Autumn Leaves At Momijidani And Around Hiroshima

Momijidani Park on Miyajima, the island in Hiroshima Bay reached by a 10-minute ferry from Miyajimaguchi outside Hiroshima, holds roughly 700 maple trees along the Momijidani River at the foot of Mount Misen's primeval forest. This guide lays out the peak window, the illumination evenings, the costs, the transport from Hiroshima and the other autumn spots in Hiroshima Prefecture worth pairing with the island.

When Do Miyajima Autumn Leaves Peak?

Miyajima autumn leaves at Momijidani Park near Hiroshima usually begin turning in early November and peak between roughly November 10 and November 30, with published guides for 2026 putting the core peak around November 15 to 25 and the Hiroshima Prefecture foliage forecast pointing to about November 21 at Momijidani. Entry to the park itself is free and it stays open all year.

Different sources frame the window slightly differently, which is normal for foliage: colour depends on temperature, not on a calendar. One event listing for Momijidani gives November 10 to 30 as the typical 2026 span; a foliage guide gives November 15 to 25 as the usual peak; the prefecture-level forecast compiled for 2026 centres on November 21. Read together they say the same thing: plan for the second half of November and you will land somewhere in the colour.

The composition of the valley explains why the season stretches over three weeks. Of the roughly 700 maples, about 560 are iroha-momiji, about 100 are o-momiji, and about 40 are other varieties such as yama-momiji. Those varieties turn at slightly different rates, so the valley moves through scarlet, orange and crimson stages rather than one uniform red week.

Entry to Senjokaku, the hall on the hill, is 100 yen, and its usual hours run 8:30 to 16:30.

What Makes Momijidani Park In Hiroshima Bay Special?

Momijidani Park sits at the foot of Mount Misen's primeval forest along the Momijidani River, a 15-minute walk from the Miyajima ferry pier and about 5 minutes from Itsukushima Shrine, with the vermilion Momiji Bridge crossing the stream and entry free of charge all year. The park can be strolled in about 15 minutes at an easy pace.

The setting is the draw. The valley runs up from the shrine town toward the mountain, with the river on one side, the maple canopy overhead and the ropeway base station at the upper end.

The park is small and practical. It has two restrooms, and HIROSHIMA FREE Wi-Fi is available in the area, per the park's directory listing. On busy autumn weekends the ropeway base station at the upper end of the park runs a free shuttle bus from the park entrance every 20 minutes, which matters because the walk up the valley is a steady climb.

Daisho-in Temple's halls and maples are illuminated from November 17 to 29, 2026, between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m., per the published illumination schedule. Our Hiroshima Travel Guide has a full page on Daisho-in Temple's halls and trails if you want the detail before committing the climb.

How Do You Get From Hiroshima To Momijidani Park?

From Hiroshima Station the JR Sanyo Line takes about 30 minutes to Miyajimaguchi Station, followed by a 10-minute ferry to Miyajima, and Momijidani Park is a 15-minute walk from the ferry pier; the Hiroden tram Line 2 is an alternative at 66 minutes from Hiroshima Station to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi. A 100 yen visitor tax is charged separately on entering the island.

The train-plus-ferry combination is the standard route. JR trains run frequently on the Sanyo Line, and the ferry terminal sits at Miyajimaguchi. Two ferry operators cross: the JR West Miyajima Ferry and Miyajima Matsudai Kisen, both running about every 15 minutes in daytime, and both taking about 10 minutes. The JR ferry's departures between 9:10 and 16:10 run as Great Torii route sailings that pass closer to the torii gate. The Japan Rail Pass covers the JR train and the JR ferry, though not the 100 yen visitor tax.

The tram is the slow, cheap-horizon option. Hiroden Line 2 runs from Hiroshima Station to Hiroden-miyajima-guchi every 10 minutes with a 66-minute travel time, at the flat fare of 240 yen for adults. The tram stop sits directly in front of the Miyajimaguchi ferry terminal. Our page on getting from Hiroshima to Miyajima compares the two routes in full, and getting around Hiroshima by tram and pass covers the flat fares and day passes.

A third option skips Miyajimaguchi entirely: the Aqua Net direct high-speed ferry from Peace Memorial Park to Miyajima, reported at about 45 minutes and 2,400 yen one way for adults. It trades a walk across central Hiroshima for a single boat ride.

