Kids may have gone back to school by September, but it can still be hot and feel like summer, especially in lower latitudes.

What has been dubbed Silver Week (as opposed to Golden Week in late April & early May) is a busy holiday week with a couple of national holidays in mid- to late-September. Many take days off work at this time to make a lengthy holiday week that can create travel congestion throughout the country.

The highlight of autumn is undoubtedly the fall colours, which sweep down the country from Hokkaidō, starting in late Sept. This is a great time to visit Japan.

It’s also sports time - a national holiday called Sports Day (2nd Mon in Oct) commemorates the opening of the 1964 Summer Olympics in Tōkyō.

Sports highlights in October include the Formula 1 Japanese Grand Prix at the Suzuka Circuit in Mie Prefecture, the ATP500 Japan Tennis Open in Tokyo, and the baseball season culminates in the Japan Series late in the month.