Osaka in autumn splits in two. October brings 24°C afternoons, festival weekends, and Halloween on a Saturday in 2026. November is cooler and drier, and the leaves turn late: city ginkgo around 22 November and maples around 1 December on average. For colour, aim for the last week of November and start in the hills at Minoo.
Osaka in autumn is two different trips, and the leaves arrive only at the end of the second one. October brings afternoons around 24°C, festival weekends, and Halloween.
November cools to about 18°C, and the city’s trees turn in its last week.
The colour comes late. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s normal date for Osaka’s ginkgo turning yellow is 22 November, and for its maples turning red, 1 December.
So a trip in early November sees mostly green trees in the city.
Everything in this Explore Osaka guide assumes your dates are already set for October or November. If you’re still choosing a season, start with which month suits an Osaka trip.
Key Takeaways
Hide- Osaka's city ginkgo turns yellow around 22 November and its maples around 1 December in an average year, so aim for late November.
- October averages a 23.7°C high and 136 mm of rain, while November averages 17.8°C and about half the rain.
- Colour starts in the northern hills in early to mid-November. Minoo Park usually peaks from mid-November to early December and has no parking.
- Minoo Park, Osaka Castle Park's grounds, and Midosuji are free. Expo '70 Commemorative Park costs ¥450 and Nagai Botanical Garden ¥300 for adults.
- Halloween 2026 falls on a Saturday, with costumed crowds in Dotonbori and zombies at Universal Studios Japan from 18:00 until 8 November.
- The Sports Day and Labor Thanksgiving weekends, 10 to 12 October and 21 to 23 November, are the hotel nights to book first.
- Late November evenings average about 8°C, so pack a proper jacket for the Midosuji Illumination, which starts on 3 November.
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How Warm Is Osaka in October and November?
Osaka in October averages a 23.7°C high and a 16.0°C low, with 136.0 mm of rain. Osaka in November is cooler and drier, at 17.8°C and 10.2°C with 72.5 mm.
These are the Japan Meteorological Agency’s 1991 to 2020 normals for Osaka. They are 30-year averages, the baseline the agency uses for every forecast comparison.
| October | November | |
|---|---|---|
| Average daily high | 23.7°C | 17.8°C |
| Average daily low | 16.0°C | 10.2°C |
| Average temperature | 19.5°C | 13.8°C |
| Rainfall | 136.0 mm | 72.5 mm |
| Sunshine | 166.1 hours | 152.6 hours |
The monthly figures hide how fast the season moves. Between early October and late November, the average high drops by almost 10°C.
That’s why one packing list doesn’t cover both months.
The Ten-Day Picture
The agency also publishes normals for each ten-day period, and they make a better planning tool. Early October still reaches almost 26°C in the afternoon.
By late November, the average low is 8.4°C.
| Period | Average high | Average low | Rainfall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 to 10 October | 25.8°C | 18.1°C | 47.8 mm |
| 11 to 20 October | 23.9°C | 16.2°C | 48.2 mm |
| 21 to 31 October | 21.8°C | 14.0°C | 40.0 mm |
| 1 to 10 November | 20.0°C | 12.1°C | 19.7 mm |
| 11 to 20 November | 17.6°C | 10.2°C | 30.5 mm |
| 21 to 30 November | 15.9°C | 8.4°C | 22.3 mm |
Most of the rain falls in October. Each ten-day stretch of October averages 40 to 48 mm, against 20 to 31 mm in November.
Keep a compact umbrella in your day bag in October, and expect drier sightseeing days from early November.
Sunset Comes Almost an Hour Earlier
Evening light is the thing to plan around. The National Astronomical Observatory of Japan puts Osaka’s sunset at 17:43 on 1 October 2026 and 16:47 on 30 November.
That’s 56 minutes less evening light by the end of the season.
By mid-November the sun sets at 16:54. So do hill walks such as Minoo in the morning, and save the city for the evening, when the Midosuji lights are on.
Typhoons Fade After Early October
Typhoon risk drops fast through autumn. The agency’s typhoon normals count 3.3 typhoons approaching Japan in September, 1.7 in October, and 0.5 in November.
For an early October trip, leave one flexible day before any onward flight.
When Do the Leaves Turn in Osaka During Autumn?
Osaka’s leaves turn late. The Japan Meteorological Agency’s normal date in the city is 22 November for ginkgo turning yellow and 1 December for maples turning red.
In the hills to the north, colour starts from early to mid-November.
Every year the agency records these dates from the same trees, and its Osaka office publishes them. Recent years show how far they move:
| Year | Ginkgo turns yellow | Maples turn red |
|---|---|---|
| Normal, 1991 to 2020 | 22 November | 1 December |
| 2023 | 16 November | 5 December |
| 2024 | 27 November | 10 December |
| 2025 | 25 November | 4 December |
In practice, Osaka in November shows mostly green city trees until its last week. That week is the overlap, with ginkgo at its best in town and maples colouring in the hills.
