With the onset of 秋 (aki, autumn), there is a silver lining to the chilly days and nights: the crimson and golden hues of Japan’s fall foliage. This is called 紅葉 (kōyō) in Japanese. 秋が来たら、どうしても紅葉を見たくなる (Aki ga kitara, dōshite mo kōyō o mitakunaru, When fall comes, I want to see the autumn leaves no matter what).

Japan’s fall colors lead into a whole world of rich 文化 (bunka, culture), historic 習慣 (shūkan, customs) and unique 言葉 (kotoba, words/language). A little bit of Japanese goes a long way in being able to make the most out of 紅葉の季節 (kōyō no kisetsu, the season of fall foliage) — so what is the best way to talk about it all in Japanese?

The very word 紅葉, unfortunately, is more complicated than it seems. While it can be read kōyō, referring to fall leaves in general, it can also be read momiji, meaning “maple trees.” With their vivid red hues, 紅葉 (momiji, not kōyō), which turn in November and December, are perhaps the most iconic fall tree in Japan.

だが、紅葉以外にも様々な紅葉が美しい木がある (Da ga, momiji igai nimo sama-zamana kōyō ga utsukushii ki ga aru, However, there are various beautiful autumn trees besides maples). While all the leaves start off 緑色 (midori-iro, green), the most common hues are 赤 (aka, red), 黄色 (ki’iro, yellow), オレンジ色 (orenji-iro, orange) and 褐色 (kasshoku, [reddish] brown). Some other major 赤い紅葉の木 (akai kōyō no ki, red fall foliage trees) options include the furiously deep red ニシキギ (nishikigi, burning bush), which turns in late October and early November, and the delicate spade-shaped leaves of the ナンキンハゼ (nankinhaze, Chinese tallow) in November.

Fans of 黄色 need only look for the イチョウ (ichō, gingko), a widely popular tree that turns bright yellow, with the minor downside of stinky nuts littering the streets. The delightful ヒュウガミズキ (hyūgamizuki, buttercup witch hazel) also turns soft, calming shades of yellow and gold in November and December. If you have a preference for オレンジ, or, more precisely, 黄橙色 (ōtōshoku/kidaidai’iro, a yellow-ish orange), simply stumble across the ubiquitous ケヤキの木 (keyakinoki, Zelkova), which displays a whole spectrum of reds, oranges and yellows in the first half of November.

For an off-the-beaten-track option, 紅葉 fanatics can seek out 柏葉紫陽花 (kashiwaba-ajisai, oak leaf hydrangea). While hydrangea are more beloved for their summer flowers, this variety’s leaves actually turn 紫色 (murasaki-iro, purple) in late fall and early winter. For a basic conversation-starter, nothing is more impressive than responding to 何の紅葉の木が一番好きですか？ (Nan no kōyō no ki ga ichiban suki desu ka?, Which fall tree is your favorite?) with the rebellious 柏葉紫陽花.

Japan’s unique climatic conditions give rise to a particularly spectacular show of autumn colors. Fall leaves require 落葉性の木 (rakuyōsei no ki, deciduous trees), and emerge due to three main conditions: 気温 (kion, temperature), 日照時間 (nisshō jikan, daylight hours) and 温度 (ondo, humidity).

One key grammar point to understanding the science of fall colors is the conditional construction, verb + と (to). It implies that once X happens, Y happens as a direct result: Xがすると、Yになる (X ga suru to, Y ni naru, When you do X, Y happens). For example, 昼夜の気温差が１５度あると、紅葉が美しくなる (chūya no kion-sa ga jyūgo-do aru to, kōyō ga utsukushikunaru, when there is a day and night temperature difference of 15 degrees [Celsius], the autumn leaves become more beautiful). In addition, 日照時間が多いと、紅葉の色が綺麗だ (nissho jikan ga ōi to, kōyō no iro ga kirei da, when there is more sunlight hours, the fall colors are prettier). And lastly, 雨が降らずに乾燥しすぎてしまうと、葉が枯れる (ame ga furazu ni kansō shisugite shimau to, ha ga kareru, when it doesn’t rain and becomes too dry, the leaves wither).

The 文化 and 習慣 of celebrating fall leaves have origins deep in Japanese history. 家族や友達と一緒に紅葉を見に行く習慣は、奈良時代で始まった (Kazoku ya tomodachi to isshō ni kōyō o mi ni iku shūkan wa, Nara jidai de hajimatta, The custom of going to see fall colors with family and friends began in the Nara Period [710-94]). 貴族 (Kizoku, Nobility) would go to the mountains to observe fall colors and compose music and poems about them. この貴族の習慣が一般人に移ったのは、江戸時代だ (Kono kizoku no shūkan ga ippanjin ni utsutta no wa, Edo jidai da, This custom transferred to ordinary people in the Edo Period [1603-1867]).

Autumn leaves’ storied place in Japanese culture has resulted in unique vocabulary geared around the fall foliage. Some of these include, 谿紅葉 (tanimomiji, lit. valley fall leaves), which refers to the landscape of a river valley with colored leaves, 紅葉筵 (momijimushiro, lit. fall leaf mat), a scene where fall leaves cover the ground, and 照紅葉 (terimomiji, lit. shining fall leaves), a situation in which the autumn colors shine in the direct sunlight. 紅葉 vocabulary has even entered the culinary world with terms such as 紅葉おろし (momiji oroshi), grated daikon with dried red pepper and carrot.

山 (Yama, Mountains) and 国立公園 (kokuritsu kōen, national parks) are especially renowned for their autumn scenery. Some of the most famous locations for unforgettable fall colors include: 9月の北海道の山大雪山国立公園 (Ku-gatsu no Hokkaidō no Daisetsuzan kokuritsu kōen, Hokkaido’s Daisetsuzan National Park in September), 10月の岩手県の八幡平 (jū-gatsu no Iwate-ken no Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture’s Hachimantai in October), 11月と12月の東京の六義園と京都の東福寺 (jyūichi-gatsu to jyūni-gatsu no Tōkyō no Rikugien to Kyōto no Tofukuji, Tokyo’s Rikugien and Kyoto’s Tofukuji in November and December). As for myself, 紅葉の季節になると、必ず六義園に行きます (kōyō no kisetsu ni naru to, kanarazu Rikugien ni ikimasu, I’m definitely going to Rikugien when it’s time for fall colors).

The beauty of 紅葉 has also been enshrined in historic poems. Take this poem composed by Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), who later became Tenjin, the Shinto god of academics and the arts. It remains one of the most famed poems in Japanese history:

このたびは

幣も取りあへず

手向山紅葉の錦

神のまにまに

Kono tabi wa

nusa mo toriahezu

tamukeyama momiji no nishiki

kami no mani-mani

In my haste, I failed to prepare,

an offering for these travels.

Gods, if it be your will, please accept,

a brocade of Mount Tamuke’s autumn leaves