At the northeastern edge of Kyoto, where the Eizan Railway (叡山電鉄) comes to its final stop, Yase Maple Path or Yase Momiji no Komichi 八瀬もみじの小径 unfolds beside a mountain stream at the base of Mount Hiei (比叡山). Unlike many of Kyoto’s temples and palace gardens, where autumn colour often comes with an entrance fee, this winding loop path of around 300m in length and 3,700m² in area is completely free to walk, lined with Japanese maples that turn brilliant shades of red and orange at peak autumn colours. Visit as the afternoon fades into golden hour, and the warm rays of sunset filters through the canopy, turning the entire path into something close to magic. Short as it is, Yase Maple Path rewards a slow, unhurried visit — especially as the sun begins to set.

1. Look Up and Out at Yase-Hieizanguchi Station

We arrived at Yase-Hieizanguchi Station (八瀬比叡山口駅), the final stop on the Eizan Main Line (叡山本線) after a morning of sightseeing at Mount Kurama (鞍馬山). Opened in 1925, the station’s wooden hall was instantly striking — a soaring roof supported by a lattice of dark green trusses, with 3 platforms connected at their ends to form one continuous, open space beneath it.

Sunlight poured in through the far end, where the covered platform gave way to open sky and a glimpse of Japanese maples waiting just beyond the gates. It was a quiet, charming terminus, a world away from the bustle of central Kyoto, and it set an immediate tone of calm before we stepped out towards our destination.

2. Meander Along Takano River Where Maples Meet Their Reflections

Just beside the station, we found ourselves momentarily distracted by Takano River (高野川) running alongside the path, where Japanese maples leaned out over the water from both banks, their red and orange leaves doubled in the water below.

At peak autumn colours, the reflections were clearly visible in the still pools along the canal where Takano River ran through. A short walk alongside it rewarded the lingering as the light shifted the view from one moment to the next, intensifying the autumn hues in the calmly flowing water.

3. Watch Autumn Unfold from the Station to Yase Maple Path

From Yase-Hieizanguchi Station, the approach alongside Takano River was unassuming with no long walk or climb required. Even before reaching Yase Maple Path itself, maple trees were already visible along the way, caught at every stage of their autumn transition — some still turning from green to yellow, others deepening from yellow into orange, and a few already fully red.

The yellow-to-orange trees were particularly striking, their leaves holding a warm, in-between glow that felt just as photogenic as the fully turned red ones further along.

It was part of what made Yase Maple Path such an easy, low-effort stop for us in our itinerary: no hiking boots needed, just a short stroll from the railway station and some stairs climbing upwards, with colour revealing itself at every step.

4. Wade across the Wooden Bridge

To enter the Yase Maple Path, we walked across a wooden bridge over Takano River that is open to both pedestrians and the occasional passing vehicle. A family of ducks paddled lazily beneath it during our visit, drifting between the reflections of red and orange leaves on the water’s surface.

The bridge offered a slightly elevated vantage point over the river, framing the maples on either side — a natural pause point to stand still for a moment, watch the ducks below, and take in the colour from a different angle before continuing on.

5. Frame Mount Hiei Cable Car Yase Station’s Cinematic, Retro Charm

Yase Maple Path sits right beside Yase Station (八瀬駅) , the base of the Eizan Cable Car (叡山ケーブル) leading up Mount Hiei (比叡山). The moment that station came into view, we felt like we were entering into a Hayao Miyazaki anime. Think Spirited Away. A retro signboard reading “Mt. Hiei Cable Car, Yase Station” sat beneath a canopy of maples blazing red overhead, its faded lettering and timeworn frame looking plucked straight from a Studio Ghibli backdrop. Green steel trusses, weathered wood paneling, and a scatter of travelers waiting by the entrance only added to the illusion, as if the scene had been storyboarded rather than simply found.

Even if we were not continuing up the mountain, the cable car station added a cinematic charm to the scene — a reminder that this peaceful maple path has long served as a gateway for travellers heading toward Enryaku-ji (延暦寺) and the mountain’s summit. This station is where the Eizan Cable begins its climb. It is Japan’s steepest cable car route, ascending 561 metres toward the midway point of Mount Hiei in about 9 minutes.

6. Immerse in Peak Autumn Colours Along the Circular Path

At the heart of the route, the Yase Maple Path looped into a small circular stretch, fully enclosed by red, orange, and yellow maples at the height of the autumn season. The entire loop measures just 300m in circumference, covering roughly 3,700m² in area — small enough to walk in about 5 mins, yet dense enough with tall Japanese maple trees that it felt far larger once we were inside it. We lingered far longer, maybe even way too long.

Walking this loop at peak autumn colours felt immersive — reds, oranges and yellows overhead, underfoot, over the sides of the hills, and reflected in the water alongside you, with barely a building in sight to break the illusion.

