Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival 2026 (Nov 7–29): Light-Up, Bus, Crowds

Show up at the Momiji Corridor at noon on a November weekend and you will be sharing the red maple tunnel with everyone else who had the same idea. The Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival 2026 runs from November 7 to 29, and a little timing (when to arrive, which bus to take, how late the lights stay on) makes the difference between a crush and a calm walk under the leaves.

Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival 2026 at a glance

• Dates: Saturday, November 7 to Sunday, November 29, 2026.
• Light-up: from sunset until 21:00 every festival night.
• Getting there: Red Line bus from Kawaguchiko Station to the Itchiku Kubota Art Museum stop, then a 5-minute walk.

Some guides still list a later finish for the lights. The official town tourism page says 21:00, so plan around that.

What the Momiji Corridor is

The Momiji Corridor is a short stretch of the Nashi River on the north shore of Lake Kawaguchi. About 60 maple trees, some more than 80 years old, line both banks for roughly 150 meters, so the branches meet overhead and you walk through a tunnel of red and orange. Around the lake as a whole there are about 400 to 500 autumn-leaf trees, usually at their best from early to mid-November.

Curious why people in Japan travel just to look at autumn leaves? The custom has a name, momijigari, and a long history:

BackgroundMomijigari Meaning: Heian Roots, Momiji Tempura and Momiji Manju

In some spots along the river you can see Mount Fuji beyond the leaves, so keep looking up between the trees, not just at the tunnel.

Here is what the festival looks like by day and after dark, in a news report from TV Asahi's ANN channel:

Momiji Corridor light-up hours

The maples are lit from sunset until 21:00 each night of the festival. Come before dark to see the leaves in daylight, then stay for the lights.

Two things catch people out at night. First, the illumination draws its own evening crowd, so the venue is busy after dark too. Second, it gets quite cold, so bring a warm jacket even if the afternoon felt mild.

Watch the local cable station's walk through the lit-up corridor before you decide on a day or night visit:

How to get to the Momiji Corridor by bus

From Kawaguchiko Station, take the Red Line sightseeing bus from platform 1 at the bus terminal right outside the station. Get off at Itchiku Kubota Art Museum; the ride takes about 20 minutes and buses come about every 15 minutes. From the stop it's about a 5-minute walk to the corridor. The P-Line also stops there, but only about every 90 minutes.

You don't need to reserve the sightseeing buses. The pass is sold at the Kawaguchiko Station bus counter, online, and (1-Day Pass only) on the bus. Times and boarding places can change by season and day of the week, so check the notices in front of the station on the day. If you plan to stay for the lights, look up the last Red Line bus back to the station on the timetable page below.

Fujikyu Bus official Kawaguchiko sightseeing bus timetable

Coming from Tokyo? The direct highway bus from Shinjuku takes about 1 hour 45 minutes, depending on traffic, and costs ¥2,000 online or ¥2,200 at the counter for adults. You can't buy a ticket on board. Here's how the bus compares with the train:

Getting thereShinjuku to Kawaguchiko Bus vs Train: Fares, Times, How to Book

Crowds: when to go to the Momiji Corridor

Fujikyu Bus says visitors tend to pile in between about 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m., especially when peak color lands on a weekend or holiday, and the roads from Kawaguchiko Station and Kawaguchiko Ohashi Bridge can jam. Buses run on the same roads, so build in extra time.

• Calmer: before 10:00 a.m., and on weekdays rather than peak weekends.
• Busiest: late morning to mid-afternoon on peak weekends and holidays.
• Evening: busy again once the lights come on.

A simple day plan that avoids the peak: lakeside and Mount Fuji views in the morning, a late lunch, then the corridor as the lights come on.

Want an estimate for the day you're going? Check our forecast for the lake:

Crowd forecastCrowd forecast: Lake Kawaguchi (Mt. Fuji)

Driving and parking at the festival

There's no permanent parking at the Momiji Corridor. Temporary lots open during the festival, some free and some paid. New this year, the festival's No. 1 parking lot charges ¥1,000 for a regular car and accepts cashless payment only. On peak weekends, the bus is usually the less stressful choice.

Fujikawaguchiko town tourism page for the festival (parking updates)

Kawaguchiko Autumn Leaves Festival checklist

• Festival dates: November 7 to 29, 2026
• Lights until 21:00.
• Red Line bus from platform 1, Itchiku Kubota Art Museum stop
• 1-Day Pass if you'll ride more than a few times (¥1,500 adult)
• Arrive before 10:00 a.m. or after 4:00 p.m. on weekends
• Warm jacket for the night illumination
• Check the last bus back before staying for the lights

Information rechecked on November 9, 2026.

Recommended next reads

Packing for the cold evenings? See what to wear across Japan this month:

Plan your tripJapan in November Weather: What to Wear in Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka, Sapporo

Want snow and fall leaves in the same view? Here are four more places:

More autumn colorHakuba Autumn Foliage: 4 Places in Japan Where Snow Meets Fall Leaves

Next, pick your day with the Lake Kawaguchi crowd forecast, then plan the ride with the bus vs train guide above.