October 5, 2026

Another very long day with an early start. Up at 5:30 to allow time for breakfast and to be ready for a 7:00 pickup. We had arranged a private driver to take us to Nikko. It was almost a three hour drive to get there, but well worth it.

Nikko’s famous waterfall is Kegon Falls, also called Kegon no Taki. It is nice to see from the top, but I definitely recommend spending the small fee to take the elevator down to the viewing station.

It plunges 318 feet down a rocky cliff, fed by nearby Lake Chūzenji. It is one of Japan’s three great waterfalls and is renowned for its beauty.

Lake Chūzenji is also called “Sea of Happiness”. It was created 20,000 years ago when Mount Nantai erupted and blocked the river.

Tōshō-gū Shrine

Rinnoji Temple

No photos were allowed inside

Japanese Gardens

Shinkyō Bridge

GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I’m grateful that although we lost our blue skies, that the small amount of rain we got did not put a damper on an otherwise wonderful day. How fortunate we are to visit another World Heritage Site!