Tottori Autumn Foliage 2026: Mt. Daisen, Oku-Daisen & Misasa Onsen

About Tottori's Autumn Leaves

Tottori, the hidden region of San'in facing the Sea of Japan. When autumn visits this land far removed from the city's clamor, the mountains are colored fiery red and orange and a dazzling golden, and a superb view spreads out that robs the viewer of words. With Mt. Daisen, the highest peak of the Chugoku region, as the lead, untouched beech primeval forest, and charming hot-spring towns—the colorful autumn scenery becomes a gradation layered many times over, deeply shaking the traveler's heart.

The viewing peak is usually early October to late November. Because the coloring period shifts little by little with altitude, autumn descends the mountain as if passing a baton—from near the summit of Mt. Daisen to the foot, and further to the hot-spring town along the gorge. Being able to meet three different faces of autumn—"burning summit," "golden forest," and "tranquil hot-spring town"—in a single trip is a luxury unique to this Tottori. If you assemble your itinerary well, one of Japan's leading autumn-leaf experiences awaits you.

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Mt. Daisen

I know no other mountain that the elegant name "Hoki Fuji" suits this much. When beech and maple are dyed a fiery red against the backdrop of the imposing mountain form at an altitude of 1,729m, Mt. Daisen is not just a mountain but stands before your eyes with a power like a living artwork. That someone who has burned that sight into their eyes even once ends up visiting again the next year is by no means strange.

What we'd love for you to visit is the autumn-leaf tunnel continuing along the stone pavement of the Daisenji approach. Look up while slowly treading the moss-covered stone steps, and the vividly colored leaves fill the sky, wrapping you in the sensation of having wandered into a historical picture scroll. The scenery where the old temple's mountain gate and autumn leaves melt together is so beautiful you can never take enough photos. In this serene space completely cut off from daily life, by all means savor an autumn deep breath.

Furthermore, around Daisen Pond (Kagamiganaru) and Goen-zan, you can enjoy "upside-down autumn leaves" reflected on a water surface when the wind stops. The sight of the red-and-yellow gradation perfectly reflected on a mirror-still water surface is truly a miracle created by nature. The sight of photography enthusiasts clutching tripods silently pressing their shutters in the early morning has itself become a tradition of autumn Mt. Daisen.

Best season and recommended hours

• Near the summit: early to mid-October
• Daisenji and around the approach: mid- to late October
• What we'd especially recommend is early morning, 6 to 8 a.m. The fantastical sight where the morning mist rising from the mountain mingles with the autumn leaves is special, never to be seen during the day. Because tourists also increase as the sun rises high, those who want to face Mt. Daisen in stillness should by all means start moving with the dawn.

A way to enjoy it like a local A hidden gem that locals quietly frequent is the "Fifth-Station Observatory," a little walk along the Natsuyama climbing path from Daisenji. This viewpoint, where you can survey the autumn leaves covering the mountainside, can be casually visited even in sneakers, without full mountain-climbing gear. A complete change from the approach area crowded with tourists, it's quiet, and you can taste the sensation of monopolizing "the true face of Mt. Daisen's autumn leaves." After your stroll, don't forget to drop by a farm restaurant around Mt. Daisen. The autumn-limited Daisen okowa and dishes using plenty of locally harvested mountain vegetables have a gentle flavor that warms you from the core of your body. A rustic dish gently calms the feelings heightened by the autumn leaves.

Access

• By train + bus: Board the Hinomaru Bus "bound for Daisenji" from JR Yonago Station, and get off at the Daisenji bus stop in about 50 minutes. Temporary extra services are often run in the autumn-leaf season, but because crowds are also expected on weekends, be sure to check the latest timetable in advance.
• By car: About 40 minutes from Yonago IC via Prefectural Route 45. Around Daisenji there are multiple parking lots, paid and free combined, but from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends and holidays they're almost full. Working backward to depart so you can arrive before 8 a.m. is the first step of a regret-free trip.

(Autumn leaves) Tip for travelers: Think of mountain weather as something entirely different from the plains. Even in October the morning and evening can chill to around 5°C, and the temperature difference with daytime can be more than 10°C. Be sure to slip into your backpack cold-weather clothing you can throw on quickly, such as a fleece or thin down. If walking the climbing path, shoes with firm grip are reassuring to prepare for the stone pavement made slippery by fallen leaves.

