We were looking for some panoramic views, but we only had half a day left before having to go back to Tokyo. We didn't have a car, so it needed to be close. More by coincidence than anything else we discovered a short hiking trail, which isn't marked in any of the regular hiking maps of the area. It's actually very easy to find and offers breath-taking views across Lake Chuzenji, the Kegon Falls and the famous Irohazaka winding road with its 30 jaw-dropping switchbacks.
From the bus terminal at Chuzenji Onsen we headed towards the lake and soon crossed the bridge on the left. This road is the main link between central Nikko and Lake Chuzenji. We carefully walked down on the side of the road, as there was no separate sidewalk. After about 15 minutes or so we reached the long tunnel, which we remembered having gone through when going up the day before. The trail starts right before this tunnel on the left hand side of the road. We saw a few parked cars and, looking up, we could also see the path snaking up the mountain.
The trail is quite steep in the beginning, but when we looked up after only 10 minutes, we knew that it would be more than worth it. What a stunner of a view across the lake and the surrounding mountains! We followed the zig-zagging path to the top of the first hill, which is marked by a tall electricity pole. The trail then continues a little over to the right. In the distance we could see another pole, with photographers gathering around it, setting up their tripods. Some 50-100 meters before reaching this second pole, we crossed another trail, which is signposted Chanokidaira Plateau (茶ノ木平). However, we ignored it and continued straight towards the pole and the photographers. By now it was clear why they were gathering exactly there. A wonderful cherry blossom tree in full bloom turned out to be the perfect complement for pictures of Mt. Nantei, Lake Chuzenji and the snow-covered mountains in the background. We could have stayed there the whole day: the view was just so beautiful.
After that the trail started to decline, and we reached the spot from where the famous serpentine road (First Irohazaka slope) is often photographed in autumn, when the leaves are a multitude of different colors. Looking down the other side we could then also see the parking lot of the Akechidaira ropeway. The trail continues to go up and down a bit, but it didn't take more than another 15 minutes to reach the observatory. In total we spent about 1.5 hours on the entire walk.
The large platform offers more fantastic views, including the stunning Kegon Falls. Trees had slightly obstructed our view before; however, now we could take it all in! We then took the gondola down, a very short but interesting ride. You can certainly also walk down to the bottom of the ropeway, as the trail continues. It would probably take another 20 minutes.
I'm still thinking about what a fantastic discovery this has been. I'm sure there's more, so I'll definitely go back to explore further!
