Irohazaka Slope of Nikko Coloring Pages

A mountain road with 48 sharp turns

Irohazaka Slope of Nikko is a road that goes up from the town of Nikko in Tochigi Prefecture to Oku-Nikko at the top of the mountain.
It goes up the steep mountain slope in a winding zigzag shape, so there are many sharp turns.
There is one road just for going up and another road just for going down. Together, they have 48 turns!
This matches the 48 letters of the old Japanese alphabet called "Iroha," which is how it got its name.

Each turn has a Hiragana name

Every turn on Irohazaka Slope of Nikko is named after a Hiragana letter, like "I," "Ro," and "Ha."
If you look at the signs by the turns while riding in a car, you can tell which turn you are on.
The second coloring page shows a view from above, looking down at a hairpin turn that bends sharply.
The road winds like a ribbon through the forest with its lovely autumn leaves!

Kegon Falls, one of Japan's top three waterfalls

At the top of Irohazaka Slope of Nikko, you will find Kegon Falls.
The water from Lake Chuzenji plunges down a steep cliff that is about 97 meters high!
It is picked as one of Japan's Top Three Waterfalls, along with Nachi Falls in Wakayama and Fukuroda Falls in Ibaraki.
The first coloring page shows Kegon Falls. Look to the bottom right of the big waterfall, and you can see many smaller streams rushing down too!

Oku-Nikko in autumn

In autumn, the whole mountain in Oku-Nikko turns bright red and yellow. It is a famous spot for fall leaves!
The third coloring page shows the view from the Akechidaira Lookout. You can see Lake Chuzenji in the back and Kegon Falls flowing through the colorful valley.
The trees turn colors starting at the top of the mountain, and by mid-to-late October, the area around Irohazaka Slope of Nikko turns lovely colors too.
Down at the bottom of the mountain, you can find Nikko Toshogu Shrine with its famous Yomeimon Gate of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Try coloring that page too!

Differences between the 3 coloring pages

The first picture of Kegon Falls has no background, just the cliff and the waterfall. It has thick lines and big spaces, so it is easy for little kids to color.
The second picture of Irohazaka Slope of Nikko has a full background showing the winding road and the autumn forest.
The third picture is very detailed, showing everything from the far-off mountains to the trees right in front of you.
Pick your favorite page with your family and color them together!

Autumn leaves change color from the top of the mountain

The autumn leaves in Okunikko start changing color from the top of the mountain.
For the forest in the 3rd picture, if you color the top part in red and orange and the bottom part in yellow and yellow-green, it will look just like real autumn leaves changing color.
If you color the far-off mountains in light purple or light blue, they will look soft and far away.

Color the road in gray to connect it all together

For the road of Irohazaka Slope of Nikko in the 2nd picture, color it in gray so it connects all as one line along the curves.
If you leave the guardrails and walls white, the road will stand out nicely.
If you color the trees around the road in groups of red, orange, yellow, and green, you will make a lively autumn mountain.
Trace the branches of the bare tree on the bottom left in dark brown.

Color the waterfall in white and light blue

Leave most of the water of Kegon Falls white, and just add a little bit of light blue along the edges.
If you color the cliffs around it darkly in gray or dark brown, the white waterfall will look extra bright.
Layering colors along the vertical lines of the cliffs will make them look like rough, bumpy rocks.

The lake reflects the color of the sky

For Lake Chuzenji in the 3rd picture, start with the same light blue as the sky, and layer a slightly darker blue over it.
It is fun to color the roofs of the town around the lake in different colors for each house, like red, blue, and brown.

Color the sky like a sunny autumn day

Color the sky lightly in light blue, and leave the clouds white.
The combination of the red and yellow autumn leaves with the light blue sky will give you a feeling of fresh autumn air.

In the past, people walked up the slope

In the old days, Irohazaka Slope of Nikko was a mountain path that people walked up to visit the shrine at Chuzenji in Okunikko.
Later, it became a road for cars, and now it is split into two roads: one for going up and one for going down.
When the leaves change color in autumn, lots of cars come, and the slope gets very crowded.

Lake Chuzenji was made by a volcano

Lake Chuzenji is a lake made when a volcano behind it, called Mount Nantai, erupted and blocked a river.
The water leaves the lake from only one place, and it falls down to become Kegon Falls.

Look at Kegon Falls from below

At Kegon Falls, there is an elevator that goes down inside the cliff.
From the viewing area below, you can feel how big the falling waterfall is right in front of you.
You will surely be surprised by the sound of the water and the splashing spray!

Let's look for the curve signs

On the curves of Irohazaka Slope of Nikko, there are signs with Hiragana letters like "i," "ro," and "ha."
If you visit by car, try counting the signs one by one!