Nikko: Peak Colors

Following my report from two weeks ago, I returned to Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture to check the autumn colors. On October 8, the leaves were just starting to change at most stops, while Senjogahara Marshland and Ryuzu Falls were approaching their best.

This time, the colors were at their best in several places, although conditions varied between stops. Golden larches and red maples stood alongside green trees and branches that had already lost their leaves. I made my way through Oku-Nikko, the mountains above central Nikko, before finishing at Shoyoen Garden.

I started at Yumoto Onsen, a small hot spring town beside Lake Yunoko. Yellow trees lined the far shore, and patches of red added color along the lakeside. The difference from two weeks earlier was clear.

Next, I continued down to Senjogahara Marshland, passing golden larches along the road. Near the observation deck, a single yellow tree caught my eye.

I followed the woodland paths past a small bridge and a clear stream. Visitors paused on the boardwalk to look across the tawny grasses and golden trees. Mount Nantai rose beyond the marshland.

I continued to Ryuzu Falls, where red and orange leaves framed parts of the falls, with green trees and bare branches between them. I started at the top, walked down the stairs and then made my way back up.

Further downhill, I stopped at Lake Chuzenjiko. It was quite windy, and ripples covered the water. Orange leaves brightened the lakeshore, with more color on the slopes across the lake. The trees around Lake Chuzenjiko were beginning their best viewing period, with colors still intensifying.

From higher ground, I looked down at the lake and the wooded headlands. Mount Nantai rose above the water, while a small tree-covered island caught my eye below.

At nearby Kegon Falls, yellow and orange trees lined the top of the gorge. The white waterfall stood out against the dark cliff, with patches of red among the trees below. The colors around Kegon Falls were approaching their peak.

My final stop was Shoyoen Garden, a Japanese landscape garden at Rinnoji Temple in central Nikko. Red and yellow maples brightened the pond and paths. There was still plenty of green between them, along with fallen leaves beside the water.