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1Lake Chuzenji
Japan’s highest large natural lake, 25 km around, at the foot of the sacred volcano Mount Nantai (2,486 m). Walk the eastern shore, take a sightseeing boat, or follow the quiet southern shore path towards the embassy villas.
ℹ️ Sightseeing boats run roughly April–November, around ¥1,000–1,700 depending on route. Allow 1–2 hours.
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2Kegon Falls
The only outlet of Lake Chuzenji plunges 97 metres in a single drop, with smaller cascades seeping from the cliff beside it. A free platform looks down from the top; an elevator descends through the rock to a far better viewing deck near the base.
ℹ️ Elevator about 8:00–17:00 (shorter in winter), around ¥600. 5 minutes’ walk from Chuzenji Onsen bus terminal. Allow 40 minutes.
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3Irohazaka and Akechidaira
Two one-way roads — one up, one down — with 48 hairpins between them, each named after a character of the old Japanese syllabary. Near the top of the uphill road, the Akechidaira ropeway rises in three minutes to a platform with the classic view of falls, lake and Mount Nantai together.
ℹ️ Ropeway roughly 9:00–16:00, around ¥1,000 return; may close in bad weather. Uphill buses stop at Akechidaira.
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4Senjogahara Marsh
A 400-hectare highland marsh where, in legend, the gods of Mount Nantai and Mount Akagi fought. A flat boardwalk trail runs for about 5 km from Ryuzu Falls to Yudaki Falls through grassland, larch and birch — golden in early October.
ℹ️ Free, always open; snow-covered December–April. Allow 2–3 hours one way; buses serve both ends.
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5Ryuzu Falls
The “dragon’s head” falls slide 210 metres down a lava slope and split in two around a rock at the bottom, framed by azaleas in spring and some of the area’s earliest autumn colour.
ℹ️ Free; viewing platform by the tea house at the base. Bus stop: Ryuzu-no-taki. 20–30 minutes.
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6Yudaki Falls and Yumoto Onsen
Yudaki fans 70 metres down a rock face below Lake Yunoko; a path leads up to the lake and on to Yumoto Onsen, a village of ryokan with cloudy, strongly sulphurous water, a free foot bath and a small temple bathhouse.
ℹ️ Free. Yumoto is the last stop on the bus, about 1 hr 20 min from Nikko station. Many ryokan offer day bathing for around ¥1,000.
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7Chuzen-ji Temple (Tachiki Kannon)
A lakeside temple founded by Shodo Shonin, built around a six-metre Kannon statue said to have been carved into a living tree. The upper hall has a fine view across the water.
ℹ️ About 8:00–17:00 (shorter in winter); admission around ¥500. 20 minutes’ walk from the bus terminal.
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8Italian and British Embassy Villa Memorial Parks
Two restored diplomatic summer houses on the wooded south shore, with verandas facing the lake. The Italian villa, clad in patterned cedar bark, is especially handsome.
ℹ️ Open roughly April–November, 9:00–16:00 or 17:00; around ¥300 each. 30–40 minutes’ walk from Chuzenji Onsen, or seasonal bus/boat.
Walking in Oku-Nikko
The marsh and lakeshore paths are easy and well signed. Climbing Mount Nantai is a serious 7–8 hour round trip from Futarasan Chugushi shrine, open roughly May to late October. Carry a bear bell on quieter trails, and check bus times for your return before setting out.
