Nikko Autumn Leaves (Irohazaka & Lake Chuzenji) — photo by くろふね via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0, cropped
Nikko Autumn Leaves (Irohazaka & Lake Chuzenji) 2026 Confirmed
日光の紅葉(いろは坂・中禅寺湖・奥日光) — Nikko, Tochigi (Kanto)
✓ No booking needed
- Typical peak
- Sat, Oct 10 – Tue, Nov 10, 2026
- Time
- 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM
- Venue
- Lake Chuzenji & Irohazaka area, Nikko
- Illumination
- The Shoyo-en garden at Rinnoji temple is lit on selected evenings only — in 2026, eight nights: Oct 23, 24, 30, 31 and Nov 1, 6, 7, 8. Until 7:00pm (last entry 6:30pm) on the October dates and until 9:00pm (last entry 8:30pm) on Nov 6–8. ¥500 per person; school children with a parent are free.
- Tickets
- Rinnoji temple charges per hall: Sanbutsudo ¥400 adults / ¥200 school children, Taiyuin ¥550 / ¥250, and the Shoyo-en garden with the treasure hall ¥300 / ¥100. A combined Sanbutsudo + Taiyuin ticket is ¥900. Gates 8:00am–5:00pm April to October and 8:00am–4:00pm November to March, with entry closing 30 minutes before. The gorge, Irohazaka and the lake itself are free.
- Official site
- www.nikko-kankou.org
Nikko in autumn is really three shows in one: the hairpin Irohazaka road climbing through walls of color, Lake Chuzenji ringed in red at 1,269 meters, and the Oku-Nikko highlands beyond. Because the color descends with elevation, the broad window runs mid-October to early November — Oku-Nikko turns first from early October, while the temple town below stays colorful into mid-November. Rinnoji Temple's Shoyoen garden is illuminated at night from late October to mid-November, adding an evening act to the day's scenery.
Background
Nikko has been a sacred mountain site for over a millennium and holds the lavish Toshogu Shrine, mausoleum of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu and part of a UNESCO World Heritage complex. The Irohazaka road takes its name from the old Japanese syllabary — one syllable per hairpin curve.
Getting there
Take the Tobu Railway from Asakusa in Tokyo to Tobu-Nikko Station (about two hours; limited express recommended), then a Tobu bus up the Irohazaka switchbacks to Chuzenji Onsen. On peak weekends Irohazaka suffers severe traffic jams — buses included — so build in buffer time or travel on a weekday.
Tickets & tours for this event
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Tips
- Irohazaka gridlock is legendary on peak weekends: catch the first buses of the morning from Tobu-Nikko Station or go midweek.
- Use the elevation to your advantage — if the lakeside has passed peak, the town and temple area below will just be hitting it, and vice versa.
- Kegon Falls, where Lake Chuzenji plunges 97 meters, frames waterfall and foliage in one shot; the paid elevator to the base viewing platform is worth it.
- A Tobu Nikko Pass bundles the round trip from Tokyo with area buses and beats buying tickets piecemeal for a foliage itinerary.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the best time to see Nikko Autumn Leaves (Irohazaka & Lake Chuzenji)?
- Autumn color here usually peaks Oct 10 – Nov 10. Color depends on how cold the nights have been, and peak can land a week either side of the usual window, so check a foliage forecast about a week out.
Maintained by Tetsu Yamamoto · Last verified against the official source: Sat, September 12, 2026
More to see while you’re there
- Autumn Leaves across Japan in October 2026 (21 events)
- Autumn Leaves across Japan in November 2026 (58 events)