Autumn in Kyoto

Kyoto in autumn is one of Japan's most celebrated seasonal spectacles, when the maple trees that surround temples and line river valleys turn from green to gold, orange, and crimson. Tatsuo Kawashima's [oban](/glossary/oban) woodblock print captures this annual transformation, likely depicting one of the city's famous autumn sites: Tofuku-ji, Arashiyama, or the grounds of Kiyomizu-dera. The momiji, or Japanese maple, produces foliage in an extraordinary range of reds, from pale coral to deep burgundy, and the woodblock printer would have used multiple blocks to achieve this spectrum. Kawashima's sustained focus on Kyoto's seasons reflects a deep familiarity with the city's landscape, where centuries of intentional planting have created autumn displays that peak at different times across the city, extending the viewing season from late October through early December.