Osaka Autumn Leaves 2026: Forecast, Peak Dates & Where to Go

Osaka's autumn leaves are forecast to peak from late November into early December 2026. Weathernews' spot forecasts put the main spots at their best from about November 20–24 — Expo '70 Commemorative Park first, then Osaka Castle Park and Katsuoji, with Minoo last — while Japan Meteorological Corporation's second forecast (October 1, 2026) still expects Osaka's peak around December 4, about normal (normal: December 1). Forecasts get revised through the autumn, so check again a week before you go (as of October 2, 2026).

When is the peak in 2026?

Two private weather companies published their first 2026 autumn-leaf forecasts in early September:

• Japan Meteorological Corporation (first 2026 forecast, September 2): Osaka's peak around December 4, "about normal". Its headline warned that lingering summer heat could push this autumn's peak later than normal in some parts of Japan. Its second forecast (October 1) keeps Osaka at around December 4, about normal (normal: December 1).
• Weathernews (September 3): colour is expected to be later or slightly later than normal nationwide, with leaves in good condition. Its spot pages (read October 2) put Expo '70 Commemorative Park at peak from about November 20 (leaves start to fall around December 9), Osaka Castle Park from about November 21 (December 11), Katsuoji from about November 22 (December 10) and Meiji-no-Mori Minoo Quasi-National Park from about November 24 (December 9).
• tenki.jp (Japan Weather Association) has started its spot reports; on 2 October Osaka Castle Park, Katsuoji and Minoo were all still green.

A useful reality check is the Japan Meteorological Agency's own observation trees in Osaka. In 2025, JMA recorded Osaka's ginkgo yellowing date on November 25 and its maple colouring date on December 4 — both three days later than normal. Ginkgo turns gold first and maples follow; in 2025 the gap was nine days.

So the working plan for 2026: late November for ginkgo and the city parks, late November into early December for the maples of the Minoo valley.

Best spots at a glance

Prices, hours and access as published by each operator, as of September 23, 2026. Minoo's free entry is per Weathernews' spot page (the park itself has no gate).

Minoo Park: Osaka's maple valley

Minoo (also spelled Minoh) is the classic Osaka koyo trip. Minoh City notes the valley was already a famous momiji spot in the Edo period; in 1967, 963 hectares of forest including the prefectural park became Meiji-no-Mori Minoo Quasi-National Park — by the city's account one of only two "Meiji no Mori" quasi-national parks in Japan, the other being Mt. Takao in Tokyo. Minoo Falls is the only waterfall in Osaka Prefecture on Japan's "100 Best Waterfalls" list (selected in 1990).

Because the park is a long, narrow valley, the colour moves as the season goes on. The park office says the park and surrounding hills usually peak from mid-November to early December, and the area around the falls is best from the middle to the end of the season — late November into early December. Walk up from the station and you pass through several stages at once.

Getting there. Take the Hankyu Minoo Line to Minoo Station (change at Ishibashi Handai-mae on the Takarazuka Line). From the station it is about 5 minutes to the park entrance at Ichi-no-hashi bridge, 15–20 minutes to the Insect Museum and 40–50 minutes (about 2.7 km) to the falls along the paved waterfall path, which has one steep stretch. There is no parking inside the park and no vehicles — including bicycles — are allowed; the park warns that nearby roads jam badly in foliage season, so come by train.

The 2025 fire and the 2026 reopening. A fire at a shop in front of the falls late on November 24, 2025 closed the path about 200 m short of the falls for more than eight months. The park lifted the closure at 14:00 on August 7, 2026, and you can again walk the full path to the falls. Expect a temporary protective fence that narrows the path by the fire site; the second floor of the rest area by the falls remains closed, and removal work on walls behind the site is planned.

A local snack. Minoh City counts momiji tempura — fried maple leaves — among Minoo's signature sweets, and Weathernews' spot guide notes shops along the falls path serving it.

Park rules worth knowing. Drones are banned throughout the park (and in all Osaka prefectural parks), open fires including barbecues are not allowed, and feeding the wild monkeys is prohibited by Minoh City ordinance — keep snack bags out of reach. For camera manners in general, see our photography etiquette guide.

Katsuoji Temple: maples, daruma and a hillside of colour

Katsuoji is a temple in Minoh City's hills (Weathernews lists it among the Minoo area's viewpoints). The temple says the foliage season arrives around mid-November, with best viewing from mid-November to early December across its roughly 80,000-tsubo (about 26-hectare) grounds; it singles out the view up to the Tahoto pagoda from the Ichigan Fudo terrace. The temple is also known for its kachi-daruma ("victory daruma") — the story behind those red dolls is in our daruma doll guide.

