Kegon Falls
華厳滝36°44′ N 139°30′ EWaterfall¥600, about CAD 5.40 or USD 3.80 (October 2026 rates)
Kegon Falls suits anyone who has made the climb to Lake Chuzenji and wants its signature view in under an hour, and the falls draw such crowds in the autumn leaves that the drive up can take longer than the visit.
Photo Jordy Meow · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Lake Chuzenji empties over a cliff here in a single drop of about 97 m. An elevator takes you down through the rock to a deck that looks straight into the plunge pool, where the roar and the spray hit you together. From January into February the twelve thin falls beside the main one freeze into blue ice.
Buses to Chuzenji Onsen take about 50 minutes from the Nikko stations, and the falls are a five-minute walk from the stop. The prefecture publishes the current flow, and the water can be cut back at night when the level is low.
Worth knowing
- Check the prefecture's flow page before you go if you want the full curtain of water.
Quick answers about Kegon Fallsよくある質問
How much is the Kegon Falls elevator?
The Kegon Falls elevator costs ¥600 return for adults and ¥400 for primary school children, and children under school age ride free.
What are the opening hours of Kegon Falls?
Kegon Falls keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 08:00–17:00.
When is the best time to visit Kegon Falls?
Kegon Falls: January and February, when the twelve small falls beside the main drop freeze blue, and June, when swallows nest on the cliff.
Can you get to Kegon Falls by bike?
The falls sit at the top of the second Irohazaka road, a few minutes from the Chuzenji Onsen bus stop.
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