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Oku-Daisen

Beyond pushing further and further in from Mt. Daisen's liveliness, a hidden region as if forgotten by the world quietly breathes—that is Oku-Daisen. As you cross the Kagamiganaru Highland and proceed further, the presence of people thins, and instead the solemn sight of golden-shining beech primeval forest begins to spread fully across your field of view. Its beauty makes even the words "like a painting" feel banal. Including the sweet scent of fallen leaves drifting in the clear autumn air, it's truly a place to receive autumn with all five senses.

Around the Oku-Daisen Ski Area, you can enjoy a pastoral scenery woven from golden-shining beech forest and a vast grassland. There's a gentle, all-embracing beauty here, with a flavor different from Mt. Daisen's dynamism. Walk the maintained hiking course and a moment arrives when you can monopolize a 360-degree autumn-leaf panorama from the observatory. Within the course there are also marsh areas with boardwalks, and the time of walking while gazing at the colorful leaves shining on the water surface gives a sensation of being quietly filled to the depths of your heart. Because round trips of 2 to 3 hours are the main, the point that even those not confident in their stamina can casually take it on is also Oku-Daisen's depth of generosity.

Best season and recommended hours

• Viewing peak in the Oku-Daisen area: mid- to late October
• In the morning, when mist easily forms, you may meet a fantastical sight where autumn leaves float up out of the white haze. The moment a sea of clouds and autumn leaves overlap is truly breathtaking beauty, and many repeat visitors come every year aiming for this. The morning after the weather forecast calls for mist is worth visiting even if you get up early.

A way to enjoy it like a local In fact, Oku-Daisen is a village of fine water, also known as the water-collection site for Suntory's natural water "Oku-Daisen no Tennensui." The clear water nurtured by this mountain soaks deep into the ground and eventually springs out as fine water. A hike walked while feeling such water blessings has a depth with a different flavor. After hiking, drop by the roadside station "Oku-Daisen." The local game cuisine and the thick, rich soft serve using Oku-Daisen milk have a happiness that soaks into a tired body. Also, because an "autumn-leaf trekking tour" guided by a local guide is sometimes run only in the autumn-leaf season, checking the tourism association's official website in advance may let you meet an unexpected special experience.

Access

• By car: About 1 hour from Yonago IC via National Route 181 and Prefectural Route 45. There are free parking lots around the Oku-Daisen Ski Area and Kagamiganaru. Temporary parking lots are sometimes set up at the autumn-leaf peak, but because the number of spaces is limited, early-morning departure is the iron rule. Move on a schedule with room to spare so you don't have to rush down narrow mountain roads in a panic.
• By public transportation: Going to the Daisenji bus stop by Hinomaru Bus and using a taxi from there is the realistic choice. However, if you want to fully enjoy Oku-Daisen's nature at your own pace, using a rental car is by far recommended. There are several rental car companies around Yonago Station.

(Autumn leaves) Tip for travelers: Because some parts of the hiking course get muddy easily, having trekking shoes or waterproof sneakers ready is reassuring. Also, Oku-Daisen is a bear habitat, and sighting information is sometimes issued. Consider carrying a bear bell essential. Because there are areas where mobile signal is hard to reach, we strongly recommend downloading map apps such as Google Maps or YAMAP offline. Preparation for an emergency is the foundation for enjoying nature with peace of mind.

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Misasa Onsen

After bathing your whole body in the autumn of mountain and forest at Mt. Daisen and Oku-Daisen, spend a night at Misasa Onsen, slowly embracing that lingering memory. This hot-spring resort, where inns stand quietly in a row along the murmur of the Mitoku River, is a village of a famous spring internationally highly regarded as "the world's number-one radioactive spring," boasting one of the world's leading radium contents. When that warm water and the autumn leaves reaching their peak from late October to early November overlap, the hot-spring town is wrapped in an indescribably tranquil charm. The sight of the trees on the riverbank dyed crimson and golden, mingling with the steam, has a beauty more than suitable as the finish to Tottori's autumn.

