This article highlights rental offices near each destination for convenience. However, if you’d like to enjoy more time driving through Japan’s beautiful scenery, consider picking up a car at Shin-Osaka Station. As a major Shinkansen hub, it’s centrally located for all three itineraries featured here.

There are many rental car companies in Japan, but we recommend Nippon Rent-a-Car, which offers a 10% discount. Most major firms provide similar vehicle lineups, options, and insurance, with only minor differences in price, but Nippon stands out for being the first to offer nationwide English customer service. Its multilingual support makes it especially convenient for international visitors.

You can book online by selecting your rental dates, vehicle type, and any options, with the estimated cost shown at checkout. Keep in mind that some options may not be changeable or refundable after booking.

Reservations can also be made by phone between 8 AM and 8 PM. If visiting a branch in person, allow extra time to complete the contract and receive explanations about the rental.

Rent a car at Kansai International Airport
Kansai International Airport is another convenient choice, especially for travelers flying in who want to begin their road trip right away. From the airport, it takes about 2 hours to reach Tamba, 2.5 hours to Maizuru, and just 40 minutes to Wakayama.

Tamba is a mountain town located in central Hyogo Prefecture. Culturally rich, the town is home to historic temples and castle ruins that belonged to the Sengoku warlords who once ruled the area.

Starting from JR Kaibara Station, you can easily visit the temples and enjoy the autumn colors of the surrounding mountains.

It takes about 71 minutes from JR Osaka Station to Kashiwara Station via the Kounotori limited express train. Alternatively, if you have time, you can take the Takarazuka Line from JR Osaka Station to Sasayamaguchi Station and then change to the Fukuchiyama Line to Kaibara Station. It takes about 2 hours and there is no express class surcharge.

World Net Rent-A-Car Tamba Sales Office is a convenient 1-minute walk from JR Kaibara Station. Since it’s in front of the station, it is easy to reach even if you have a lot of luggage. The available range of vehicles includes small cars and wagons.

Reservations can be made on their website, which is available in English, Chinese (traditional), and Korean in addition to Japanese.

It takes about 30 minutes to reach Kogenji Temple by car, taking Kitakinki Toyooka Expressway Hikami IC (Interchange) to Aogaki IC.

When you get off the expressway, take Prefectural Road 7 west, and continue on National Road 427 toward Nishiwaki / Taka, about 3 kilometers from Kogenji.

In the fall foliage season, there’s a temporary parking lot set up in addition to the regular parking lot. There are about 200 maples on the temple grounds, including the “Tenmoku Kaede,” which was brought from China by the temple’s founder.

The aged trees line the stone steps leading from the temple’s Somon gate to the Sanmon gate and create a spectacular tunnel of red leaves.

Upon ascending the stone steps and passing through the main gate, you’ll reach the temple where the main Buddhist statue is enshrined. Nearby, pure water flows from a small waterfall into Shinji Pond, which is shaped like a heart, and your enjoyment of the garden’s beautiful autumn leaves will be heightened by the echoing sound of the falls.

Best time for foliage: Mid-late November

Entsuji Temple is about a 15-minute drive from Kogenji Temple. From JR Kashiwara Station, it is about 25 minutes by car. After parking, you’ll climb stone steps with large ponds on either side, to reach the Niomon Gate. Koi swim in the ponds and, with the autumn leaves reflected on the surface of the water, complete a placid scene.

The mountains around Entsuji Temple are also a vivid masterpiece of color. Within the temple grounds, there’s a Suikinkutsu, a type of garden decoration in which water drops fall into an underground pot and the reverberation creates a musical sound. The pleasant tone is relaxing and evokes a sense of the excellent design techniques employed in Japanese gardens.

Best time for foliage: Mid-November

Kosanji Temple is about 10 minutes from Entsuji Temple by car and about 20 minutes from JR Kashiwara Station. There’s a parking lot in front of the main gate. As you pass through the bright vermilion gate, maples grow on both sides of the approach to the temple, and their large branches wrap visitors in a tunnel of red and yellow leaves.

The stone lanterns are lit at nightfall and, in concert with the beautiful autumn leaves, create a fantastic atmosphere. In late autumn, the falling maple leaves are an impressive sight as they carpet the temple path.

