Akizuki Castle Town Autumn Leaves 2026 Confirmed

秋月城跡の紅葉 — Asakura, Fukuoka (Kyushu)

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Akizuki is a small castle town in the hills east of Fukuoka, known as the Little Kyoto of Chikuzen. Its autumn image is the Kuromon, a black wooden gate salvaged from the castle, framed by about twenty maples that turn deep red from late November into early December. The approach to it, Sugi-no-baba, is a straight avenue famous for cherry blossom in spring and pleasantly empty for most of the autumn.

Background

The Akizuki family held this valley from the 13th century until Toyotomi Hideyoshi removed them in 1587, after which the Kuroda family ruled a branch domain here from 1623. The castle was dismantled after the Meiji Restoration, and the Kuromon, its most substantial survivor, now stands as the gate of Suiyo Shrine. The town was also the site of the Akizuki Rebellion of 1876, one of the samurai uprisings against the new Meiji government.

Getting there

From Amagi Station on the Amagi Railway, an Amagi Kanko bus on the Akizuki line reaches the Hakubutsukan-mae stop in about twenty minutes, leaving a short walk uphill. By car it is about twenty minutes from the Amagi interchange on the Oita Expressway. The single road into the town congests badly on peak weekends.

Tips

• This is a couple of dozen maples around one gate, not a forest — treat it as a half-day stop rather than a destination.
• Public transport is genuinely the better choice at the peak, because the road in backs up and parking is limited.
• Pair it with the Harazuru hot springs on the Chikugo river, twenty minutes away, or with a Fukuoka day trip.
• The town's specialty is kuzu, arrowroot starch, sold as sweets and as thickener in the shops along Sugi-no-baba.

Last verified against the official source: Sat, August 22, 2026