Tochigi · Japan
Irohazaka (Iroha-zaka)
120Nikkō to Chūzenji
Legendary Nikko touge: 48 hairpins climbing 440 m to Lake Chuzenji.
Irohazaka is a pair of one-way mountain roads on National Route 120 linking Nikko (~600 m) with Lake Chuzenji (~1,270 m), together comprising 48 hairpin bends each signposted with a character of the old Japanese 'iroha' syllabary. The downhill First Irohazaka has 28 curves and the uphill Second has 20, with Akechidaira near the top giving a famous view back over the switchbacks. It is a heavily touristed, tightly twisting road, very congested in autumn-leaf season and icy in winter.
One-way hairpins climbing through the woods toward Lake Chuzenji, every curve lettered like a stanza. Catch it in autumn and you’ll never forget it.
Why we picked it
Scenery
Best seasons
In these collections
In these Grand Tours
Where it runs5.7 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
More hairpins than 9 in 10 roads in the catalogue.
Corners
busiest around mile 3Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%743.2 – 1,299.3 mPoints of interest1 stop
- Kegon FallsViewpoint5.2 mi in
Hazards
- Blind hairpins with steep drop-offs
- Severe autumn-foliage traffic congestion
- Ice and snow closures in winter
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Sources
“a pair of winding roads... consist of 48 hairpin turns”
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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