Water is Nikko's other great attraction. The mountains that rise above the shrines catch rain and snow, and the rivers and lakes that result tumble off lava cliffs in a series of waterfalls that are as famous as the shrines to anyone who loves the outdoors. Three of them are counted as the great falls of Nikko, and a fourth, Yudaki, is the gateway to the best highland walk in the area. This guide ties them together, with advice on how to see them without wasting a day on buses.
Kirifuri Falls: the easy one
The nearest of the great three to the town, Kirifuri drops about seventy-five metres in two tiers. It is a short bus ride from the stations followed by a walk of around fifteen minutes on a path with steps. The name means Falling Mist, and the spray often drifts across the slope in a haze. It is a good first waterfall, a good rainy-day outing and a good use of an hour on arrival or departure day. Autumn colour around the viewing deck is the highlight.
Kegon Falls: the famous one
Kegon is the one in the photographs, a single plunge of about ninety-seven metres from the outflow of Lake Chuzenji. A free viewing area near the top gives a first look, and a paid lift takes you down to a platform at the base for the full effect. It is most dramatic after rain and in the morning, before the tour buses arrive. In January and February the falls partly freeze into blue and white ice, which draws a different, hardier crowd. The bus from either station takes about forty minutes, so most people combine Kegon with a walk around the lake.
Ryuzu Falls: the long one
Further up the highland, Ryuzu is not a plunge but a cascade, more than two hundred metres long, sliding down a stepped slope and split halfway by a rock into two streams. The name means Dragon Head. An observation deck stands right beside it, and the setting is lovely in May and June, when rhododendrons bloom, and in September and October, when the maples and lindens turn. From the bus stop, it is a short walk. Combine it with a walk along the edge of Senjogahara if you have a good day.
Yudaki Falls: the starting point
At the southern edge of Lake Yunoko, Yudaki drops about seventy metres over a broad rock face about a hundred and ten metres wide. It is the highest-altitude of the four, and the one that feels most remote. A free observation deck sits near the basin. The real prize, though, is the trail that leads from the falls through forest and open marsh toward Senjogahara, an easy walk on level ground that rewards you with open skies and, in autumn, golden grass. Allow three hours or more for the full walk, and check the bus times at the other end before you set off.
Putting a plan together
For a half day, take Kirifuri from town. For a full day in the upper valley, start with Kegon in the morning, move on to Ryuzu and finish with an easy stretch of Senjogahara, taking the bus back before the last departure. For a two-day trip, add a night at Yumoto Onsen on the shore of Lake Yunoko, where the milky sulphur baths soothe tired legs, and walk to Yudaki Falls and Senjogahara the next morning. Hotels near the lake, such as KAI Nikko and the Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel, put you at the start of the day with no bus.
Seasons and safety
Colour comes first to the high ground, from late September, and moves down the mountain through October, so choose Yunoko and Ryuzu earlier and Kirifuri later. Spring and early summer bring flowers and full water. Winter brings ice and the risk of closed roads, so check conditions and carry traction on your shoes. The Irohazaka road needs winter tyres or chains in snow, and bus timetables to the highland are reduced in the cold months. Wear waterproofs, because spray and mist are constant companions, and avoid climbing on wet rocks near the falls.
Buses and passes
All of these places are reached by bus from the two Nikko stations, with journeys ranging from ten minutes to Kirifuri to about an hour and a half to Lake Yunoko. A regional pass that covers the upper-valley buses usually pays for itself if you visit more than two falls. Buses are infrequent late in the day, so start early and write down the last return before you leave each stop.
