Mid-to-late October · Kegon autumn
Autumn colour arrives earlier than central Nikko because of elevation. Expect congestion on Irohazaka.
Tourism source ↗Lake Chuzenji drops 97 metres at Kegon Falls, one of Nikko’s signature landscapes. A free upper viewpoint looks down from the rim, while a paid elevator descends to a lower observatory facing the fall.
Best time to visit: Oct – Kegon autumn · Jan–Feb – Ice-framed waterfall · May–Aug – Green falls and strong flow
💡 Use the lower elevator observatory for the frontal view; operating status can change in severe weather.
Kegon Falls below Lake ChuzenjiMonth 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%
10°💧 0%
11°💧 3%
11°💧 5%
13°💧 8%
14°💧 23%
15°💧 39%
15°💧 53%
Forecast: Open-Meteo
Packing checklist
- Also useful: Warm windproof layers for the high-elevation viewpoint
Parking
県営華厳の滝第1駐車場
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 Kegon Falls
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: Keep children behind barriers and check elevator accessibility and ice conditions in winter.
Rules
Fire: no fire
Water access: waterfall
Drones: banned
Nearby places
Within 30 km, closest first.
Tochigi
Lake Chuzenji — Chuzenji Onsen Shore
An elevated lake in Oku-Nikko framed by forested slopes and Mount Nantai. The eastern shore offers a manageable starting point for autumn scenery. Typical autumn window: Mid to late October. Lake temperatures can be lower than central Nikko. Allow for Irohazaka traffic and check boat and bus schedules.
1 km away
Tochigi
Irohazaka Winding Roads
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.
1 km away
Tochigi
Shobugahama Campsite
A lakeside campsite on the northern shore of Lake Chuzenji, convenient for Oku-Nikko walks and waterfalls.
4 km away
Tochigi
Ryuzu Falls
A cascading waterfall below Lake Chuzenji whose divided lower stream resembles a dragon’s head. It is among Oku-Nikko’s earliest autumn-colour locations.
6 km away
Tochigi
Senjogahara Marshland
A high moor in Oku-Nikko crossed by boardwalk trails, with broad views toward Mount Nantai and seasonal wetland plants.
7 km away
Tochigi
Kanmangafuchi Abyss
A quiet riverside gorge with a long row of stone Jizo statues, mossy forest and the fast-flowing Daiya River.
8 km away
Tochigi
Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa
A large wooden imperial residence combining Edo, Meiji and Taisho architecture, surrounded by a landscaped garden.
8 km away
Tochigi
Taiyuin Mausoleum
The ornate mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Tokugawa shogun, built in a cedar forest with decorated gates and halls.
9 km away
Sources, photo credits and verification
Place information: Official tourism source · Reviewed 2026-09-26
- 1. 大雨による大増水で滝壺は水煙を上げている。 · User:Nazki rhetorica · Source ↗ · CC BY 3.0
- 2. Kegon Falls - Nikko National Park, Tochigi, Japan. This image was stitched together from 3 photos taken in midwinter. · Daderot · Source ↗ · Public domain
- 3. Kegon Falls below Lake Chuzenji · Christophe Robin · Source ↗ · CC BY-SA 2.0