Usual hours and prices, checked 2026-09-15 against the sources under “What this place is”. They can change for holidays and events — confirm before you go. Official site
Our guide
Kegon Falls drops from Lake Chūzenji in Nikkō National Park, near the city of Nikkō. The falls were formed when lava flows rerouted the Daiya River; the main fall is about 97 m high, and around a dozen smaller falls seep out behind and beside it through cracks between the mountain and the old lava. In 1927 it was named one of the “Eight Views” of Shōwa-era Japan, and it is on the Ministry of the Environment's list of Japan's Top 100 Waterfalls.
A lift runs to the falls viewing platform every day from 8:00 (9:00 in winter), with no booking needed. In autumn, traffic on the road from Nikkō up to Chūzenji can slow to a crawl as people come for the leaves, so allow extra time. Lake Chuzenji is about 3.6 km away in a straight line.
Written by japan-spots.com (2026-09-22) from the sources credited on this page. Distances are straight lines between map positions.
Photos
Photos from Wikimedia Commons, each under its own licence — see credits
- Kegon Taki — Jordy Meow · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Lake chuzenji and kegon waterfall — Uraomote yamaneko · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- Kegon falls-2006-03-21 2 — Syohei Arai · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kegon Falls 華厳滝 — Orbixx · CC BY-SA 3.0 · source · resized
- 紅葉の華厳の滝 — くろふね · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- Kegon Fall Nikko 華厳の滝 — Sorah Fukumori · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- Kegon Fall Nikko 華厳の滝 — Sorah Fukumori · CC BY 3.0 · source · resized
- Kegon Falls Elevator entrance — Miyuki Meinaka · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source · resized
- 華厳滝（明智平から撮影）20250809-IMG 4003 — くろふね · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
- 華厳滝（明智平から撮影）20250809-IMG 3985 — くろふね · CC BY 4.0 · source · resized
What this place is
Kegon Falls (華厳滝, Kegon no Taki) is located at Lake Chūzenji (source of the Oshiri River) in Nikkō National Park near the city of Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The falls were formed when the Daiya River was rerouted by lava flows. The main falls had a height of approximately 97 metres (318 ft) and about twelve smaller waterfalls are situated behind and to the sides of Kegon Falls, leaking through the many cracks between the mountain and the lava flows. In the autumn, the traffic on the road from Nikko to Chūzenji can sometimes slow to a crawl as visitors come to see the autumn foliage. In 1927, the Kegon Falls was recognized as one of the "Eight Views" which best showed Japan and its culture in the Shōwa period. It is also listed as one of "Japan’s Top 100 Waterfalls", in a listing published by the Japanese Ministry of the Environment in 1990.
Visitor information checked: 2026-09-15 · Kegon Falls Elevator: hours and fees
Background text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)
What to expect at this type of place: Lakes & falls
Getting there
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