The fluffy kochia in the Country Garden at Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park (国営滝野すずらん丘陵公園) in Minami Ward, Sapporo, have turned red and reached their best viewing time. The Takino Autumn Leaves Festival (たきの紅葉まつり) is also under way through Tuesday, November 10, and a free in-park shuttle bus will run on two Sundays in October.
Kochia at Their Autumn Color Best
Photographed October 11, 2026
The kochia in the lower section of the Country Garden are turning red. Cold mornings and evenings over the past few days have deepened the color day by day, and the plants have reached their best viewing time. The autumn color is expected to last until around the fourth week of October.
Kochia is usually pictured in a vivid red autumn color, but some varieties do not change color. This year again, the non-coloring variety "White" is planted alongside the others, so visitors can also enjoy the color contrast of the three varieties and the garden design.
Kochia Information for Fiscal Year 2026 (Reiwa 8)
- Best viewing: Autumn color from mid-October to late October. The kochia are scheduled to be pulled out starting Monday, November 2.
- Varieties and number of plants: 3 varieties, approximately 4,300 plants in total
- Rouge: approximately 2,200 plants
- Takino Fire Egg (滝野ファイヤーエッグ, an original Takino variety): approximately 1,000 plants
- White: approximately 1,100 plants
- Location: Lower section of the Country Garden "Hana no Makiba" (花のまきば) (Central Zone)
Latest status: Latest kochia autumn color status
Takino Autumn Leaves Festival 2026 Runs Through November 10
Autumn leaves around Park Bridge (Stream Zone), photographed October 11, 2026
Autumn leaves around the Central Entrance (Central Zone), photographed October 11, 2026
The Takino Autumn Leaves Festival 2026 is being held to coincide with the autumn leaf season. As of Tuesday, October 13, the leaves are partly at their best, with color advancing especially in the Stream Zone and around the Central Entrance.
- Dates: October 3 (Sat) to November 10 (Tue)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Venue: Throughout the park
Details: Takino Autumn Leaves Festival 2026
A Rainbow Over Ashiribetsu Falls on Clear October Mornings
Ashiribetsu Falls (アシリベツの滝) offers a scene that can be seen only at this time of year. On a clear day in the early morning, just after the park opens, between early and late October, a rainbow can appear over the falls, which were selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls. Many photography enthusiasts visit each year around this time to photograph the falls.
This year's rainbow, photographed October 6, 2026
Conditions for Seeing the Rainbow
- Season: Early to late October
- Time: Around 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM
- Weather: Clear day
The rainbow is a natural phenomenon, so it is not always visible.
About Ashiribetsu Falls
Early summer scenery
Winter scenery (ice fall)
At 26 m high, Ashiribetsu Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in Sapporo and has long drawn sightseers. It splits into the male fall (雄滝) on the right, which drops from the main stream of the Atsubetsu River, and the female fall (雌滝) on the left, which is fed by the Shimizusawa River. The abundant water volume gives the falls a powerful appearance.
Each season brings a different view: powerful spray from snowmelt in spring, a cool spot with shade and the sound of the falls in summer, colorful surrounding trees in autumn, and a huge silvery-white ice fall in winter. The falls were selected as one of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls in April 1990.
- Location: Stream Zone (about a 20-minute walk one way from the Stream Entrance parking lot)
- Height: 26 m
Free In-Park Shuttle Buses on October 18 and 25
To coincide with the autumn leaf season, free in-park shuttle buses will connect the Central Zone with areas of the Takino Forest Zone. Direct service runs to the East Area on Sunday, October 18, and to the West Area on Sunday, October 25.
October 18 (Sun): East Entrance to Takino Forest Zone East Area
Takino Forest Zone East Area, photographed October 20, 2025
The bus runs between the Takino Forest Zone East Area, where autumn leaves are beginning to turn, and the Central Zone, where the kochia are starting to change color.
On the same day, the "Takino Hill Autumn Marche" is held at the Central Entrance, and "Find the Giant Honoki Leaf!" is held in the Takino Forest Zone East Area.
October 25 (Sun): East Entrance to Takino Forest Zone West Area
Mori no Johokan (森の情報館), photographed October 23, 2025
The bus runs at a time when the Takino Forest Zone West Area is at its autumn leaf peak and the kochia can also be enjoyed.
The West Area is also hosting the "Takino History Exhibition" (滝野歴史展), where visitors can learn about Takino's history and try old-fashioned games such as stilts and rubber-band guns, and a plant specimen exhibition titled "Can You Tell the Look-Alikes Apart?" In addition, volunteers of the Takino no Mori Club (滝野の森クラブ) offer the "Osanpo Guide" (おさんぽガイド), guided walks through the forest.
Details: Takino Forest Zone
Recommended Events During the Festival
1. Takino Hill Autumn Marche: Kochia, Sweets, and Autumn Breeze (First Edition)
Held for the first time, this marche is timed for when the fluffy kochia and the trees in the park turn red. Baked goods and bread from Sapporo, coffee, a mobile bookstore, and a mobile toy shop will gather, and live music will also be performed. Visitors can spend a relaxed autumn time under the wide autumn sky, looking at the bright red kochia and autumn leaves and feeling the autumn breeze.
