Japan’s Earliest Autumn Peak & Kurodake Ropeway Colors
Autumn begins at the summit in late August and cascades down to Sounkyo gorge between mid-September and mid-October.
Sounkyo Gorge Momiji Waterfall & Daisetsuzan Autumn Canyon
Autumn leavesMountains & highlandsNature walks & hikingHot springs
Carved by the Ishikari River through Mount Daisetsu’s volcanic rock, Sounkyo Gorge stretches 24 kilometers with 100-meter sheer columnar jointing cliffs. In late September to early October, it becomes Japan’s earliest and most vivid autumn foliage corridor, highlighted by the picturesque Momijidaki (Maple Waterfall) and Ryusei/Ginga twin cascades.
- Best time
- All year
- Entry
- Not checked · Check the official site ↗
- Parking
- 大雪山バーデハウス 層雲峡;黒岳の湯 · 2 min walk · Navigate ↗Nearby parking · 2 min walk · Navigate ↗
- Getting there
- Plan the route from your start ↓ · Open in Google Maps ↗
- Official info
- sounkyo.net ↗
💡 Reference photograph; views and access can change.
📷 Hiroaki Kaneko · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Weather for your date
Today shows live hourly weather. Future dates show the best available report.
14°C
Light drizzle
💧 94% rain chance · wind 20 km/h
Hourly forecast
13°💧 94%
12°💧 92%
11°💧 81%
10°💧 61%
9°💧 34%
8°💧 13%
6°💧 2%
4°💧 0%
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Directions to Sounkyo Gorge Momiji Waterfall & Daisetsuzan Autumn Canyon
Leave the start blank to choose your current location in Google Maps. The pin is an approximate landmark; check the entrance and live services in Maps.
When to see this place
Typical viewing windows. Weather and bloom dates vary each year; these are not live forecasts.
Suitability
Stroller: Not recommended
Nursing room: Available
Noise level: moderate
Kids: Trail to Momijidaki has natural gravel and roots (20 min walk); hot spring village center is flat and accessible.
Rules
Fire: no fire
Drones: banned
Nearby places
Within 30 km, closest first.
HokkaidoSounkyo Onsen Ice Fall Festival
Held in the dramatic gorge of Daisetsuzan National Park. River water sprayed over massive timber frames freezes into towering multi-story ice castles, ice caverns, ice slides, and shrines, illuminated at night with seven-colored lights and winter fireworks.
<1 km away
HokkaidoAsahidake Ropeway — Autumn Slopes
A high-elevation gateway into Daisetsuzan National Park where Japan's autumn colour begins unusually early. The ropeway reaches alpine terrain quickly; weather, trail access and the operating schedule must be checked before travel.
13 km away
Sources, photo credits and verification
Place information: Official tourism source
- 1. Columnar basalt cliffs surrounded by early gold and crimson autumn foliage in Sounkyo Gorge · Hiroaki Kaneko · Source ↗ · CC BY-SA 3.0