, Hama-rikyu Gardens

Chiba　Murakami Ryokuchi Park

Several of these locations also appear in the autumn foliage photo spot guide.

The Kindle edition reads on a phone, tablet or Kindle device. Because the book is meant to be opened on the road, the timing and access details sit at the head of every entry.

The paperback is 169 pages, 7 × 10 in (17.8 × 25.4 cm), premium color printing.

This is Book 1 of the Photo Spot Guides. Book 2 covers winter: 14 locations within a day trip of Tokyo.

Photographs made at the locations in this book, available as silver halide prints. Tap a scene to see the print.