Distance: 186km; Drive time: 5 hours; Highlights:
- Lake Chuzenji,
- Kegon Falls, Ryuzu Falls & Yudaki Falls,
- Minakami,
- Takuminosato village,
- Kusatsu Onsen.
Route description: Today, you’ll be heading west from Nikko up to Lake Chuzenji along the famous Irohazaka (or ‘Iroha slope’ in English). The elevation difference between Nikko town and Lake Chuzenji is about 400m, so you will be winding your way up for a while. There are said to be 48 turns, although we haven’t confirmed. Keep your eyes out for snow monkeys here.
Once at top, and before coming to the lake, you will find the first of many famous waterfalls in the area. Kegon Falls is located a short walk (500m) from Chuzenji Onsen which is at the eastern end of Lake Chuzenji. Kegon Falls is said to be one of Japan’s most beautiful, so a stop-off here is recommended.
From here, continue along the northern shores of Lake Chuzenji. This is one of Japan’s most famous places for enjoying the autumn colors (‘Koyo’ in Japanese), but be advised that traffic can be heavy on this fairly narrow road on the weekends when ‘koyo season’ is at its peak. For those wishing to do a hike in the area, it is possible to walk around the entire perimeter of the lake, but it is 25km in total so you will need to be fairly fit.
Another nice hike starts at Ryuzu Falls (further along route 120, just north of the lake). From here, there are a number of walking trails through the Senjogahara region. The 5-7 kilometer walk will take you to the very impressive Yudaki Falls, and on further to the small Yunoko pond and Yunoko onsen town. There are a number of nice traditional onsen here and most are open to day-trippers.
When you are ready, continue your drive along route 120. Note that this road is closed for about 4-5 months of the year due to heavy snow, so if you are traveling in winter you will need to take a major detour south and use route 122 from Nikko. At other times of the year, route 120 is a magnificent drive along one of Japan’s highest roads.
Follow scenic 120 for quite some time, before eventually turning off the main road and exploring the smaller local roads that meander their way through several small villages. Our recommended lunch stop for today would be either at Minakami town or Takuminosato village. Minakami has become quite famous over the years as a place for adventure sports. You will find a number of companies operating out of here, so if you are interested in whitewater rafting or abseiling this is probably the spot.
Takuminosato village is a nice little traditional village, where you will find a number of small cafes and restaurants, and it is also possible to learn how to make soba noodles here. You can sign up for a mini-lesson, followed by a nice bowl of soba for lunch. Soba is of course a specialty of the area.
After lunch, continue west along scenic route 55. This road will lead you all the way into the famous onsen town of Kusatsu, where you’ll be sampling some truly authentic onsen. Japan has more hot springs than any other country and Kusatsu is one of the most popular among local Japanese. The centerpiece of the town is the steaming hot water source called ‘Yubatake’. Wander into town in the early evening and soak up all the atmosphere with the locals; who will more often than not, be dressed in ‘yukata’ (casual style kimono) and wearing the traditional ‘geta’ (Japanese sandals).
For more details on Nikko, check this link.
Driving route map: Nikko to Kusatsu
