Kansai by month · 15–24°C
Clear blue days and the start of harvest season
October is one of Kansai's most comfortable months: dry air, clear blue skies and warm afternoons that are perfect for long walks. Harvest foods arrive, festivals fill the weekends, and by late month the first leaves are turning in the mountains.
It's great for hikers, food lovers, and first-timers who want good weather before November's autumn-leaf crowds. The trade-offs are few: an early-month typhoon is possible, and prices start climbing towards the end of the month.
Heian Shrine and the Imperial Palace
About 2,000 people in costumes from a thousand years of Kyoto history walk from the Imperial Palace to Heian Shrine.
Getting there · Watch near Kyoto Imperial Palace or Heian Shrine
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Kurama, a mountain village north of Kyoto
At night, villagers carry huge flaming torches through the narrow street, chanting. Very crowded; check the year’s access rules first.
Getting there · About 30 min from Demachiyanagi on the Eizan line
Open in Google Maps ↗Dry, sunny days that are perfect for long walks.
Every autumn, from late October into November, the Nara National Museum shows a selection of ancient imperial treasures. Expect lines.
Nara Nara National Museum
On weekends in October, deer in Nara have their antlers trimmed in a traditional ceremony at a special enclosure.
Nara Rokuen deer enclosure near Kasuga Taisha
A castle town famous for black beans and chestnuts. In October the streets fill with harvest stalls.
Kansai Tamba-Sasayama, Hyogo
Many temples open halls and gardens usually closed to the public for a few weeks in autumn.
Kyoto Temples across Kyoto
Clear days make this the best month for the trails around Kyoto, such as Fushimi Inari's upper mountain or the route to Mt Daimonji.
Kyoto Fushimi Inari summit; Mt Daimonji from Ginkaku-ji