Fall Foliage at Okochi Sanso Garden in Kyoto

Okochi Sanso Garden is a beautiful garden complex located in the Arashiyama area of Kyoto. Sprawling across the southern slope of Mount Ogura, this garden is often less busy than other parts of Arashiyama. If your visit is at the end of November – beginning of December, I recommend stopping by Okochi Sanso Garden to enjoy the fall colors.

The entrance is located conveniently at the end of the bamboo path, making it easy to add this garden to an Arashiyama itinerary. Specifically for a fall visit, I included it in my Kyoto fall itinerary here. As the grounds are very spacious, there are more spaces for visitors to spread out and it is possible to enjoy the scenery and take some photos with no one in the frame.

Our visit was at the end of November 2024 when fall color progress was about 70% but it was already lovely. The maples glowed in shades of red, orange, and gold, blanketing the moss-covered ground in warm tones. What I particularly like about viewing the autumn foliage at Okochi Sanso Garden is the variety of perspectives it offers. The variety of garden elements like mossy paths, stone lanterns and traditional wooden villas as well as the use of borrowed scenery (the Japanese garden technique of incorporating distant landscapes into the design) all added to the experience.

The path is well-marked, mostly one-way, and winds up through the property. Along the path, you will find a number of postcard-perfect views. Because the site is on a hillside, there are steps and uneven sections, so it is not wheelchair friendly. From the higher viewpoints of the garden, you can look out over the Arashiyama area and the surrounding hills.

One thing I would like to do differently next time is visit in the morning. We visited in the afternoon, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm, and by that time, due to the position of the sun and the hillside terrain, most of the garden was already in shadow. I usually prefer seeing fall foliage in soft, natural light, which tends to bring out the richness of the colors more.

After exiting Okochi Sanso Garden, it’s worth taking a few extra minutes to explore nearby spots. A very short walk (you can zoom in on Google Maps to see the path) leads to the Arashiyama Park Observation Deck, where you can take in sweeping views of the valley, the river, and the colorful hills beyond. From there, it is easy to descend to the riverside path which is very picturesque in the fall when the reflections of autumn trees ripple across the water. Alternatively, you can head north to Jojakko-ji Temple, another hillside site that is pretty beautiful during foliage season.