I grew up in Florida. There is no autumn or winter there to speak of. The temperature drops a bit…but the leaves on the trees don’t change colors and it doesn’t snow in Florida.
That’s another thing I like about living in Tokyo…four seasons. Each season is vastly different from the others and each one lasts an even quarter of the year.
Soon in the Tokyo area it will be the time of 「紅葉」 (“Fall colors”) when the leaves on the trees changes an assortment of yellow, orange, and red.
When I first moved to Japan and saw the colorful autumn trees for the first time, I really liked it. And I still enjoy looking at them.
Last spring, I wrote a post about a “Cherry Blossom Map” that showed where the Sakura trees are in bloom during the Spring 「花見」 (Cherry Blossom Viewing) season.
The same company that made the “Cherry Blossom Map” also has a 「紅葉地図」 (“Fall Foliage Map”) that shows were you can enjoy 「紅葉狩り」 (“Fall Colors Hunting”).
Click here to see the 「紅葉地図」 (“Fall Foliage Map”).
紅葉 (Autumn leaves) in Tokyo
Tokyo Five 
Indeed. Of course people are entitled to adore them as they will. I think they’re pretty, to be sure. I just also happen to think they’re overrated.
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>I just also happen to think they’re overrated.
I don’t think so. Sakura are only around for a short time each year after all.
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Yeah, I was being a little facetious. There are four seasons in Japan to be sure. But spring is often so rainy and unpleasant that it just blends into the humid summertime. It can be nice if there are a few clear, sunny days.
And I love autumn in Japan, but it feels so fleeting. Right now the mornings and evenings are cool here (in Kansai), but it’s still too hot during the day for long sleeves. Pretty soon it’ll be getting cold.
I’m also not overly impressed with Sakura. Nice, but not deserving of the thousands of pictures and blog posts about them every year. Perhaps I’m just too negative and bitter…heh.
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>Sakura. Nice, but not deserving of the thousands of pictures and blog posts about them every year.
Sakura are a part of Japanese culture and one of the symbols of Japan, I’m sure you know.
They’re beautiful, fragile and fleeting…like life itself.
Not only photos and blogs…but Sakura have been featured for centuries in haiku and ukiyoe, etc.
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Four distinct seasons a quarter of the year long? Always feels to me like 3 seasons – HOT for about 2/5 of the year, COLD for about 2/5 of the year, and then rainy for a few weeks in between.
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Really? It’s neither cold or hot now but quite comfortable in Tokyo.
As I said, I grew up in Florida. There the weather is really hot and muggy for a very long summer, kinda cold for a very short summer, and comfortable in between for a short time. (Florida also has a “rainy season” and a “hurricane season”).
But the view never changes…green trees all year round.
Tokyo, on the other hand, in very cold from late Dec – early March with some snowy days, late Mar – June is a warm spring with many flowers…including Sakura, June – early September is sweltering, late September – early December is a cool autumn with colorful leaves on the trees.
Each season about a quarter of the year.
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I visited Orlando in January 1975. Temperatures were in the 60s during day, but the sun was shining. I jumped in the pool and immediately jumped out because the water was so darn cold!
I don’t know if you grew up there, but whenever I think of Orlando I think of Tokyo5.
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Yeah, Florida’s winters aren’t cold enough to snow, but too cold to swim.
>whenever I think of Orlando I think of Tokyo5
Thanks. I grew up about 90 minutes west of Orlando…on the Gulf of Mexico coast.
Do the leaves change color in Hawaii? I imagine not.
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Nope, the trees are green year-round.
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That’s what I thought. Same as Florida.
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