The Celestial Peak of Heritage and Color

Rising more than 2,700 feet above the ancient capital, this UNESCO World Heritage summit provides a dramatic setting for Kansai’s first major fall event. By late October, while the city below is still awaiting the season’s arrival, the mountain is already animated by the refined pageantry of its fall foliage celebration.

Visitors come to witness nearly 2,000 maple trees igniting the slopes in tones of deep scarlet and burnished gold. The atmosphere is one of shared reverence and quiet festivity, particularly around the monumental 17th-century timber halls revered as the “Mother of Japanese Buddhism”, where history and season converge.

The experience is defined by its commanding sense of scale. From elevated viewpoints, sweeping vistas extend across the luminous blue expanse of the lake on one side and the cityscape on the other, all framed by foliage at its peak. This is a destination for travelers drawn to prestige, perspective, and the panoramic grandeur that only a sacred summit can offer.