• Entry: ¥500 adults (high school and over), ¥400 elementary and junior-high students, ¥100 preschoolers, free for age 2 and under. A "Web entry ticket" lets you walk in without queuing at the gate.
• Hours: weekdays, Sundays and holidays 8:00–17:00 (last entry 16:30); Saturdays 8:00–18:00 (last entry 17:30).
• Access: from Minoh-Kayano Station (Kita-Osaka Kyuko), the direct Hankyu Bus (route 30) is timetabled at 22 minutes, or it is about 15 minutes by taxi; from Hankyu Minoo Station, about 20 minutes by taxi.
• Parking: since November 1, 2025 the car park (¥1,000 for 2 hours) has been reservation-only on Saturdays, Sundays, public holidays and specific days such as New Year — cars without a booking cannot park. On weekdays you can park without booking, but you cannot wait for a space once it is full. The temple explains that parking space is limited because it sits inside Meiji-no-Mori Minoo Quasi-National Park.

If you are visiting a working temple for the first time, our temple etiquette guide covers the basics.

Expo '70 Commemorative Park (Banpaku)

Locals call it Banpaku Kōen — the same park, built on the site of Expo '70. Rather than one peak, the park office publishes a colour calendar by spot, which makes it a good bet across a long window:

• Nishi-Ōji avenue — plane trees along a stone-paved avenue about 360 m long: late October to mid-November.
• Around the moricara nature centre — American sweetgum turning bright red: mid-October to late November.
• Momiji-kei ravine and Momiji Falls — maples and other trees: early to late November; the park recommends viewing the falls from the Solard elevated forest walkway.
• Momi Pond — metasequoia turning gold: early November to early December.
• Keyaki Hill — zelkova avenue: late October to mid-November.
• Japanese Garden (waterfall area and the Han-an / Banri-an tea houses) — maples: early to late November. The tea houses are normally closed to the public and are specially opened in conjunction with the foliage-season event.

The Japanese Garden covers 26 hectares, stretching 1,300 m from east to west, with a stream that flows west to east through four garden styles — ancient, medieval, early-modern and modern. It was registered as a national Registered Monument (scenic site) on October 11, 2024.

• Entry: ¥450 adults (high school and over) for the Natural Cultural Gardens and Japanese Garden (revised on April 1, 2026); junior-high age and under free.
• Hours: 9:30–17:00 (last entry 16:30). Normally closed on Wednesdays, but open every day in October and November; in December, check for the Wednesday closure.
• Access: Osaka Monorail to Banpaku-kinen-koen Station, then about 5 minutes on foot to the Central Gate. From Shin-Osaka, take the Midosuji Line (Kita-Osaka Kyuko) to Senri-Chuo and change to the monorail.
• 2026 autumn events: the event list on the park's official top page (checked October 2, 2026) shows the Cosmos & Kochia Festa (October 3–30), an autumn wild-flower show (October 18–25) and the Autumn Rose Festa (October 24–November 23). The foliage-season event itself has not been announced yet.

Osaka Castle Park and Nishinomaru Garden

For a city-centre fix, Osaka Castle Park is the easy choice. Weathernews forecasts peak from about November 21 (typical: mid-November to early December), lists ginkgo, zelkova, wax trees, cherry and maple as the colouring species, and flags three highlights: a ginkgo avenue of about 1 km on the east side, an estimated 300-year-old ginkgo in front of the main tower, and autumn cherry foliage in Nishinomaru Garden with the castle behind it. The park itself is free, and JR Osakajokoen and Morinomiya stations are right beside it.

Nishinomaru Garden (official details): about 6.4 hectares west of the main tower, roughly half lawn, with around 300 cherry trees whose leaves turn in autumn. November to February it is open 9:00–16:30 (last entry 30 minutes before closing); closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday) and from December 28 to January 4. Adults pay ¥300; junior-high age and under, Osaka City residents aged 65+ (with ID) and disability certificate holders enter free.

Night viewing: what is confirmed and what is not

• Katsuoji: had not announced 2026 light-up dates as of October 2, 2026 — check the temple's autumn page. That page says the hillside is lit up at dusk, but the period it lists is 2024's (November 9–December 1, weekends and holidays, sunset to 20:30); nothing for 2026 is posted yet (checked October 2). As a rough guide only, Weathernews' spot guide lists weekend and holiday light-ups in November, from sunset to 20:30 (last entry 20:00); it gives no year, so these are not 2026 dates.
• Minoo Park: ran waterfall light-ups in summer (July 26–August 31) and over Silver Week (September 19–23, 2026); no autumn schedule had been posted.
• Expo '70 Commemorative Park: the 2026 foliage-season event had not been announced (checked October 2).
• Midosuji illumination: a separate winter event along Osaka's main boulevard — dates and route are on Japan-Event's Midosuji Illumination 2026 guide.

