Momijigari

Momiji at Ryōan-ji in Kyoto.

For the Noh and Kabuki plays and film by this name, see Momijigari (play).

Momijigari (紅葉狩^?), from the Japanese momiji (紅葉^?), "red leaves" or "maple tree" and kari (狩り^?), "hunting", is the Japanese tradition of going to visit scenic areas where leaves have turned red in the autumn. It is also called kanpūkai (観楓会^?).^[1] in Hokkaidō^[2]

Many Japanese people take part in this, with the cities of Nikkō and Kyoto being particularly famous destinations. The tradition is said to have originated in the Heian era as a cultured pursuit, and is the reason why many deciduous trees can be found in the Kyoto area.

There is also a tradition of going to see areas where grasses change colour, such as on the Oze plain.

See also

• Leaf peeping
• Hanami

References

• This article incorporates text translated from the corresponding Japanese Wikipedia article as of November 28, 2006.

External links

• "Momijigari", Japanese events calendar

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