Nasu Travel Virtual Tours Simple travel guide to things to do, eat, and see in Nasu, Japan

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Let’s enjoy Nasu with Kaori! The autumn leaves in Nasu Highlands are very beautiful. Let’s go out and enjoy this seasonal scenery.

Enjoy Autumn Foliage

紅葉シーズンの那須高原・大丸温泉付近
In Nasu Highlands, you can enjoy autumn leaves for a long time. The colors slowly move from the mountaintop down to the foot of the mountain.
The area around Mt. Chausu is very popular. On autumn weekends, many people come to see the leaves, so traffic jams are common. If you walk instead, you can enjoy the views along the road.
In this article, Kaori introduces her favorite walking route to see the autumn colors, from the Daimaru Onsen parking area to the Nasu Ropeway station.
▼ Virtual View (Surroundings)

You can see the area around the Chausu-dake Ropeway and the autumn leaves with Google Street View.

▼ Kaori's Report

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On autumn weekends, the road is crowded with cars that go to see the autumn leaves.
This photo shows the intersection near the Daimaru Onsen parking lot.
From here, it may take about 40 minutes by car to reach the ropeway station because of the traffic jam.
Cars parked on the roadside make the congestion even worse.
In this case, it is better to park at the Daimaru Onsen parking lot and walk.
Even if you walk, it takes only about 15 minutes to reach the ropeway station.

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I also decide to walk.
My goal is not only to ride the ropeway. Just walking along this road is a very good way to enjoy the autumn leaves.
The road that crosses this path also looks very crowded with cars.
In this situation, walking is much faster.

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Along the way, you can see and feel many signs of autumn.
It feels like an easy hiking course.

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Wow, so beautiful!
It is amazing that green leaves can change into such vivid colors.

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Around the ropeway station, the autumn leaves look very beautiful.


(Kaori’s Highlights)

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During the autumn leaves season, Nasu Highlands has a calm and quiet atmosphere that is very attractive.
Unlike the “cherry blossom front,” which moves from south to north, the autumn colors start in the north and move south.
Autumn leaves are also different from cherry blossoms because they do not bloom and fall quickly. The leaves slowly change color, so you can enjoy them for a longer time.
In Nasu Highlands, the leaves near the summit of Mt. Chausu start to turn red and yellow in late September. The colors then move down and reach the red pine forest area along Nasu Highway around mid-November.
During this period, people who live in Nasu can watch the colors slowly move down the mountain day by day.
It is a very nice seasonal change to see.

[How to Avoid Traffic Jams During the Autumn Leaves Season]

Because Nasu Highlands has many different elevations, the period for enjoying autumn leaves is quite long.
However, if you want to enjoy the colors around Mt. Chausu, the situation is different.
To see the time when many trees on the slope change color at once, you need to visit in early October, during a short peak season.
Many people think the same way, so heavy traffic is almost unavoidable.
With a little planning, you can still avoid the worst traffic.
The main point is to avoid driving on “Nasu Kaido,” the main road that goes from Nasu IC on the Tohoku Expressway directly toward Mt. Chausu.
Please use other routes, avoid the congestion, and enjoy autumn in Nasu with less stress.

▼ Video Information (YouTube)


You can also see the atmosphere of Nasu Highlands in the autumn leaves season in this video.

▼ Map


You can check the location around the Nasu Ropeway Sanroku Station on the map below.

▼ Season's Menu
▼ Pick Up Menu (Related)