2026 Full-Day Course: Autumn Colors at Izumi no Mori (泉の森)

This is a day to fully savor the autumn of a familiar satoyama landscape at Izumi no Mori (泉の森), a nature park spread across Yamato City's water source area. Within the park, different trees change color in turn at different spots: the ginkgo trees near the Yamaton GO bus stop and atop Kurayami-zaka (くらやみ坂), the Japanese maples around the Yatsuhashi Deck (八ッ橋デッキ), Izumi no Taki (泉の滝) waterfall, and the wild-flower garden, and the trident maples on the east side of Shirakashi Pond (しらかしの池). The best viewing period usually runs from mid-November through early December. In most years the ginkgo trees peak in late November and the Japanese maples in early December, so it's worth visiting twice, timed a bit apart, to enjoy both. Admission and parking are both free, and you can enter and leave the park freely. In the morning, visit the Kyodo Minkaen (郷土民家園) within the park to see Edo-period farmhouses, then in the afternoon enjoy a leisurely walk among the autumn colors around the pond and waterside decks, a nearby nature course that's reassuring even with small children in tow.