West Japan mountain's layered autumn foliage falls into place

KOMONO, Mie -- The autumn leaves have reached their peak beauty on Mount Gozaisho in the town of Komono in west Japan's Mie Prefecture. Visitors to the 1,212-meter high mountain who ride the Gozaisho Ropeway up will be able to marvel at the reds and yellows bringing a touch of vibrancy to the face of the mountain.

Autumn leaves began to show in the area around the mountain's peak from the middle of October, about the same as in a normal year. As the temperature disparity started to get larger, the fall hues on the leaves rose with each passing day, and now the area around the 1,000-meter level is at its peak autumn coloring. When the autumn deepens around late November, the belt of fall leaves gradually travels down from the central part of the mountain down to the 400-meter stage where the Yunoyama Hot Spring is located.

A spokesperson for the Gozaisho Ropeway Inc. said: "We want people to get a sense from the gondolas of the changes in the autumn colors based on differences in altitude."

(Japanese original by Noriyoshi Matsumoto, Yokkaichi Bureau)