Two autumn-specific ferry details matter. The 100 yen Miyajima visitor tax is charged on entry, and preschool children are exempt. The short answer page on the Miyajima visitor tax explains how it is collected.

If you would rather have someone else handle the transfers, a guided pairing of the city and the island in one day is the efficient route. The tours below combine Hiroshima's Peace Park with the Miyajima crossing.

What Does The Miyajima Ropeway Cost In Autumn?

The Miyajima Ropeway costs 2,000 yen return or 1,100 yen one way for adults, and 1,000 yen return or 550 yen one way for children, operating from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. uphill with the last car down around 4:30 p.m. In November it runs to 6:00 p.m. for foliage viewing, and on ten peak November days uphill rides require an advance online reservation.

The ropeway is the quick way to the upper mountain. It consists of two sections with a transfer at Kayatani Station, taking about 15 minutes one way in total. From the Shishi-iwa station at the top, the Mount Misen summit at 535 m is a 30-minute hike, so a round trip with summit time needs planning rather than a casual detour.

The reservation rule is the detail that catches people out. On November 1, 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22, 23, 28 and 29 in 2026, uphill rides require an advance online reservation, per the published ropeway guidance for the foliage season. If your visit falls on one of them, book the uphill slot before you leave Hiroshima.

For visitors who would rather fill a Hiroshima day with something more hands-on than a queue, the city has short cultural sessions that fit neatly before or after an island afternoon, including a Japanese archery experience near the castle, which can be checked via Check availability at the operator's live listing.

Where Else Can You See Autumn Leaves Around Hiroshima?

Beyond Miyajima, the standout autumn spots in Hiroshima Prefecture are Sandankyo Gorge, whose foliage peaks late October to early November, and Shukkeien Garden in Hiroshima city, which peaks in late November; the city's botanical garden also runs an Autumn Green Fair from October 24 to November 3, 2026 with free admission during the period.

Our Miyajima day trip guide covers the island pairing, while the gorge sits far enough north that it belongs to a separate day; its window, late October to early November, actually closes as Momijidani opens, so a two-week Hiroshima stay can catch both by splitting the visit across the turn of the month.

Shukkeien is the city option. The garden's autumn and winter hours, September 16 to March 15, run 9:00 to 17:00 with last admission 30 minutes before closing, and adult admission is 350 yen with school students free. Its maples peak in late November, on roughly the same clock as Momijidani, which makes a city-and-island foliage day entirely realistic: the garden in the morning, the tram and ferry to Miyajima after lunch.

The city's event calendar adds free entries in the same weeks. The Kenmin Bunka-sai wadaiko drum festival follows on November 1, 2026, at JMS Aster Plaza with free admission, and the Mizube no Gassho waterfront choir event is scheduled for November 3, 2026, from 11:00 to 14:20 at the Genbaku Dome riverside terrace, with a rain date of November 7.

Our broader Hiroshima in autumn: September to November guide carries the full seasonal calendar, and if you are building a multi-day plan, two days in Hiroshima or three days in Hiroshima itineraries slot the island and the gorge into a sequence.

What Are The Miyajima Illumination Evenings?

Momijidani Park's autumn illumination runs from November 13 to December 6, 2026 in the evenings, and Daisho-in Temple illuminates its halls and maples from November 17 to 29, 2026 between 5:30 p.m. and 7 p.m.; during illumination events the last JR ferry back to Miyajimaguchi leaves Miyajima at 10:14 p.m., so evening visits end with a boat, not a stranded night.

Illumination changes the island's rhythm. By day Momijidani is a walking park; after dark the maples are lit from below and the valley reads as a corridor of colour. The park is free and strolls in about 15 minutes, so an illumination visit is short by design: ferry over in late afternoon, watch the lights come on, eat in the shrine town, and take a late boat back.

Itsukushima Shrine's own hours shift with the season, which matters for a same-evening plan. From October 15 to November 30 the shrine is open 6:30 to 17:30; in December it closes at 17:00. Admission is 300 yen for adults, 200 yen for high school students and 100 yen for elementary and junior high students, with a combined shrine and Treasure Hall ticket at 500/300/150.