Beat the crowds

• Go early, on a weekday if you can. Minoh Park warns that nearby roads jam badly in foliage season.
• Leave the car. Minoo Park has no parking inside the park, and Katsuoji's car park is reservation-only on Saturdays, Sundays, holidays and specific days such as New Year.
• Buy Katsuoji's Web entry ticket in advance to skip the gate queue.
• Mind closing times. Nishinomaru Garden closes at 16:30 from November (last entry 16:00) and every Monday; Expo '70 Commemorative Park takes its last entry at 16:30.
• Recheck the forecast about a week before your trip — the first forecasts are only the starting point.

Pair your leaf-hunt with a cultural experience

Autumn mornings are for the leaves; save the afternoon for something hands-on. Our guide to cultural experiences in Osaka compares the options, from a tea ceremony in Osaka to kimono rental in Osaka — a kimono and a maple-lined garden make a natural autumn pairing.

FAQ

When do the autumn leaves peak in Osaka in 2026? From late November into early December. Weathernews' spot forecasts (read October 2) put the main spots at their best from about November 20–24 (Expo '70 Commemorative Park ~Nov 20, Osaka Castle Park ~Nov 21, Katsuoji ~Nov 22, Minoo ~Nov 24), and Japan Meteorological Corporation's second forecast (October 1, 2026) still expects Osaka's peak around December 4, about normal (normal: December 1). Forecasts will be updated, so check again a week before your trip.

Where are the best places to see autumn leaves in Osaka? Minoo Park's maple valley and waterfall path, Katsuoji Temple in the Minoh hills, the Japanese Garden and tree-lined avenues of Expo '70 Commemorative Park (Banpaku), and Osaka Castle Park with its Nishinomaru Garden.

Can I walk to Minoo Falls in autumn 2026 after the 2025 fire? Yes. Minoh Park lifted the closure at 14:00 on August 7, 2026, and the whole waterfall path is open again. A temporary fence narrows the path in front of the fire site, and the second floor of the rest area by the falls stays closed.

How much does it cost to see the autumn leaves in Osaka? Minoo Park has no entry fee and Osaka Castle Park is free to enter. Katsuoji charges ¥500 for adults, Expo '70 Commemorative Park ¥450 for adults (Natural Cultural Gardens and Japanese Garden), and Nishinomaru Garden ¥300 for adults, as of September 23, 2026.

Are there autumn light-ups in Osaka in 2026? Not confirmed yet. Katsuoji had not announced 2026 light-up dates as of October 2, 2026 (the period on its autumn page is 2024's) — check the temple's autumn page. Minoh Park and Expo '70 Commemorative Park had not posted autumn 2026 evening events either. The Midosuji illumination is a separate winter event.

Sources (checked September 23, 2026; forecasts, Expo '70 events and Katsuoji's autumn page rechecked October 2, 2026)

• Japan Meteorological Corporation — 2026 autumn-leaf forecast, 2nd edition (Oct 1), first 2026 autumn-leaf forecast (Sept 2)
• Weathernews — 2026 autumn-leaf forecast (Sept 3), spot pages for Minoo, Osaka Castle Park, Expo '70 Commemorative Park and Katsuoji; tenki.jp Osaka foliage page
• Japan Meteorological Agency — maple colouring dates, ginkgo yellowing dates
• Minoh Park (official) — autumn leaves, path reopening notice, access, FAQ, news
• Minoh City — tourism information
• Katsuoji Temple (official) — autumn, hours, fees, access and parking
• Hankyu Bus — direct bus timetable, Minoh-Kayano Station to Katsuoji (route 30)
• Expo '70 Commemorative Park (official) — autumn-leaf spots, fees, hours, access, event list on the top page, Japanese Garden
• Osaka Castle Park (official) — Nishinomaru Garden

Last checked September 23, 2026: first version, with Japan Meteorological Corporation's (Sept 2) and Weathernews' (Sept 3) 2026 forecasts and operator prices as of this date. Katsuoji's access, parking and light-up details were rechecked against the text the temple's pages currently display.

Update log: 2026-10-02 — Weathernews spot peak dates moved one day earlier (now about November 20–24) and Japan Meteorological Corporation's second forecast (October 1: around December 4, about normal) applied; added the Expo '70 Commemorative Park autumn events now announced and what Katsuoji's autumn page shows (the 2024 period only)