- Dates: October 17 (Sat) and 18 (Sun)
- Hours: 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM
- Venue: Around the Water Plaza (水の広場) at the Central Entrance
- Admission: Free
Participating vendors (in no particular order)
Food & Drink
- MORINOPAN (seasonal spot)
- まだ名前のない喫茶店
- TAKANNA COFFEE
- 十五島BAKEHOUSE (October 18 only)
Fun
- THE BOOK STAND
- ハンズオントーイキンダーリープ (October 17 only)
- Daytime stargazing session (昼間の星空観察会)
- Turn Your Home Into Space?! Let's Make a Mini Planetarium Together! (October 17 only)
- Takino Forest Zone PR booth
Music schedule
| Time | October 17 (Sat) | October 18 (Sun) |
|---|---|---|
| 11:00 AM | Hokkaido University Celtic Music Club Hokkeru (北大ケルト音楽同好会ほっける) | Hokkaido University Celtic Music Club Hokkeru (北大ケルト音楽同好会ほっける) |
| 1:00 PM | 下倉幹人 (タデクイ) | カンジカシクラ (The Hurry's) |
Details: Takino Hill Autumn Marche
2. Takino Autumn Color Hunt Bingo
Visitors stroll through the colorful autumn park and look for colors and natural features on a bingo card. Kochia, cosmos, autumn leaves, waterfalls, and other autumn scenery around the park are all part of the fun.
- Dates: Through November 10 (Tue)
- Bingo card distribution hours: 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM
- Distribution and collection locations:
- Takino Park Information Center (滝野公園案内所) (Stream Zone)
- East Gate (Central Zone)
- Central Entrance Gate (Central Zone)
- Mori no Koryukan (森の交流館) (Forest Zone East Area)
- Admission: Free
- Capacity: None
Details: Takino Autumn Color Hunt Bingo
3. Find the Giant Honoki Leaf!
Visitors search for giant honoki (Japanese bigleaf magnolia) leaves that have fallen in the Takino Forest. Bring a leaf to the reception desk at Mori no Koryukan, and if its length plus width is 60 cm or more, you receive a prize.
- Dates: Through November 10 (Tue)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM
- Venue: Mori no Koryukan (森の交流館)
- Admission: Free
Details: Find the Giant Honoki Leaf!
4. See the Kochia From Above!
The rooftop of the Central Entrance, which is normally closed, is open on limited dates. Visitors can look down on the kochia in autumn color spread out below.
- Dates: October 17 (Sat), 18 (Sun), 24 (Sat), and 25 (Sun)
- Hours: 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM (last entry 1:50 PM)
- Venue: Rooftop of Central Entrance Building A
- Admission: Free to view
Details: See the Kochia From Above!
Summer Season Ends November 10, Winter Season Starts December 23
The summer season runs through November 10 (Tue), and the winter season begins on December 23 (Wed). In winter, the park, filled with flower fields from spring through autumn, turns into a snowy landscape for snow play.
"Takino Snow World" (滝野スノーワールド) can be enjoyed by small children and first-time snow players. Gentle ski slopes, a slope dedicated to tube sledding, snowshoe courses, and other Hokkaido-style snow activities are available in the spacious park. Rental corners, restaurants, and snack corners are also available, so visitors can enjoy winter in Hokkaido without bringing their own gear. Some facilities may not be available depending on snow conditions.
- Open period: December 23 (Wed) to March 31 (Wed)
- Hours: 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM
- Admission: Free (parking fee required separately)
Details: Takino Snow World
Park Information
Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park is Hokkaido's only national government park. It is about 30 minutes by car from central Sapporo and offers flower fields, waterfalls and streams, and forest walks. Tulips, cherry blossoms, and spring wildflowers bloom in spring, sunflowers and blue flowers in summer, and kochia and autumn leaves color the park in autumn. In winter, the park is covered in snow and offers winter activities including a 200 m tube sledding course.
- Address: 247 Takino, Minami Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 005-0862
- Official website: https://www.takinopark.com/
Opening Hours
| Period | Hours |
|---|---|
| April 20* to May 31 | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| June 1 to August 30 | 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM |
| September 1 to November 10 | 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM |
| December 23* to March 31 | 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM |
*If April 19 or December 22 falls on a Sunday, the park opens on that day.
Closed Days
- Spring closure: April 1 to April 19*
- Winter closure: November 11 to December 22*
*If April 19 or December 22 falls on a Sunday, the park opens on that day.
Access
- By car: About 30 to 40 minutes from central Sapporo, or about 30 to 40 minutes from Kitahiroshima IC
- By bus: About 30 minutes from Makomanai Station on the subway by Hokkaido Chuo Bus Takino Line (Route 真106)
