Yamagata autumn leaves: when the maples turn red
The Japan Meteorological Agency's (JMA) sample maple at or near the weather observatory in Yamagata turns red around 25 November in an average year (1991–2020) and has lost most of its leaves by 9 December. In 2025 it turned red on 1 December, 6 days later than average.
Red: late Nov
Maple and ginkgo dates in Yamagata
Average dates are for 1991–2020. The JMA adds new dates to its online table, which it updates once a day (around 8:35 a.m. Japan time).
- Turns red
- 25 Nov
- Leaves fall
- 9 Dec
- Red in 2025
- 1 Dec
- Ginkgo yellow
- 10 Nov
| Average | 2025 | Earliest on record | Latest on record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple turns red | 25 Nov | 1 Dec (6 days later) | 31 Oct 1982 | 13 Dec 1998 |
| Maple leaves fall | 9 Dec | 5 Dec (4 days earlier) | 12 Nov 1962 | 18 Dec 2004 (also 1998, 2003) |
| Ginkgo turns yellow | 10 Nov | 17 Nov (7 days later) | 15 Oct 1954 | 26 Nov 2019 |
| Ginkgo leaves fall | 21 Nov | 26 Nov (5 days later) | 3 Nov 1965 | 3 Dec 2019 |
When a record date happened in more than one year, the other years are in brackets.
Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency — Maple leaves turning red: dates in 2025 and 2026 (かえでの紅葉日) · Japan Meteorological Agency — Ginkgo leaves turning yellow: dates in 2025 and 2026 (いちょうの黄葉日) · Japan Meteorological Agency — Maple leaves turning red, every year since 1953 (CSV 015)
Every autumn from 2016 to 2025
When the maple turned red, how far that was from the average, and when it lost its leaves.
Day the maple turned red in Yamagata, 2016–2025
A longer bar means later in the autumn. The bar runs from 1 October.
| Autumn of | Maple turns red | Against the 1991–2020 average | Maple leaves fall | Ginkgo turns yellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1 Dec | 6 days later | 5 Dec | 17 Nov |
| 2024 | 4 Dec | 9 days later | 13 Dec | 18 Nov |
| 2023 | 6 Dec | 11 days later | 14 Dec | 20 Nov |
| 2022 | 25 Nov | Average day | 5 Dec | 11 Nov |
| 2021 | 24 Nov | 1 day earlier | 13 Dec | 11 Nov |
| 2020 | 25 Nov | Average day | 8 Dec | 18 Nov |
| 2019 | 4 Dec | 9 days later | 13 Dec | 26 Nov |
| 2018 | 5 Dec | 10 days later | 11 Dec | 14 Nov |
| 2017 | 6 Dec | 11 days later | 14 Dec | 7 Nov |
| 2016 | 28 Nov | 3 days later | 6 Dec | 16 Nov |
Sources: Japan Meteorological Agency — Maple leaves turning red, every year since 1953 (CSV 015) · Japan Meteorological Agency — Maple leaves falling, every year since 1953 (CSV 016) · Japan Meteorological Agency — Ginkgo leaves turning yellow, every year since 1953 (CSV 013)
The tree behind the dates
One tree at or near the weather observatory, checked by eye.
- Tree
- Japanese maple (iroha-kaede)
- Where in 2025
- In the observatory grounds
- Records since
- 1957
- Earliest red
- 31 Oct 1982
- Latest red
- 13 Dec 1998
This is a city date. The JMA's date is for this one tree in Yamagata. It is not a date for the mountains, valleys or famous gardens around the city.
Other cities in Tohoku
Average dates for every city in Tohoku with a JMA maple record.
| City | Maple turns red | Maple leaves fall | Red in 2025 | Ginkgo turns yellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akita秋田 | 12 Nov | 22 Nov | 14 Nov (2 days later) | 5 Nov |
| Aomori青森 | 13 Nov | 23 Nov | 10 Nov (3 days earlier) | 2 Nov |
| Morioka盛岡 | 13 Nov | 25 Nov | 12 Nov (1 day earlier) | 30 Oct |
| Fukushima福島 | 17 Nov | 5 Dec | 19 Nov (2 days later) | 31 Oct |
| Sendai仙台 | 21 Nov | 6 Dec | 20 Nov (1 day earlier) | 23 Nov |
| Yamagata山形 | 25 Nov | 9 Dec | 1 Dec (6 days later) | 10 Nov |
Frequently asked questions
When do the leaves turn red in Yamagata?
The JMA's sample maple in Yamagata turns red around 25 November in an average year (1991–2020) and about 80% of its leaves have fallen by 9 December. In 2025 it turned red on 1 December, 6 days later than average.
When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Yamagata?
By the JMA's records, in an average year the sample maple in Yamagata turns red around 25 November and has lost about 80% of its leaves by 9 December. The JMA's date is for this one tree. It is not a date for the mountains, valleys or famous gardens around the city.
When do ginkgo trees turn yellow in Yamagata?
Around 10 November in an average year, with about 80% of the leaves down by 21 November. In 2025 the sample ginkgo turned yellow on 17 November, 7 days later than average.
What are the earliest and latest dates the maple has turned red in Yamagata?
The earliest was 31 Oct 1982 and the latest 13 Dec 1998, in records that start in 1957.
Related items
Sources for this page
- Japan Meteorological Agency Maple leaves turning red: dates in 2025 and 2026 (かえでの紅葉日)checked October 2, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency Ginkgo leaves turning yellow: dates in 2025 and 2026 (いちょうの黄葉日)checked October 2, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency Maple leaves turning red, every year since 1953 (CSV 015)checked October 2, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency Maple leaves falling, every year since 1953 (CSV 016)checked October 2, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency Ginkgo leaves turning yellow, every year since 1953 (CSV 013)checked October 2, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency Ginkgo leaves falling, every year since 1953 (CSV 014)checked October 2, 2026
- Japan Meteorological Agency Guidelines for biological season observations (生物季節観測指針)checked October 2, 2026
Compiled by Japan Japan !! · Updated October 2, 2026