Kouyou

I love fall SO MUCH!

Finally it’s come! Kouyou! Kouyou (紅葉) is Japanese for autumn colors or changing leaves. In Japan, or at least in Osaka, the leaves don’t start changing until late November which is a lot later than what I’m used to. I always get jealous when I hear of the leaves changing in October back at home, but when the leaves finally change here in Japan, it’s glorious! Since Japan is so into the four seasons, people make a big deal out of the leaves compared to in America. Many people travel from various places in Japan to places known for having good kouyou sights. Luckily, I live near Kyoto, so it’s not hard for me to find many good places.

This year, I actually stayed in Osaka rather than going to Kyoto. I went to a town called Mino. It’s in north Osaka, close to Kyoto and Hyogo, I believe. It was a JET event so many of us gathered last Sunday afternoon. My friend from my tea ceremony and her friend actually joined up with me, and I spent more time exploring with them than my JET friends. I had a really nice time!

The weather was nice and the trees were beautiful! I didn’t know until I got there that there was a waterfall! I was so excited! It was a little crowded, but other than that, I think it was a great place to check out the fall foliage. There were a lot of little food stands along the path that sold products particular to the Mino area such as fried Japanese Maple leaves, sweet potato sticks, and yuzu croquettes. I finally feel like fall is in full swing!

秋.

Fall in Japan. <3

Reflection on the water.

I really like this picture.

Waterfall - 滝（たき）

It was beautiful!