Best time for foliage: Mid-late November

How about some paragliding after seeing the fall colors from the road? The Rollout Paraglider School is about a 5-minute drive from the Kitakinki Toyooka Expressway Aogaki IC. It’s an easy-to-reach location and there’s a large parking lot.

Since you can tandem jump with an instructor, even beginners can enjoy the colorful mountain scenery from the air, making it a fun destination for any Osaka road trip! Some employees can speak English and Italian.

Maizuru is located in northern Kyoto Prefecture, on the Sea of Japan coast. Blessed with abundant fishing grounds, you can enjoy fresh fish dishes sourced from local waters.

Since Maizuru is nestled between the mountains and the sea, you’ll experience the amazing combination of the mountains’ fall colors along with the beautiful coastline. Starting from JR Nishi-Maizuru Station, autumn leaves and gourmet food are just a short drive away.

There are two train routes from JR Osaka Station to Maizuru. The first is from JR Osaka Station to Fukuchiyama Station on the Fukuchiyama Line Tandou Rapid, then changing to the Maizuru Line to Nishi-Maizuru, which takes about 3 hours.

The second is from JR Osaka Station to Kyoto Station, transferring to the Sagano Line (which becomes San-In Main Line), and then changing to the Maizuru Line at Ayabe. There are various types of trains depending on the departure time, but the estimated travel time is about 3 hours and 20 minutes.

The Toyota Rent-A-Car Maizuru branch is located just outside the west exit of JR Nishi-Maizuru Station, making it perfect for a road trip from Osaka. Convenient all around, you can rent a car for as few as 3 hours, there are many models available, and a one-way system so you can return the car at another Toyota Rent-A-Car location.

Reservations can be made on their website, which is available in English, Chinese (traditional), Korean, and Thai in addition to Japanese.

About a 30-minute drive from Nishi-Maizuru on National Highway 27, historic Kongoin Temple rests in quiet mountain scenery. Parking is easily found in front of the temple. The site is a beautiful Japanese landscape and is popular with photo enthusiasts who take advantage of the excellent autumn backdrop and Mie Tower, an important cultural property.

The fallen leaves that blanket the temple grounds are gorgeous, and if you go up the stone steps to the main hall, you can enjoy a great hilltop view.

Best time for foliage: Mid-late November

Gorodake is a 301-meter tall mountain located in the center of Maizuru, between Nishi-Maizuru and Higashi-Maizuru. There’s a 50-meter tall observation tower at the summit that offers a 360-degree panoramic view from the observation deck, which is 325 meters above sea level. The panorama has been selected as No. 1 among the Kinki region’s “100 Views.”

Even from the free parking lot, you get an excellent overlook of the autumn colors of Gorodake and Maizuru Bay’s ria coast. The sight of Maizuru Bay at sunset and the fantastic scenery of the sea of clouds seen on cold mornings are exceptional.

Best time for foliage: Early to mid-November

Fukuchiyama Castle, located about 40 minutes by car from JR Nishi-Maizuru Station, was originally constructed around 1579, but the current castle tower was rebuilt in 1986. The castle rests on a small hill, and the view from the watchtower is outstanding. The striking castle is also visible from trains on the JR Fukuchiyama Line, and the picture of the castle and the autumn leaves give a true sense of Japanese aesthetics.

The original stone walls of the castle, built with natural, uncut stones using the Nozurazumi technique, are still standing. The free Yurano Garden parking lot is on the east side of the castle.

Best time for foliage: Mid-late November

At the Road Station Maizuru Port Tore Tore Center, you can eat fresh fish native to Maizuru’s port at a reasonable price. The rest area allows you to select freshly caught seafood to be cooked on the spot and the sushi and seafood bowls come in large portions.

There’s a large parking lot, and the roadside station is only about 10 minutes from JR Nishi-Maizuru Station by car. In addition to Japanese, the website is available in English, Chinese (simplified and traditional), and Korean.

Wakayama is south of Osaka, with readily available nature, hot springs, and world heritage sites away from urban areas. Here’s a one-night, two-day itinerary that starts from JR Wakayama Station to Tanabe City in the southern part of Wakayama Prefecture and on to the spectacular autumn leaves of the esoteric Shingon Buddhist sanctuary Koyasan, founded by Kukai about 1200 years ago.