Every few steps revealed a slightly different composition: a single branch heavy with deep crimson leaves catching the light, a cluster of maples still clinging to gold and amber, a carpet of fallen leaves scattered across the stone path underfoot.

Benches were tucked along the route too, inviting a slower pace for those who’d rather sit and take it all in rather than keep walking. It was the most concentrated, photogenic stretch of the entire path, and easily where most visitors chose to linger longest.

7. Watch Golden Hour Settle Over the Maples Grove

As the afternoon faded, the light along Yase Maple Path turned rich and golden, filtering low through the canopies of red, orange, and yellow Japanese maples overhead.

Every leaf seemed alit from within as the sun passed through it, the entire canopy blazing in a shifting wash of amber and crimson. It was a dramatic shift from the flatter light of midday. Shadows stretched long across the path, colours deepened and intensified, and the whole scene took on an almost theatrical quality, as if the maples had been lit deliberately for this exact moment.

Visitors gathered with cameras raised, chasing the light as it moved, and the path hummed with excitement rather than silence. Everyone was caught in the same spell, watching the canopy burned brighter by the minute as the sun dipped lower and the path slowly darkened.

8. Stand Before the Old Radio Tower and the Heiansento Monument

Near the end of the winding path stood 2 quiet reminders of the area’s deeper history.

The Monument to the 1,100th Anniversary of Heian-kyo (平安遷都千百年記念橖) was part of a project that begun in 1895 to help revitalize Kyoto’s spirit after the capital moved to Tokyo and the city lost its status as the imperial seat. Rising 18.48m and marking the success of the celebrations held for 1,100th anniversary of the founding of Heian-kyo (平安京), it originally stood on the north side of the Heian Shrine before being relocated to its current location at Yase in 1929.

The old radio tower (ラジオ塔), erected in 1939, still bore the faded letters “JOOK” — the call sign of NHK’s Kyoto station — on one of its 4 sides. It was one of dozens of public radio towers built across Japan in the 1930s and early 1940s where locals could gather to listen to broadcasts communally, long before home radios became commonplace. Unlike most of its counterparts, which stood in urban parks for morning exercises, this one was built on a steep slope near the cable car station, at the edge of what was now a quiet autumn-viewing spot rather than a gathering place.

Framed against the surrounding autumn colour, both landmarks feel like quiet, often-overlooked pieces of Kyoto’s history — easy to walk past, but worth a moment’s pause for what they represent.

pling thinks…for a path barely 300m around, Yase Maple Path packs in a surprising amount to love. From the Mount Hiei Cable Car Yase Station’s retro charm and quiet pieces of Kyoto’s history tucked along the way, to the tall Japanese maples along the circular loop blazing in peak autumn colours, it’s a small space that somehow feels enclosed in magical charm. And then there’s golden hour — the moment the entire path seems to catch fire, every leaf alit, every visitor reaching for their cameras. It’s free, it’s easy, and it’s dramatic and raw in a way that few of Kyoto’s paid attractions manage to be. If you only have time for one stop beyond the city’s famous temples this autumn, let it be this one.

How to get to Yase Maple Path or Yase Momiji no Komichi

Japan, 〒606-0067 Kyoto, Sakyo Ward, Kamitakano Higashiyama, 電纜八瀨

Open Daily

Free Admission

From Kyoto Station:
1) Take City Bus 206 from Kyoto Station bus terminal
2) Ride for 21 stops and alight at Eiden Mototanaka (叡電元田中)
3) Cross the road and walk for 2 mins to the Mototanaka Station (元田中駅)
4) Take the Eizan Main Line (叡山本線) for 6 stops towards Yase-Hieizanguchi Station (八瀬比叡山口駅). This is a scenic ride for some parts where the maples line up like an autumn colours tunnel and the train slows down slightly, so don’t miss the sight outside the train windows.
5) Alight at final stop at Yase-Hieizanguchi Station and walk for about 5 mins along the Takano River to Yase Maple Path.

1) Take City Bus 205 from Kyoto Station bus terminal
2) Ride for 13 stops and alight at Aoibashi Nishizume (青い橋西詰)
3) Cross 2 bridges over both Kamo and Takano Rivers, and walk for 6 mins to the Demachiyanagi Station (出町柳駅)
4) Take the Eizan Main Line (叡山本線) for 7 stops towards Yase-Hieizanguchi Station (八瀬比叡山口駅). This is a scenic ride for some parts where the maples line up like an autumn colours tunnel and the train slows down slightly, so don’t miss the sight outside the train windows.
5) Alight at final stop at Yase-Hieizanguchi Station and walk for about 5 mins along the Takano River to Yase Maple Path.