Kegon Falls, Waterfall in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan
Kegon Falls is a waterfall in Nikko, Japan, where water plunges 97 meters (318 feet) down a wall of volcanic rock formed by ancient lava flows. The main stream is 7 meters (23 feet) wide and splits into smaller cascades that gather in a shallow pool surrounded by forested cliffs.
The falls came into existence around 20,000 years ago when Mount Nantai erupted and blocked the river with lava, creating Lake Chuzenji upstream. The water then found a new path downward and carved the present cascade through the cooled volcanic rock.
This natural formation ranks among Japan's three most important waterfalls alongside Nachi Falls in Wakayama and Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki Prefecture.
An elevator descends 100 meters (328 feet) to a viewing platform at the base, where visitors stand close to the falling water and feel the spray. The facility operates from 8 AM to 5 PM between March and November, while in winter only the upper observation deck remains open.
The falls are fed by the Oshiri River, the only outflow of Lake Chūzenji, and the Chūzenji Dam regulates the flow: normally 1 to 2.5 tons per second by day and about 0.5 tons at night. In October 2018, after Typhoon Trami, the discharge reached 55 tons per second.
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