Access to Wakayama from Osaka

Wakayama City, which borders southern Osaka Prefecture, can be reached in about 70 minutes via limited express train from JR Shin-Osaka Station (which is also a Shinkansen stop) to Wakayama Station.

There are several rental car companies near JR Wakayama Station, but we recommend using the Nippon Rent-A-Car JR Wakayama Station branch. It’s about a 4-minute walk from the station, offers easy access to the national highway, and is convenient for first-time visitors to Wakayama.

Reservations can be made on their website, which is available in English, Chinese (traditional), Korean, and Thai, in addition to Japanese. And if you use the link below, you can get 10% off your rental!

After renting a car, it’s time to hit the road. Start by heading to Tanabe City in southern Wakayama Prefecture. The first leaf viewing site, Kizekkyo Gorge, is about 80 minutes from Wakayama City on the highway.

Kizekkyo Gorge is in the mountains about 15 minutes from central Tanabe City and is dotted with unique rock formations, large and small. The fall leaves around “Takimibashi” are excellent, and there’s a nearby parking area (with space for about 5 cars) equipped with toilets.

In addition to the autumn leaves, the famous Fudo Waterfall at the end of the bridge, Fudo Myodo partially covered by the huge stone behind it, and Magai-san Zondaisekibutsu, which opened in 1966.

Magai-san Zondaisekibutsu is a 16-meter high, 22-meter wide monolithic Buddha carved into the stone by painter Insho Domoto. It’s an impressive sight even when viewed from the prefectural road across the river.

Best time for foliage: Mid-November

About a 45-minute drive east of Kizekkyo Gorge, Fukusada’s Great Ginkgo grows in the precincts of Hosenji Temple. The giant ginkgo tree, thought to be about 400 years old, is about 22 meters high, has a trunk circumference of more than 5 meters, and is designated as a natural monument in Tanabe City.

A parking lot next to Hosenji can accommodate about 10 cars, but it’s often full in fall, and the surrounding roads are narrow, so tourists who are unfamiliar with them should be cautious. When viewed from National Highway No. 311, the large golden ginkgo stands out amidst the green mountains, accentuating its beauty.

Best time for foliage: Mid-late November

From Fukusada’s Great Ginkgo, head north in the mountains toward Mt. Koya. In the latter half of the 2-hour drive, you’ll be able to enjoy the autumn leaves of the “Koya Ryujin Skyline.”

The Koya Ryujin Skyline is a 42.7-kilometer long mountain road. The route connects Mt. Koya and Ryujin Onsen, and the autumn mountains are completely blanketed with colorful leaves.

Best time for foliage: Mid-late November

Your final destination for the first day is Koyasan itself. After checking in at the shukubo – the temple pilgrims’ lodging – take a stroll through the town. Around sunset, you’ll be able to see the illuminated leaves.

Koyasan, registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004, is a Buddhist sanctuary with a history spanning more than 1,200 years and was founded by Kukai. The entire temple mountain is collectively known as Sohonzan Kongobuji Temple.

From the entrance to the temple, there’s a path (Jabara Michi) leading to the original temple construction site (Danjo Garan), where Kukai founded the temple. As you walk the path, you can admire the beautiful autumn leaves that cover it and create a tunnel of color.

There are many other places in Koyasan where you can enjoy the stunning autumn colors. The parking lots in the center of the mountain are often crowded, but there are several parking lots that are free. If you park a little further away and take a stroll, you may be able to see some unexpected scenery.

It takes about 80 minutes from Koyasan to JR Wakayama Station via expressway, and about 90 minutes to Kansai International Airport.

Note: When using Google Maps, Route 1 Nishigo may appear as the fastest way to Koyasan. However, the road is extremely narrow and can be difficult when meeting oncoming traffic. For a safer and smoother drive, we recommend taking National Highway 370 or 480 instead.

Best time for foliage: Late October-early November

The autumn leaves signal a change in climate perfect for exploring the outdoors. While driving through the red and yellow scenery, open the windows and be refreshed by the cool wind on your cheeks.

At the popular leaf viewing spots, there are shops and temporary parking lots, making tourism easy. However, keep in mind that holidays tend to be crowded, so take your time and enjoy a slow pace as you experience the beauty of autumn.