On the riverbed of the Mitoku River flowing through the center of the hot-spring town, there's a free riverbed open-air bath locally called "Kajika no Yu." Gazing at the autumn leaves spreading before your eyes, sinking your feet into the smooth, soft water, and feeling the fatigue of the journey gradually dissolve—this luxury can be obtained only here. At dusk, stroll the stone pavement in a yukata, and admire the vivid persimmons hung under the eaves and the colored leaves swaying in the inns' gardens. There's the richness of Japan's autumn there, which you can never notice at a hurried pace.

Best season and recommended hours

• Viewing peak at Misasa Onsen: late October to early November
• What we'd especially recommend is the time from dusk to night. The scene where the inns' warm light reflects on the river surface and faintly illuminates the autumn leaves shows a fantastical beauty like an entirely different world from the daytime vividness. Because nighttime illumination is held in some years, check the latest information at the front desk during your stay.

A way to enjoy it like a local About 20 minutes by car from Misasa Onsen is one of Japan's leading power spots, "Mitokusan Sanbutsuji" (Nageiredo). The national-treasure Nageiredo, built as if tossed into a rock cave on a sheer cliff, is a sight that loses your words just by itself, but in the season when autumn leaves dye the surroundings, the sanctity increases several more levels and overwhelms the traveler. Worship requires a mountain-entry fee and corresponding stamina, and is by no means an easy path. But that there's no end to travelers who say "I want to see it once in my life" is because there's that much value there. If you stay at Misasa Onsen, it's a place we'd love for you to incorporate into the next morning's itinerary.

Access

• By train + bus: Board the Hinomaru Bus "bound for Misasa Onsen" from JR Kurayoshi Station, about 25 minutes. With easy access, within a 5-minute walk from the bus stop to the center of the hot-spring town, you can arrive without getting lost even carrying luggage.
• By car: About 15 minutes from Kurayoshi IC via National Route 313. Around the hot-spring town there are multiple parking lots, free and paid, and the delightful thing about Misasa Onsen is being able to park with relatively more room compared to Mt. Daisen and Oku-Daisen. The ease of access by car is also one reason it's chosen as the last lodging of a trip.

(Autumn leaves) Tip for travelers: Misasa Onsen has gentler crowds compared to Mt. Daisen and Oku-Daisen, and you can spend time relatively at leisure even in the autumn-leaf season. We strongly recommend staying a night if possible. A dawn stroll with morning haze drifting on the river surface, a near-private early-morning riverbed bath—these are special rewards only for overnight guests, which you can never experience on a day trip. Note that the radium spring of Misasa Onsen may put a strain on those with concerns about their heart or blood pressure. Be sure to consult the inn staff before bathing and then enjoy it.

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Autumn-Leaf Peak and How to Enjoy It

Tottori's autumn-leaf season continues for about two months, early October to late November, and the seasonal timing differs little by little by area. This "shift" is precisely the greatest reason that makes a Tottori autumn-leaf trip special. Coloring begins near the high-altitude summit of Mt. Daisen, dyes the highland of Oku-Daisen, and finally autumn slowly descends to the hot-spring town of Misasa Onsen—if you assemble your itinerary along that flow, you can luxuriously enjoy three different autumn expressions, from mountain to gorge to hot-spring town.

| Spot | Viewing-peak guide | Characteristics | |---|---|---| | Mt. Daisen (summit to mountainside) | Early to mid-October | Magnificent scale, performance with an old temple | | Oku-Daisen | Mid- to late October | Beech primeval forest, hiking | | Misasa Onsen | Late October to early November | Hot spring × autumn leaves, tranquil charm |

Because crowds are expected at every spot on weekends, a weekday visit or early-morning departure is the absolute condition for a comfortable trip. Especially at Mt. Daisen, the line waiting for parking on weekend daytimes can reach several hundred meters. It's no exaggeration to say the quality of the trip is decided by your departure time. Also, because real-time autumn-leaf information is updated every year on the Tottori Prefecture Tourism Federation's official website, be sure to check it before visiting. Because the viewing peak can shift around 1 to 2 weeks depending on that year's climate, making the latest information your ally is the shortcut to a "winning trip."

From mountain to forest, and then to the hot-spring town—at Tottori, where varied autumn expressions layer over each other, engrave a special page into this year's autumn-leaf trip.