Colour lasts into December too. Normal leaf fall comes on 4 December for ginkgo and 13 December for maples, so an early December trip still catches it.
Nara’s Maples Turn First and Kyoto’s Last
The agency watches the same two species in Nara, Kobe, and Kyoto. Its maple table and ginkgo table give each city’s 2025 date and its gap from normal, which puts the normal dates in this order:
| City | Ginkgo turns yellow | Maples turn red |
|---|---|---|
| Nara | 18 November | 21 November |
| Kobe | 13 November | 1 December |
| Osaka | 22 November | 1 December |
| Kyoto | 24 November | 5 December |
So a mid-November maple trip should put Nara first. In the first days of December, Kyoto’s maples reach their normal date just as Osaka’s ginkgo starts to drop.
Each figure comes from trees in town, so hill spots run ahead of them.
Autumn Colour From Minoo Park to Midosuji
Osaka’s maple and ginkgo colour moves downhill. It starts in the northern hills in early to mid-November, reaches the city parks in the second half of the month, and ends with the ginkgo on Midosuji.
Visit in that order and each stop lines up with its peak.
Minoo Park
Minoo Park is the main foliage walk in the northern hills. According to the park’s foliage page, the usual peak runs from mid-November to early December, along the path that climbs to Minoo Falls.
The falls path fully reopened on 7 August 2026 after a shop fire near the falls. A reopening notice from the park says temporary fencing still narrows one short section.
Our guide to the Minoo falls trail covers the walk and how to get there.
Shops along the path sell momiji tempura: maple leaves fried in a sweet sesame batter. Local tradition, as the Minoh Tourism Association tells it, credits the snack to the mountain ascetic En no Gyoja about 1,300 years ago.
Explore Minoo Park in Autumn
Find tours, activities, and experiences for enjoying Minoo Park and its seasonal scenery.
Katsuo-ji Temple
Katsuo-ji in the Minoh hills pairs with Minoo on the same day. Osaka’s official tourism bureau gives its foliage season as early November to early December.
The grounds cover about 26,000 square metres. Unlike the falls path, the temple charges admission.
Visit Katsuo-ji Temple
Discover tours and experiences that make it easy to visit Katsuo-ji and its colorful autumn grounds.
Expo ’70 Commemorative Park
Expo ’70 Commemorative Park in Suita covers both months. Kochia turn red there in October, and Osaka’s tourism bureau puts its foliage season at mid to late November.
Admission is ¥450 for adults and free for junior high students and younger. That price took effect on 1 April 2026, according to the official fee page.
The park opens daily in October and November, from 09:30 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30.
The park runs guided foliage walks on 17 November, 23 November, and 1 December 2026, and you can sign up on the day. In 2025 it also posted a running foliage report through November and December.
Check it the day before you go.
Experience Expo ’70 Commemorative Park
Browse activities, tours, and experiences for exploring the park during Osaka’s autumn season.
Osaka Castle Park
Osaka Castle colours in three waves, from late October to early December. The park’s 2025 foliage map listed them like this:
- cherry leaves from late October to mid-November
- Japanese maples from mid to late November
- ginkgo from late November to early December
The grounds are free to walk. The castle keep and the Nishinomaru Garden charge admission, so a leaf walk here costs nothing unless you go inside.
Explore Osaka Castle Park
Find tours and experiences for seeing Osaka Castle and enjoying the autumn scenery around the park.
Nagai Botanical Garden
Nagai Botanical Garden, in Nagai Park in southern Osaka, is the flat alternative to the hills. The garden’s seasonal guide lists ten trees that turn red or yellow in November, from bald cypress to Japanese maple.
It singles out the big, mature trees around the small pond in its historical forest.
Admission is ¥300 for adults and ¥200 for high school and university students. Junior high students and younger enter free.
The hours and fees page lists November hours of 09:30 to 16:30, with last entry at 16:00.
The garden closes on Mondays, or on the next weekday when Monday is a holiday. In 2026 that means it opens on Monday 23 November and closes on Tuesday 24 November.
After dark, the same garden hosts teamLab Botanical Garden Osaka, a permanent night-time art show.
Discover Nagai Botanical Garden
Browse activities and experiences for exploring the garden and its seasonal autumn displays.
Midosuji Boulevard
Midosuji is where the city’s ginkgo peaks. Plan it for the last week of November, around the agency’s normal ginkgo date.
After dark, the same trees carry the Midosuji Illumination from 3 November, so one evening walk gets you yellow leaves and lights together.
October Means Festivals Instead of Leaves
Osaka in October is for festivals, flowers, and walking weather, not autumn colour. These are the 2026 dates worth planning around, in date order.
