Autumn foliage is expected to occur later than in an average year in many parts of Japan due to warmer weather, with the cities of Nagano and Sapporo forecast to experience the color change 11 days later than usual, private forecaster Japan Meteorological Corp. announced Tuesday.
Tokyo¡¯s foliage will turn vibrant yellow on Nov. 26 and deep red on Dec. 1 ¡ª within the range of an average year. Osaka¡¯s coloration will also occur on its usual timeline around similar dates.
However, Sapporo and Nagano¡¯s red foliage are expected to emerge on Nov. 8 and Nov. 23, respectively ¡ª 11 days later than usual.
The change in foliage colors progresses at a faster pace in the cold and more slowly in the warm. Higher temperatures are expected this fall, as heat lingers on from Japan¡¯s joint hottest summer on record.
¡°When autumn leaves start to color depends on whether fall becomes cooler than previous years or remains hot,¡± said Hiroki Ito, a spokesperson from the weather forecaster¡¯s content division. ¡°Once the temperature lowers below 10 degrees Celsius, the pigment begins to change from green to yellow or red.¡±
The prime time for yellow foliage will be either on schedule or slightly delayed in northern and eastern Japan, while in western regions it is expected to be on time. Red foliage will be later than usual across the country.
Predictions are made using the firm¡¯s proprietary forecasting formula that draws on past data on the color changes of leaves and how they correspond to drops in temperature.
Akin to the cultural significance of cherry blossoms in spring, locations that experience dramatic changes in foliage color during autumn are popular tourist spots across Japan.
Japan Meteorological Corp., which provides foliage forecasts for 700 popular spots for viewing autumn leaves, predicts the peak for the two waves of foliage color change ¡ª the first for yellow ginkgo, and the second for red maple.
The firm will release a second forecast in the first half of October before releasing a third in the latter half.
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