KYOTO -- Passersby in Katsurazaka New Town in this city's Nishikyo Ward are delighting in the annual blazing autumn hues provided by the area's copious sweet gum trees.

       Sweet gum are a deciduous tree species native to North and Central America. Their five-toothed leaves are about 15 centimeters across and resemble maple leaves. The leaves show particularly pronounced gradation, because how their colors change from green to orange, red and other hues depends on individual trees.

       Some 360 sweet gum trees stand on both sides of an about 2-kilometer-long circular road in Katsurazaka New Town. A neighborhood resident said the leaves' colors began changing in late October, slightly earlier than usual. The autumn colors' beautiful scenery can be taken in from a nearby hill.

       A 52-year-old man living nearby said: "Every year when I see the colorful tree-lined streets, I feel autumn's arrival. I want people to enjoy the scenery while sticking to the rules and avoiding dangerous behavior like stepping into the road."

       (Japanese original by Kazuki Yamazaki, Osaka Photo Department)

       In Photos: Kyoto streets glow with sweet gum leaves' autumn hues

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