- Cosmos and Kochia Festa, 3 to 30 October. Expo ’70 Commemorative Park puts on a show of cosmos and kochia, the round bushes that turn from green to red. The park’s event listing has the dates.
- It’s the closest thing to autumn colour you’ll find in October.
- Kishiwada Danjiri Matsuri, 10 and 11 October. Kishiwada holds a second danjiri festival in October, when teams haul heavy wooden floats through the streets. The city’s festival page lists 06:00 to 22:00 on Saturday 10 October and 07:00 to 22:00 on Sunday 11 October.
- Sports Day weekend, 10 to 12 October. Sports Day falls on Monday 12 October 2026, which makes a three-day weekend. Book those hotel nights first.
- October cherry at Osaka Castle Park, from mid-October. The park’s flower calendar lists jugatsuzakura, a cherry that blooms in autumn, from mid-October. Fragrant osmanthus flowers there from October to mid-November.
- Sakai Festival, 17 and 18 October. Sakai’s city festival fills Oshoji-suji street and the area around it. The Sakai tourism bureau’s listing promises matchlock gun displays and futon daiko, the drum floats that teams carry and clash.
- Autumn roses in October. Nakanoshima Park’s rose garden grows about 3,700 plants of 310 varieties, and the park is free. The city runs rose tours there on 22 October at 10:30 and 14:00, first come, first served, for ten people each.
Nagai Botanical Garden’s autumn roses usually peak in October. Its Autumn Rose Week runs from 24 October to 6 December, according to the Osaka City announcement.
Halloween at Universal Studio Japan (USJ) and in Dotonbori
Osaka does Halloween two ways. Universal Studios Japan runs a ticketed horror season for two months.
On 31 October itself, costumed crowds gather in the streets of Dotonbori and Amerikamura, and in 2026 that night is a Saturday.
Halloween Horror Nights at USJ
Universal Studios Japan runs Halloween Horror Nights from 11 September to 8 November 2026, its 15th anniversary season. According to USJ’s press release, zombies roam most of the park from 18:00 until closing.
Before 18:00, the park runs a family programme with trick-or-treating in most areas.
That split is the plan with children. Use the day for the family side, then leave or stay knowing what comes after dark.
Tickets and the rest of the park are in our guide to Universal Studios Japan.
Book Halloween Horror Nights at USJ
Compare tickets and experiences for Universal Studios Japan’s Halloween Horror Nights.
Dotonbori and Amerikamura on 31 October
Osaka’s tourism bureau describes Halloween night as a street gathering around the Dotonbori canal district and Amerikamura. Its Halloween page mentions zombie and goth costumes, anime characters, and the joke costumes Osaka is known for.
It’s a street gathering, not a ticketed event. Arrive early in the evening, keep your phone and wallet zipped, and move with the flow on the canal bridges.
Osaka or Tokyo for Halloween
Shibuya in Tokyo has set its own rules. Since October 2024, Shibuya City has banned drinking on streets and in parks around Shibuya Station from 18:00 to 05:00, every night of the year.
It first wrote the rule for Halloween and New Year crowds.
Osaka gives you both sides in one city: the street costumes in Dotonbori and a ticketed night at USJ. From Tokyo, a Halloween weekend here is one Shinkansen ride to Osaka.
Things to Do in Osaka in November
Osaka in November opens with a pageant and a switch-on, then closes with the leaves. These are the 2026 dates.
Shitennoji Wasso, Sunday 1 November. This free costumed pageant recalls ancient exchanges between Japan and its East Asian neighbours. It runs from 10:30 to 17:00 at the Naniwa Palace Site, two minutes’ walk from Tanimachi 4-chome Station on the Osaka Metro Chuo and Tanimachi lines.
The organiser’s 2026 poster has the programme.
Culture Day and the Midosuji Illumination, Tuesday 3 November. The national holiday is also switch-on night. The Osaka City announcement lights Midosuji from 3 November to 31 December 2026, from about 17:00 to 01:00 each night.
In 2025, Osaka Prefecture also closed part of Midosuji to cars for its Midosuji Autumn Party on Culture Day. The prefecture posts each year’s plans on its Autumn Party page.
Check it in October if you’ll be in town on 3 November.
Last night of Halloween Horror Nights, Sunday 8 November. If the zombies are on your list, this is the cutoff.
Labor Thanksgiving weekend, 21 to 23 November. Labor Thanksgiving Day falls on Monday 23 November 2026. That gives a three-day weekend right on the normal ginkgo date, so expect the leaf spots at their busiest.
Peak colour, 22 November to early December. Based on the agency’s normals, this is when city ginkgo and hill maples are most likely to turn together. A weekday in this window beats the holiday weekend.
Four Day Trips Timed to the Colour
Osaka works as a base for autumn colour because the colour reaches each place at a different time. Go in this order, from the mountains in late October to Kyoto at the end of November.
