Nikko: Kegon Falls

After visiting Toshogu, Futarasan Shrine and Taiyuin-byo, I decided to explore deeper into the Nikko National Park. A single-trip bus ticket from the train station to the Kegon Falls (Kegon-no-taki) is already ¥1,100, so I bought a 2-day bus ticket, even though I was only on a day trip. The bus ride was around 50 minutes without any traffic congestion.

The main waterfall of the Kegon Falls is 97 metres high, making it one of Japan's three highest waterfalls. Besides their beauty, the Kegon Falls are infamous for suicides, especially among Japanese youth.

In order for me to see the waterfall from the bottom, I was ripped of another ¥530 for the return ticket of the elevator ride. There is no alternative way down to the viewing platform.

The elevator came to a terminal at one end of a white tunnel that looks like something that one would see in a sci-fi movie.

The viewing platform is at the other end of the tunnel. I could already hear the humbling sound of the main waterfall before I came out of the tunnel.

There wasn't any fall colour. Everything was green as I was there some time end of spring. I wasn't that disappointed of not seeing it in fall colours as the greens is equally fascinating.

The water falls down to a rocky stream which is surrounded by greens as well. The water is so clear that it feels like cleansing the soul.

On the other side of the viewing platform is the smaller waterfall of the Kegon Falls. Without a sense of scale, it looks like what one could see in a Japanese garden.

I met with a group of tourists form Australia and had a great chat with them. They thought I was a professional photographer, so I was obliged to help them with their group photos. After I had snapped enough photos down at the viewing platform, I headed back to the white tunnel again.

I was then elevated back to reality again.