About Kegon Waterfall (Kegon-no-taki [華厳の滝])
As far as Julie and I were concerned, the Kegon Waterfall (Kegon-no-taki [華厳の滝]; also Kegon Falls) was the star natural attraction of the UNESCO World Heritage-laced town and area of Nikko.
Indeed, much of the attention drawn from tourists tended to go towards the historical attractions within the Nikko town itself such as the Toshogu Shrine, Rinnoji Temple, Taiyuin Mausoleum, etc.
Such structures showcased some well preserved wooden temples (many blinged out with gold plating or trims) and treasures that have earned it UNESCO World Heritage status.
However, just out of town (reachable by the pretty convenient buses accepting the relatively reasonably-priced All Nikko Pass), we were able to diversify our experiences with a visit towards the Chuzenjiko (Lake Chuzenji) and beyond.
Of course, if you self-drove, then you’d have greater control of your time since you wouldn’t be as dependent on bus schedules.
Anyways, this lake sourced the Daiya River (大谷川 or Daiyagawa) into the towering 97m Kegon Waterfall – easily considered one of the top three waterfalls in Japan.
In fact, we also placed it high up on our list of the best waterfalls in Japan.
As for waterfall itself, it consisted of a 97m main plunge followed by extensive cascades and waterfalls further downstream (including the plunging Nehan Waterfall or 涅槃の滝).
So if you counted all the elevation loss that the Daiyagawa River took around the Kegon Falls, then it could very well have a cumulative height upwards of 200m or so.
No matter how you slice and dice it, the Kegon Waterfall was as world class as waterfalls get in Japan, and it certainly deserves the infrastructure letting you experience it in many different ways (which I’ll get into below).
Experiencing the Bottom of Kegon Falls
First, we were able to get nice top down views of the Kegon Waterfall from the free viewing decks, which were just a few minutes walk from the Chuzenji Onsen bus stop (which has a fairly big parking lot for buses as well as cars).
However, we thought it was well worth shelling out the extra yen for an elevator ride that took us down to the lower viewing decks.
From these lower decks, we got a more frontal view of the Kegon Falls as well as the cascades below it as well as some of the gorge geology that gave rise to these waterfalls.
On our first visit back in late May 2009, we showed up in the morning of a sunny day, which yielded nice bold rainbows arcing across the base of the falls really adding a lot of color and vibrance to the experience.
When we peered towards the downstream side of the viewing deck, we noticed that there was also another notable waterfall on the Daiyagawa River called Nehan Waterfall (it’s signposted) as well as a separate cascade feeding the main river.
That other cascade doesn’t have a name, and I’d imagine that there it may have some degree of engineering (i.e. water diversion) in order to reduce erosion to the viewing area we were on.
Speaking of the viewing area, I never recalled there being a shop built within this lower viewing deck in 2009, but it was definitely there as of our 2023 visit.
Moreover, I also noticed basalt columns, which is a very hard kind of lava rock (likely from neighboring Mt Nantai) that is so rigid that it breaks into hexagonal columns when the lava quickly cools by ice and eventually flakes off by erosion.
Given the proximity of the geothermally heated waters of the lakes of Chuzenjiko and Yunoko (both upstream from Kegon Falls), this could also be one of the taller thermal waterfalls in the world!
Finally, there seemed to be a locked-gate path leading over that engineered waterfall towards another waterfall called Shirakumo Waterfall, which we were only made aware of after checking out the observation deck at the Akechidaira Ropeway.
Overall, this elevator and lower deck visit could easily be done within a few minutes (not counting the queueing for the elevator ride) or it could take over an hour.
It all depends on how long you wish to linger here, which may be worth doing given how popular this place has become over the years as tour buses and crowds tend to come in waves (as well as leave in waves).
Experiencing the Panoramic Views encompassing Kegon Falls via Akechidaira Ropeway
For a very different way to experience the Kegon Waterfall, the Akechidaira Ropeway offered a more panoramic perspective.
It’s situated at a car park (and Akechi-daira bus stop) along the twisty switchbacking road between Nikko and Chuzenji Onsen (so you can take a bus here as well as self-drive; see directions below).
From there, you’d take the ropeway (i.e. cable car) up to a viewing deck with a commanding view of Lake Chuzenji feeding the Kegon Falls as well as the neighboring Shirakumo Falls and the commanding presence of Mt Nantai.
Looking in the opposite side of the observation deck, there’s a partial view of the town of Nikko (though most of it is concealed by mountains).
Since the cable car seems to run every 20 minutes during business hours, there’s really no rush to soak in the views and feel the need to rush back to the cable car.
That said, this place can get pretty busy given how accessible and popular it is, and they’re not shy about packing people into the cable car (think maybe 8-10 people per car; maybe more).
Perhaps for the most optimal experience of the Kegon Falls, you’ll really want to be here for the koyo (Fall Colors) in Autumn and time a visit for a sunny morning to also get rainbows to boot!
Authorities
The Kegon Waterfall resides in the Nikko area of the Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It is administered by the Nikko National Park. For information or inquiries about the area as well as current conditions, you can try visiting the Nikko Tourism Association website.
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