Lake Chūzenji, Lake in Nikko, Japan
Lake Chūzenji is a mountain lake in Nikko, Japan, formed around 20,000 years ago by an eruption of the nearby Mount Nantai. It sits at about 4,160 feet (1,269 m) above sea level, enclosed by forested slopes and cliffs that drop directly to the water's edge.
The lake was created when lava from Mount Nantai blocked the valley and trapped water behind it. During the Edo period, monks and pilgrims regularly made the journey up to the shore, which shaped the spiritual character of the area.
The name Chūzenji comes from the Buddhist temple on the shore, which houses a Kannon statue carved from a single tree trunk. Visitors can enter the temple, look out over the water from its grounds, and notice the contrast between the old wooden interior and the open lake view.
The lake is reached via the Irohazaka winding road, which runs up from the town of Nikko and uses separate one-way lanes for the ascent and descent. Autumn draws large numbers of visitors, so arriving early in the day makes the experience more manageable.
Just outside the lake, the Kegon waterfall drops about 318 feet (97 m) from the cliff above the shore, and can be viewed from both a platform at the top and a lower level reached by elevator. The two viewpoints give completely different readings of the same waterfall.
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