One of Saitama’s most famous places for Autumn / Fall colors. The best time to view Autumn leaves in Nagatoro is generally November. Stretching six kilometers along the Ara river from Iwadatami, resplendent fall colors decorate the Nagatoro Valley. Trees include Momiji, Kunugi and Oak. Taking the famous ‘Line Kudari’ down the river is a great way to take in the view. As you can see in the feature photo above, you can also see a steam locomotive back-dropped by autumn colors at this time of the year. The steam locomotive only goes on select dates – which are outlined here.
Nagatoro Autumn Leaves Festival
Coinciding with the stunning fall foliage there is an annual Nagatoro Valley Autumn Leaves Festival. Normally it is a month long autumn leaf / foliage / fall color viewing period celebrated annually from November 1st to 30th. It has been confirmed for 2026 too – from Sunday November 1st to Monday November 30th 2026. But each location also has their own individual dates for events, outlined below.
View Spots
The three main day time autumn leaf viewing areas in Nagatoro are:
- Nagatoro Valley, The Iwadatami Area, two photos pictured above
- Kaneishi Suikan Bridge
- Mt Hodo
Other recommended viewing:
- Arakawa Bridge Railway Crossing (good chance to see the steam locomotive)
- Shiratori Bridge
- Hodosan Shrine Okumiya (Inner Shrine)
Light up / illumination
The three main light up areas are:
- Tsuki no Ishi Momiji Park
- Hodosan Shrine
- there is also a sunset ride on the ropeway
- Kaede no Mori
1. Tsuki no Ishi Momiji Park
In 2026, the park plan to light up the leaves at night from Friday November 6th to Sunday November 29th, from 4 pm to 9 pm. However, only the period from November 14th to 24th is guaranteed. Dates either side of that will be subject to the condition of the leaves. Tsuki no Ishi Momiji Park has an admission fee of 500 yen (for adults) for the peak period of the autumn festival. It is a ‘passport’ that allows you repeat entry during the festival period. Please do check with the official website for any last-minute changes due to the weather or other mitigating factors.
2. Hodosan Shrine light up, Ropeway Sunset ride
The planned light up period for Hodosan Shrine in 2026 is from Sunday November 1st to Sunday November 29th, from 5 to 9 pm. They have an art exhibition from November 14th to 23rd too. In addition, there is also a market at the shrine from the 21st to 23rd of November, from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday and Sunday, and until 3 pm on Monday. The ropeway sunset ride operates from October 21st to November 30th annually. More information in English on the sunset ride.
3. Kaede no Mori
The Kaede no Mori is at the Saitama Museum of Natural History. The light up at Kaede no Mori is on from 6th November to 29th November 2026, from 4 pm to 9 pm, following the same schedule as Tsuki no Ishi Momiji Park. For one day during that period the museum is free in – on November 14th annually for Saitama’s “kenmin no hi”. The museum is only 10 minutes from the station. An exhibition about “Gathering Birds” is on for the period of the autumn leaves festival.
The above image and the first image under the first heading are used with gratitude and taken from the Nagatoro Tourism website. 提供：一般社団法人長瀞町観光協会, 写真）一般社団法人長瀞町観光協会提供.
You might also like the Ranzan Autumn leaves festival post.
Access
From the quaint Chichibu Railway Nagatoro Station, which is one of the official top 100 scenic railway stations in the Kanto area. For an experience not to forget: you can take a steam locomotive from Kumagaya station to Nagatoro station on the weekends. Beside the station there is an equally scenic tourist information center. You can rent bikes here too:
By car, it is 3.2 kilometers from the Minano Nagatoro Interchange of the relatively new Minano Yorii bypass.
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Autumn is my favourite season, those colours are amazing!
there is a real appreciation for what happens in nature in Japan one feels