Mid-to-late October · Irohazaka autumn
Colour timing shifts with elevation. Peak weekends can produce long traffic queues, so travel early and allow extra time.
Tourism source ↗Two one-way mountain roads with 48 hairpin curves connect central Nikko with Lake Chuzenji and Oku-Nikko. Akechidaira provides a high viewpoint toward Kegon Falls and the lake, while the road itself becomes one of Nikko’s best-known autumn drives.
💡 Peak-autumn traffic can be extremely slow; use early buses and allow extra time.
Autumn colour on Nikko's Irohazaka roadMonth match · time or weather may differ
Recorded capture month: Oct · Historical photo, not a live view
AUTUMN · Oct
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
Weather for your date
Today shows live hourly weather. Future dates show the best available report.
10°C
Partly cloudy
💧 0% rain chance · wind 3 km/h
Hourly forecast
10°💧 0%
11°💧 0%
11°💧 1%
11°💧 4%
12°💧 5%
14°💧 14%
15°💧 31%
15°💧 47%
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Packing checklist
- Also useful: Warm layer for Akechidaira and Lake Chuzenji
Parking
Akechidaira
NEARBY
· 2 min walk
Vehicle height not verified
Community-mapped nearby parking. Capacity, fees, hours and vehicle limits are not verified; check signs on arrival.
Parking source ↗
Directions to Irohazaka Winding Roads
Leave the start blank to choose your current location in Google Maps. The pin is an approximate landmark; check the entrance and live services in Maps.
A DIFFERENT JAPAN, EVERY MONTH
When to see this place
Typical viewing windows. Weather and bloom dates vary each year; these are not live forecasts.
Suitability
Stroller: Not verified
Nursing room: Not verified
Noise level: moderate
Kids: Repeated sharp curves can cause motion sickness; roadside stopping is unsafe outside designated areas.
Rules
Fire: no fire
Drones: permit required
Sources, photo credits and verification
Place information: Official tourism source · Reviewed 2026-09-26