Akechidaira, a rest area along Irohazaka
Akechidaira, which is located in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, is a rest area along Irohazaka on National Route 120 which links the city of Nikko with the popular tourist spots of Lake Chuzenji and Yumoto Onsen in Oku-Nikko. Irohazaka goes up 440 meters in altitude from Nikko to the shores of Lake Chuzenji, so taking a drive on that route makes the scenery below even grander. Nikko, which can be reached from the center of Tokyo in about 2.5 hours, is certainly a popular tourist destination, and there are a lot of tourists who make the drive on Irohazaka to get that view from Akechidaira. In particular, Akechidaira is especially famous for its autumn leaves. During the fall when there is that enjoyable splendid view of the mountains all painted in red, Akechidaira is the place to visit although there are big traffic jams on Irohazaka. It’s therefore recommended that if you want to enjoy the scene at your leisure that you try to reach Irohazaka early in the morning.
Going to Nikko? A view from Akechidaira’s observation area can’t be missed!
Along with the rest area at Akechidaira in the middle of Irohazaka, there is the Akechidaira Ropeway that heads for the observation area. The ropeway was first opened in 1933 but was shut down afterwards. However, it reopened in 1950 and has become used by many tourists as a route to reach the prominent tourist spot of Akechidaira Observatory. The observatory can be reached by ropeway in about 3 minutes. It is a short trip but you can view features such as the mountain range and the small waterfall. When you reach the observatory, the large vista of Oku-Nikko spreads out in front of your eyes. You can see Kegon Falls, one of Oku-Nikko’s Three Famous Waterfalls, the mountain range and Lake Chuzenji. Please enjoy the beautiful and grand scenery that can be viewed as if you were in the sky.