Nikko, Tochigi / 中禅寺湖
Lake Chuzenji
A lake 1,269 m above sea level at the foot of Mt. Nantai, about 25 km around and 163 m deep, popular with foreign visitors as a summer retreat from the Meiji era to the early Showa era.
Last official check
25 Sept 2026
Traveler reports
0
Reports open in Phase 2
Next scheduled check
24 Dec 2026
Before you go
Only facts we confirmed on official sources are shown. Anything else is marked “Not checked yet”.
- Opening hours
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Closed
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Admission
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Getting there
About 50 minutes by Tobu bus from JR Nikko or Tobu Nikko Station to Chuzenji Onsen, then about 5 minutes on foot; about 20 minutes by car from Kiyotaki IC.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Parking
Use the prefectural car parks in the Okunikko area.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Payment
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
- Accessibility
Not checked yet — we have not confirmed this on an official source yet. Check with the spot before you go.
Found wrong or outdated information? Let us know
Address: Nikko, Tochigi (Japanese address: 栃木県日光市中宮祠)
Official site: https://www.tochigiji.or.jp/spot/s5902/
Location
Smaller pins are other spots nearby.
Nearby spots
Photo: Jordy Meow / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (resized)Kegon FallsTochigi2 km away (straight line)
Photo: あばさー / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)Ryuzu FallsTochigi4 km away (straight line)
Photo: Guilhem Vellut / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)Senjogahara MarshlandTochigi6 km away (straight line)- No photo yetNikko Futarasan ShrineTochigi11 km away (straight line)
- No photo yetNikko Toshogu ShrineTochigi11 km away (straight line)
Distances are straight-line distances, not travel distances.
Crowds
- Crowd level
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Best time to visit
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Peak time
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest days
Not checked yet — no official source yet, and not enough traveler reports.
- Busiest season
Autumn colours usually peak in mid to late October; azaleas in early summer are also lovely.
Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site- Latest traveler report
- None yet
In the autumn leaf season the Irohazaka road can barely move; the Nikko tourism association publishes a traffic-jam forecast calendar and off-peak times and detours.Checked 25 Sept 2026 on the official site
Traveler crowd data by time of day appears after 5 traveler reports (0 so far).
You can check typical busy hours in Google Maps ("Popular times" on the place's page). Open this spot in Google Maps
Verification log
- 25 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://www.tochigiji.or.jp/spot/s5902/Access, parking, seasons, description and coordinates read from a tourism organization's site.
- 25 Sept 2026First check · Tourism board · https://www.nikko-kankou.org/features/%20congestionBooking and crowds read from a tourism organization's site.