The Great Torii, in the water in front of the shrine, follows the tide rather than the clock. Reported guide figures put the walk-out threshold at a tide below about 100 cm and the floating appearance above about 250 cm; the live tide block on our when is low tide at Miyajima page shows the actual prediction, and why the torii gate stands in the water explains the design. The gate's major restoration finished in December 2022; corridor and pagoda repair work continues at the shrine, which remains open, as our renovation status page tracks.

Should You Stay Overnight On Miyajima In Autumn?

Staying overnight on Miyajima keeps you on the island after the day ferries thin out and puts you inside the November 13 to December 6 illumination window after dark, which day-trippers from Hiroshima cannot see unless they hold to the 10:14 p.m. last ferry; an overnight also buys the shrine town in the early morning before the first arrivals.

The practical case is timing. The illumination evenings end after the standard ferry cadence has slowed, and the illuminated valley plus a relaxed dinner in the shrine town fits an overnight far more naturally than a dash to the pier. Our Miyajima overnight itinerary lays out the evening-to-morning sequence, including where the morning hours matter most around Itsukushima Shrine and the Omotesando shopping street.

Food on the island in autumn means the local specialties. Treat meals at island restaurants as a budget line to check on arrival. Our Miyajima Omotesando street guide maps the food strip.

What Is The Weather Like On Miyajima In November?

November in Hiroshima averages a daytime high of about 17.7 °C and an overnight low of about 8.9 °C, with about 69.3 mm of rain across the month, per the Japan Meteorological Agency 1991-2020 station normals for Hiroshima; Miyajima, in the same bay, shares that mild, relatively dry late-autumn profile, so layers and a light rain shell are a sensible choice.

The numbers sit at the comfortable end of Japan's foliage season. By comparison, October averages 23.7 °C highs and 14.9 °C lows with 109.2 mm of rain, and December drops to 12.1 °C and 4.0 °C with 54.0 mm. November's 69.3 mm falls well short of July's 279.8 mm, the wettest month in the normals, which is why the month carries the foliage: clear, cool, and not yet winter.

Two island-specific notes follow from this. First, the illumination evenings run to 7 p.m. or later, when November temperatures sit nearer the daily low than the high, so a warm layer for standing around under the maples is the single most useful item. Second, Itsukushima Shrine's corridor floorboards have deliberate gaps that let high-tide pressure through, and the shrine's own admission page recommends comfortable shoes, advice that doubles for the Momijidani climb and the Mount Misen summit hike.

How Much Does A Miyajima Autumn Day Cost?

A Miyajima autumn day costs 100 yen in visitor tax on entry, 300 yen for Itsukushima Shrine, 100 yen for Senjokaku if the ginkgos are the goal, and 2,000 yen for the ropeway return, with Momijidani Park itself free; transport adds the JR or Matsudai ferry and either the JR train or the 240 yen Hiroden tram from Hiroshima.

The all-in picture is modest for a headline sight. The park, the illumination, the riverside walk and the torii view from shore all cost nothing beyond the tax and the crossing. The paid layer is the shrine interiors, the hall on the hill and the lift up the mountain. The table below pulls the numbers together; the JR ferry's individual fare is 200 yen one way, 160 yen for groups of eight or more, and the visitor tax is charged separately.

A day pass changes the arithmetic for a multi-ride day in the city. The Hiroden one-day streetcar pass costs 700 yen for adults and 350 yen for children across all lines, and the one-day trip card combining streetcars with the Matsudai ferry costs 1,000 yen adult including the 100 yen visitor tax, per the operator's fare pages. The Visit Hiroshima Tourist Pass, at 1,000 yen for one day, adds selected buses and ferries.

For readers pairing the island with the city's history in a single day, the Hiroshima and Miyajima in one day itinerary sequences the Peace Park, the ferry and Momijidani without backtracking, and the guided options below cover the same ground with a guide and transport included.

Common Questions About Miyajima Autumn Leaves

Autumn on Miyajima compresses into a tight, generous window: free colour in the Momijidani valley, paid views from the shrine and the ropeway, illumination evenings through late November and early December, and a mild bay climate that averages about 17.7 °C by day. Pick a date in the second half of November, reserve the ropeway if your day is one of the ten peak dates, and carry a warm layer for the lights.