Japan Solo // Korankei: Best Fall Leaves Viewing Destination

This was a very, very disappointing year for viewing fall leaves. Many of the tress changed leaves at different rates due to the abnormally warm season. I was hoping that Korankei would be different but....well, you can see for yourself below.

Getting to Korankei from Nagoya Station takes around 2 hours. There are a few different ways to get there. I chose to ride the subway to Jyosui Station, then transferred to a bus.

Bus stop to Korankei visible immediately when you exit Jyosui station

The bus is very, very small and it takes about an hour to get to Korankei. Remember to grab a slip of paper when you board the bus so you know how much your fare is. Then when you get off the bus drop your slip along with your fare in the fare box. The ride is quite scenic as you pass through small towns within the mountains and valleys.

 Korankei is actually a pretty famous fall leaves viewing place in Kansai. This was all I could see right after getting off the bus. Why is there still so much green?! *tears silently fall* I didn't just waste a day for this...

Better, but still very different than the images I saw on Google. The air was very fresh though and it was rejuvenating to walk around and take in all the nature. 

As I walked along the path I found this very interesting performance. Didn't quite catch what the performance was all about, but still it's not everyday that you see a monkey dressed like a kid. A few steps further down I saw the Sanshu Asuke Yashiki Village.

I really enjoyed wandering around this village and thought it made my Korankei visit worth it. It's a village that showcases different traditional Japanese skills. The first photo above shows a gentleman weaving thread to create fabric. The oba-chan above is hand tying traditional Japanese straw shoes. I also got to see a wood carpenter that created wooden boxes made to store rice and an umbrella maker. Their handwork is amazing and it's great how they're keeping these traditional skills alive.

Since it was peak fall leaves viewing season, they had many food stands set up, transforming the path that leads to the iconic red bridge and fall leaves into a festival scene. 

This particular street snack kept popping up along the way. I'd never seen it before and could read the Japanese, but didn't quite comprehend the meaning haha. It looked really tasty though and was relatively cheap so I thought I'd buy one and try it out.

It ended up being rice coated in a teriyaki-like sauce and grilled on a stick. Nonetheless, pretty appetizing. And that was my day spent in Korankei! A bit out of the way, but I'm glad I went.