Along with the cherry blossom season in the spring, fall is one of my favorite season in Japan. This is when\u00a0the leaves on most deciduous Japanese trees change their color to red, yellow or orange. For the japanese, it is an important seasonal event known as\u00a0\u00ab\u00a0momiji-gari (autumn leaf viewing)\u00a0\u00bb or\u00a0\u00a0\u201ckouyou\u201d. It is probably\u00a0as important as the famous \u00ab\u00a0Hanami (cherry blossom viewing)\u00a0\u00bb in the spring.<\/p>\n
The mountains are transformed by the beautiful colors of the leaves, and numerous temples open their gardens to the public. It is traditional for the Japanese to\u00a0visit scenic areas and Kyoto is definitely one of their main destination.<\/p>\n
The Kyomizu-dera Temple (like many others)\u00a0organises\u00a0evening light-ups that are very popular — I was told that the temple welcomed some 25,000 visitors on the evening we went there.<\/p>\n\n\t\t