Fall in Love with Fall

Posted on 12/17/2021 Last updated on 02/02/2022

Winter is right around the corner, but there’s still a few days left in fall! It’s widely thought to be one of the best times to be in Japan. Whether you live here now or are planning a future trip, here area few of our favorite fall activities. You can file them away for next year (or try to do them this weekend if you’re feeling spontaneous!)

Drink Up

If you are a coffee lover, you’re probably familiar with the pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks. It’s a favorite abroad and this year it finally became available in Japan.

It combines cinnamon and allspice, the key flavors of the pumpkin spice latte, with Starbuck’s Reserve Coffee Espresso, a unique, high-quality blend roasted onsite at the Tokyo Roastery. Oat milk and a touch of pumpkin puree is added, along with a topping of green pumpkin seed pieces.

This makes for warming beverage with a gentle aroma and spicy sweetness that’s perfect for fall. Make sure you get in on this one before it’s gone and replaced by the next limited-time season specialty!

Take A Trip

If you enjoy travel you should try to visit Nikko in the autumn. We’ve written about it before on MUSUBI and it lives up to its reputation as a must-visit destination.

For ALTs, it’s a place where our students often go to during school trips, and they may excitedly share their experiences with you. Hearing their stories, you might get curious and make your own travel plans. As well you should, because it’s a fantastic place and the fall season is a very good time to visit. There’s plenty more to see elsewhere in Tohoku as well!

Enjoy Kōyō

For those in Tokyo and looking for something closer to home, you can visit Ginkgo Avenue in Kitaaoyama in Minato city one station away from Omote-Sando station and two stations away from Shibuya. Be amazed by the beauty of the yellow trees! Here are some pictures that we took:

Be advised that it can get very crowded during weekends, so try coming during week days. There are a couple restaurants that you can have lunch or tea at while you chill and look at the trees. It is very relaxing and a pleasing experience for the eyes.

These are some of our must-tries during the fall season, but there are many more and we’d love to learn some more! As for these, try them out next year with friends or solo. Until then, get ready for winter and the end of 2021!

Photo Credits:

Top Image: Weiqi Xiong on Unsplash