Kanagawa Prefecture is home to numerous popular destinations for travelers, including Yokohama, Kamakura, Hakone, and Odawara. It's also home to a host of fantastic spots to enjoy the best of the autumn season. From colorful leaves to shimmering pampas grass, this list covers five places across the region where you can get your fix of all things fall.
Sankeien Garden
Sankeien Garden provides a respite from the hustle and bustle of city life, and there is plenty to enjoy across its 175,000 square meter grounds. Spring is filled with cherry blossoms, summer means lotus flowers, and autumn packs a punch with a plethora of changing leaves. The ¥ 700 admission fee feels well worth it once you see just how much there is to explore.
58-1 Honmokusannotani, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0824
Lake Ashi
If you want your autumn foliage served up with a killer view, Lake Ashi is your spot. On clear days the area offers a phenomenal glimpse of Mount Fuji, and paired with the surrounding fall color it's a scene that can take your breath away. Boat rides are also available out on the lake itself if you want a unique and memorable experience.
Hakone-machi, Ashigarashimo-gun Kanagawa 250-0521
Odawara Castle
With a history dating back to the mid-1400s, Odawara Castle is famous for its surrounding park which is filled with plum and cherry trees — as you can imagine, it's a very popular destination in the spring months. It doesn't disappoint in autumn, either, with plenty of reds, yellows, and oranges adding to the already scenic view.
Jonai, Odawara, Kanagawa 250-0014
Kōtoku-in Temple
Kōtoku-in Temple is home to the Great Buddha of Kamakura, and it's a highly-visited destination year-round. Autumn may just be the best time to stop by, though, thanks to some stunning fall foliage adorning the grounds. If you can't visit in time to enjoy the changing leaves, you'll find cherry blossoms and rhododendrons in spring, Chinese trumpet vines in summer, and camellia and daffodils during winter.
4 Chome-2-28 Hase, Kamakura, Kanagawa 248-0016
Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field
Pampas grass is one of the often overlooked signs that fall has arrived, and it can be enjoyed in abundance at the Sengokuhara Pampas Grass Field. The field is listed as one of Kanagawa's 50 most picturesque locations, and seeing the grass shimmer in the autumn sun makes it easy to understand why.
Sengokuhara, 箱根町 Hakone, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa 250-0631
