Fall in Japan is really beautiful, and the weather temperature reminds me of home. Many of the trees turn brilliant shade of yellow, orange, and red. These colorful leaves are known as koyo (紅葉).

Arashiyama (the kanji, 嵐山, literally means storm mountain) is a nice place for seeing koyo just west of Kyoto. Haruka and I attempted to see koyo there once, but with the early sunsets in late fall it was already getting dark by the time we arrived. Obviously we should have left earlier. But that night there was some sort of festival happening. The streets were crowded and there were many food stalls set up along the river bank. We drank amezake (sweet non-alcoholic sake) and walked along the river and up a semi-lit path into the forest before heading back home.

Two weeks later we went again, this time making sure we had plenty of daylight left. Even though it was as crowded as ever, scenic areas of the shrines and temples were roped off.

We were about to leave after taking the picture above, and an older gentleman approached us asking if we wanted our picture taken. He said he used to live in San Diego many, many years ago. I’ve noticed the older generation is more friendly and willing to approach foreigners to practice their English. Many people assume Haruka is American since he is with me.