Fall Colors of Iya Valley

Beautiful colored leaves in early autumn at Iya Valley

By Masayoshi Hirose

Community writer

Translated by Takako Sakamoto

Community writer

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Everything seems fresh in this valley (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

Lively colors decorate the short autumn (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

Burning-red maple leaves on the far side of the river (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

At the bottom of the valley a river flows silently (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

In autumn, leaves change color from green to vermilion (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

Cold rain drops on my head from above (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

Beautiful rock surface polished by clean water (Photo: Masayoshi Hirose)

I visited Iya Valley in Tokushima prefecture on November 3 in 2011, and enjoyed the gorgeous autumn leaves to the fullest!

Autumn in the mountains comes and goes very quickly. Deep in the mountains, Iya Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in Japan. At the bottom of the valley runs the emerald green water of the Iya River. I visited here just when leaves started to change color. When I looked up, mist caused by the rain was rising to cover the mountain ridges.

Although I love the autumn foliage in temples, shrines, historical sites and parks, seeing gorgeous fall leaves deep in the quiet mountains in a natural setting is just wonderful. Here, you can completely forget about the hustle and bustle of the big cities!