Hello folks:
I am visiting Tokyo, Kyoto, and Kyushu in late Nov - early Dec. This is going to be my seventh personal trip and third group trip in Japan. I will be in Kyoto slightly after foliage peaks, which means that it's still going to be super busy there. I see that some hotels have raised prices because of foliage, while others will likely do so later on. I made my reservations just now and highly recommend folks planning a trip to Kyoto in Nov/Dec to do the same ASAP. Some of the highly regarded and yet reasonably priced options are already fully booked. I was not looking for lux options, FYI. Enjoy and happy travels!