Autumn's feast of colour

The mountains are a blaze of fire colours: it is autumn. Every year KS offers a round up of some of the best spots to see this natural spectacle and this year we focus on Tanzan in Nara while providing plenty of suggestions of other places to go. Tanzan Shrine of Sakurai City of Nara is venerated in Japanese Buddhism, but surprisingly is less well known on the tourist trail.

Tanzan is sometimes known as Danzan or Tonomine Temple and is tucked away in south Nara in the lush green forests at a height of 500 meters. It was a major Buddhist site prior to the anti-Buddhist movement in the Meiji Era, which led to the destruction of many Buddhist temples in Japan. The original temple, a rare 13- storey wooden pagoda, was built in 678. The present pagoda was rebuilt in 1532 in a red lacquer finish.

Tanzan is also famous for the Kemari Matsuri (Kick-ball Festival), which is held twice a year on April 29 and the first or second weekend of November. In this event, people in ancient costumes play a form of football in which they kick a ball made of deerskin to each other. The object of the game, rather than scoring goals, is to keep the ball from touching the ground. This is one of the most distinctive of Japanese festivals.

The best time to see the autumn colours is usually the middle of the month of November but with climate change muck- ing with the seasonal clock, best viewing times may move closer to December.

Kansai's autumnal colour fest

SHIGA
• Koto Sanzan
• Eigen-ji Temple
• Ishiyama-dera Temple

MIE
• Akame 48 Waterfalls

KYOTO
• Arashiyama
• Higashiyama
• Ohara
• Tofuku-ji Temple
• Eikando Hall

NARA
• Tanzan Jinja Shrine
• Nara Park

WAKAYAMA
Koyasan (Mt. Koya)
Dorohaccho

Text & photos: Atmo Nartan