Autumn Foliage Viewing at Kunen-an in Saga Pref. Opens to Public

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The Yomiuri Shimbun

21:00 JST, November 15, 2025

The autumn public viewing period for Kunen-an, a National Place of Scenic Beauty in Kanzaki, Saga Prefecture, began on Saturday.

The site is renowned as a prime spot for autumn foliage. Due to a delay in the foliage coloration caused by factors such as global warming, the viewing period has been extended from 9 days to 16 days until the end of this month. The area accessible to visitors has also been expanded, offering a new perspective on the scenery in response to climate change.

On this clear day, tourists lined up from early morning. After the site opened to the public shortly past 8:00 a.m., visitors enjoyed leisurely strolling through the garden or taking photos. The trees on the grounds were only just beginning to change color.

“I think the leaves turned a much deeper red when I visited as a child, but the contrast between green and red is also beautiful,” said a 21-year-old male university student from Saga.

Kunen-an is the collective name for the villa and gardens developed during the Meiji era (1868-1912) by Saga-born industrialist Itami Bunemon and his son Yataro. The name derives from the 9 years it took to complete the garden.

The approximately 6,800-square-meter garden features around 600 trees of roughly 60 species, including maples and azaleas. While normally closed to the public, the Saga prefectural and Kanzaki city governments and other organizations open it to the public every spring and autumn.