Autumn Leaf-peeping in Search of Autumn
秋を求めて紅葉狩り

[Japan Savvy – November 2024 Issue]

When it comes to enjoying nature in Japan, cherry blossom viewing in spring is popular, but autumn leaf viewing is equally unmissable.
日本で人気の自然の楽しみ方といえば春のお花見ですが、秋の紅葉見物[けんぶつ]も欠かせません。

The sight of the trees’ leaves turning various shades of red, crimson, vermilion, reddish brown, orange, yellow, and gold is breathtakingly beautiful.
木々の葉が赤、紅、朱、えんじ、だいだい、黄、黄金色と、濃淡さまざまに染まる様子は息をのむほどの美しさです。

The culture of enjoying the autumn leaves dates back to the Nara and Heian periods.
紅葉を楽しむ文化の起源は、奈良から平安時代にさかのぼります。

It was a popular activity among aristocrats to hold parties where they would drink sake, admire the autumn leaves, and compose waka poems about their beauty.
紅葉見物をしながら酒を酌み交わす宴を開き、その美しさを和歌に詠むという遊びが貴族の間で流行していました。

It wasn’t until the Edo period that “momijigari” (autumn leaf-peeping) spread among the common people, and since then, people have headed to the fields and mountains in search of autumn once summer ends.
紅葉狩りが庶民に広がるのは江戸時代になってからで、それ以降、夏が終わると人々は秋を求めて野山へと繰り出します。