Irohazaka (Iroha-zaka)
120Nikkō to Chūzenji · Tochigi Prefecture
Distance5.7mi · 9.2 km
Drive time14 minon the road
DifficultyDemanding
MountainForestLakes
Legendary Nikko touge: 48 hairpins climbing 600m to Lake Chuzenji
Irohazaka is a pair of one-way mountain roads on National Route 120 linking Nikko (~600m) with Lake Chuzenji (~1,270m), 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.
Where it runs
NikkōStart · Tochigi Prefecture
ChūzenjiEnd · Japan
Character
Corners48bends
Tightness9of 10
Max gradient9%≈ 1-in-11
Hairpins26tight bends
Climb667 mtotal ascent
Summit1333 mhighest point · 4373 ft
SpringSummerAutumn
Elevation
565 m rangeKnow before you go
- Blind hairpins with steep drop-offs
- Severe autumn-foliage traffic congestion
- Ice and snow closures in winter
Along the road
- viewpoint Kegon Falls
Sources
In these collections
Nearby roads
The closest great drives to Irohazaka (Iroha-zaka).
