Nikko: Starting to Change

Following our last report from the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route, I visited Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture on October 8, 2026, to check the autumn colors. With clear blue skies and sunshine, it was a perfect day to be out looking for signs of autumn. I made my way past the lakes, waterfalls and marshland in the mountains above central Nikko before ending the day with a stroll through Shoyoen Garden in the town center.

There was still plenty of green, but autumn was beginning to make its presence felt. Senjogahara Marshland and Ryuzu Falls were the furthest along, with colors approaching their best. Around Lake Yunoko and in Shoyoen Garden, the leaves were starting to change, while Lake Chuzenjiko and Kegon Falls showed just the first hints of the season.

I started at Yumoto Onsen, a small hot spring town beside Lake Yunoko. Morning mist drifted across the water, and the leaves along the shore were starting to change. Most trees were still green, with patches of autumn color here and there.

Next, I continued to Senjogahara Marshland, an open wetland surrounded by forest. The yellow grasses provided much of the autumn color, alongside the changing trees. The display was approaching its best and was more advanced than around Lake Yunoko.

I then visited Ryuzu Falls, where the colors were also approaching their best. The changing leaves beside the waterfall made this another of the more advanced stops on my route.

Further downhill, I stopped at Lake Chuzenjiko. The leaves around the lake had only just begun to change, and most trees were still green. Autumn was at an earlier stage here than at Senjogahara and Ryuzu Falls.

At nearby Kegon Falls, I found similar conditions. Most leaves were still green, with only the first signs of autumn color around the waterfall.

My final stop was Shoyoen Garden, a Japanese landscape garden at Rinnoji Temple in central Nikko. Here, too, the leaves were starting to change, although much of the garden remained green.