Koyasan in Late October
Koya Town gives Koyasan’s usual foliage season as late October to early November. That’s weeks ahead of Osaka, so Koyasan is the one leaf trip that suits an October visit.
The town lists spots from the Daimon gate to the Tokugawa mausoleum. Our plan for a day on Mount Koya covers getting there.
Plan Your Koyasan Day Trip
Find tours and experiences for visiting Koyasan and its temples during the autumn season.
Nara and the Shosoin Exhibition
Nara’s maples have the earliest normal date of the four cities, 21 November. The Nara National Museum’s annual Shosoin Exhibition runs from 24 October to 9 November 2026, according to the exhibition’s English site.
Entry needs a timed ticket bought in advance, at ¥2,000 for adults. Late entry costs ¥1,500 after 16:00 from Monday to Thursday, and after 17:00 on Fridays, weekends, and holidays.
If slots remain, the museum sells same-day tickets for ¥2,200. Hours are 08:00 to 18:00, and to 20:00 on Fridays, weekends, and holidays.
Nara’s deer antler cutting used to take place in October, but in 2025 it moved to 8 and 9 November. The Nara Deer Preservation Foundation posts each year’s dates, so check before you build a Nara day around it.
Our plan for a full day in Nara compares the Kintetsu and JR routes.
Explore Nara and the Shosoin Exhibition
Browse tours and experiences for combining Nara’s historic sights with the annual Shosoin Exhibition.
Arima Onsen in November
The Arima Onsen Tourist Association says Zuihoji Park colours in November. The park is a 20-minute walk from Arima Onsen Station on the Kobe Electric Railway, and cars are restricted around it through November.
A soak and a foliage walk fit one hot spring day at Arima.
Plan Your Arima Onsen Escape
Find day tours and experiences for enjoying Arima Onsen and its autumn scenery in November.
Kyoto for the Final Week
Kyoto’s normal maple date is 5 December, the latest of the four. Save it for the last days of November or the first days of December.
Our guide to Kyoto by train from Osaka covers the routes.
Take a Day Trip to Kyoto
Discover tours, experiences, and activities for catching Kyoto’s late-autumn colors before the season ends.
Busy Dates to Book or Avoid When Planning to Visit Osaka in Autumn
Osaka’s autumn crowds gather on its holidays and on Halloween night. Book these 2026 dates first, or plan your quiet days around them.
| Date | What happens | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Saturday 10 to Monday 12 October | Sports Day weekend and the Kishiwada October festival | Book hotels first |
| Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October | Sakai Festival | Plan a Sakai day around it |
| Saturday 31 October | Halloween in Dotonbori and Amerikamura | Arrive early in the evening |
| Tuesday 3 November | Culture Day and the illumination switch-on | Walk Midosuji after 17:00 |
| Saturday 21 to Monday 23 November | Labor Thanksgiving weekend on the normal ginkgo date | Move leaf trips to a weekday |
Minoo Park needs the most planning. The park has no parking and bans private cars, and it warns that roads around it jam in foliage season.
Take the train and aim for a weekday morning.
If you want colour without the hill walk, Nagai Botanical Garden and Expo ’70 Park need no climbing, at ¥300 and ¥450. For the two long weekends, book your room before anything else.
Our guide to choosing an area to stay compares Umeda, Namba, and the other bases.
Packing for Evening Lows of 8°C
Pack for the evening low, not the afternoon high. On an average day in either month, the gap between them is about 7 to 8°C.
The walk back to your hotel is where that gap shows.
- Early to mid October: highs of 24 to 26°C and lows of 16 to 18°C. Bring short sleeves, a light layer for the evening, and a compact umbrella for the wettest weeks of the two months.
- Late October to early November: highs of 20 to 22°C and lows of 12 to 14°C. Long sleeves and a light jacket cover it.
- Mid to late November: highs of 16 to 18°C and lows of 8 to 10°C. Bring a sweater and a proper jacket, especially if you’ll stand outside for the illumination.
- Both months: wear shoes with grip for the hill paths at Minoo and Katsuo-ji.
Is October or November the Better Month For Visiting Osaka in Autumn?
Pick October for warm weather, festivals, and Halloween. Pick the last week of November for autumn colour.
Early November sits between them: dry and cool, busy with Wasso and the switch-on, but still green in the city.
- For the leaves: go between 22 November and early December, on weekdays. Start at Minoo, finish on Midosuji, and add Nara earlier or Kyoto later.
- For Halloween: go in the last week of October. You get the street night on 31 October and USJ’s horror nights, which run to 8 November.
- With children: October weekdays give warm afternoons, kochia at Expo ’70 Park, and USJ’s daytime Halloween programme.
- For culture: late October to early November lines up the Shosoin Exhibition, Wasso, and Koyasan’s colour.
