Autumn colours across Honshu Island, Japan
Every autumn, as temperatures fall and daylight hours shorten across Japan, the country enters its annual kōyō season, when the combination of reduced sunlight and cooler temperatures triggers the transition of tree leaves from green to autumnal reds and browns.
This Copernicus Sentinel-2 image from 17 November 2025 shows widespread autumn foliage across the mountainous interior of Honshu Island. Distinct patches of red and orange vegetation appear along ridges and valleys, while snow-dusted peaks emerge in the higher altitudes in white. To the south-east, the Tokyo metropolitan area stands out in grey against the surrounding forests and agricultural plains.
Copernicus free and open data supports the monitoring of seasonal changes in vegetation, land use, and environmental conditions to inform sustainable planning.
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