Beppu sää — marraskuu

November is autumn-leaf season in northern Kyushu, and the Fukuoka forum's whole answer is about altitude rather than date. The high ground turns first - Unzen's Nita Pass and Mt Tsurumi above Beppu, at around 1,300m, peak in early November - while the plains run two or three weeks later, so the city itself starts from about mid-November, with Raizan Sennyoji in Itoshima usually around the 15th to 20th. A cold year brings it all forward. And it does not end with the month: once the mountains are bare, the city streets and parks hold their ginkgo yellow into mid-December. The record: 18.8C days, 11C nights, 7.9 precipitation days, only 7.6 hours of sun in a 10.4-hour day, AQI 48.

Japan's forum rates April as one of the best months nationwide, and Beppu's own posters add a useful altitude note: up at Mt. Tsurumi (1,300m), overlooking the city, temperatures can run a full 10C colder than down in Beppu itself, with cherry blossoms arriving later there than at sea level. Down in the city, sunny days warm up nicely into the mid-20s C, but a light jacket is worth having for cooler mornings, evenings and the occasional spring rain shower. It's a genuinely pleasant month, just don't assume the summit will match the city's forecast.

Forum posters planning Kyushu autumn trips describe October as a comfortable, mild shoulder month for exploring Beppu's onsen district, with proper autumn foliage only starting to appear at higher elevations (around 1,000m) in the final week of October or early November - lower-lying Beppu itself stays greener longer. Posters recommend a one-day bus pass to work through the town's seven signature 'hells' (the tourist onsen viewing ponds, including the striking red 'Bloody Hell Pond'), noting five sit within walking distance of each other while two require the bus. Reviews are mixed on the wider town's upkeep, but the onsen sightseeing itself is consistently rated as worthwhile in October's mild, comfortable conditions.