Sapporo autumn leaves: when the maples turn red
The Japan Meteorological Agency's (JMA) sample maple at or near the weather observatory in Sapporo turns red around 28 October in an average year (1991–2020) and has lost most of its leaves by 5 November. In 2025 it turned red on 6 November, 9 days later than average.
Red: late Oct
Maple and ginkgo dates in Sapporo
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
- 28 Oct
- Leaves fall
- 5 Nov
- Red in 2025
- 6 Nov
- Ginkgo yellow
- 4 Nov
| Average | 2025 | Earliest on record | Latest on record | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple turns red | 28 Oct | 6 Nov (9 days later) | 26 Sep 1963 | 11 Nov 2024 |
| Maple leaves fall | 5 Nov | 9 Nov (4 days later) | 26 Oct 1995 (also 1958) | 29 Nov 2015 |
| Ginkgo turns yellow | 4 Nov | 7 Nov (3 days later) | 7 Oct 1964 | 15 Nov 2012 |
| Ginkgo leaves fall | 11 Nov | 9 Nov (2 days earlier) | 30 Oct 1969 | 19 Nov 1998 |
In Sapporo the JMA watches a yama-momiji maple, not the Japanese maple used outside Hokkaido.
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 Sapporo, 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 | 6 Nov | 9 days later | 9 Nov | 7 Nov |
| 2024 | 11 Nov | 14 days later | 13 Nov | 12 Nov |
| 2023 | 10 Nov | 13 days later | 17 Nov | 5 Nov |
| 2022 | 10 Nov | 13 days later | 14 Nov | 4 Nov |
| 2021 | 4 Nov | 7 days later | 9 Nov | 29 Oct |
| 2020 | 7 Nov | 10 days later | 12 Nov | 2 Nov |
| 2019 | 5 Nov | 8 days later | 14 Nov | 29 Oct |
| 2018 | 9 Nov | 12 days later | 13 Nov | 10 Nov |
| 2017 | 2 Nov | 5 days later | 5 Nov | 31 Oct |
| 2016 | 9 Nov | 12 days later |
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
- Yama-momiji maple
- Where in 2025
- In the observatory grounds
- Records since
- 1953
- Earliest red
- 26 Sep 1963
- Latest red
- 11 Nov 2024
This is a city date. The JMA's date is for this one tree in Sapporo. It is not a date for the mountains, valleys or famous gardens around the city.
Other cities in Hokkaido
Average dates for every city in Hokkaido with a JMA maple record.
| City | Maple turns red | Maple leaves fall | Red in 2025 | Ginkgo turns yellow |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kushiro釧路 | 16 Oct (turns yellow) | 24 Oct | ||
| Obihiro帯広 | 20 Oct | 29 Oct | 29 Oct (9 days later) | 28 Oct |
| Asahikawa旭川 | 23 Oct | 2 Nov | 22 Oct (1 day earlier) | |
| Sapporo札幌 | 28 Oct | 5 Nov | 6 Nov (9 days later) | 4 Nov |
| Hakodate函館 | 2 Nov | 13 Nov | 6 Nov (4 days later) | 2 Nov |
| Muroran室蘭 | 7 Nov | 14 Nov | 14 Nov (7 days later) |
Frequently asked questions
When do the leaves turn red in Sapporo?
The JMA's sample maple in Sapporo turns red around 28 October in an average year (1991–2020) and about 80% of its leaves have fallen by 5 November. In 2025 it turned red on 6 November, 9 days later than average.
When is the best time to see autumn leaves in Sapporo?
By the JMA's records, in an average year the sample maple in Sapporo turns red around 28 October and has lost about 80% of its leaves by 5 November. 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 Sapporo?
Around 4 November in an average year, with about 80% of the leaves down by 11 November. In 2025 the sample ginkgo turned yellow on 7 November, 3 days later than average.
What are the earliest and latest dates the maple has turned red in Sapporo?
The earliest was 26 Sep 1963 and the latest 11 Nov 2024, in records that start in 1953.
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