Great Trails in Tochigi Prefecture

A magnificent place to hike - and not far from Tokyo

Larry Knipfing May 19, 2013 - 1 min read

<p>A very beautiful bridge and waterfall greets you at the start of the course</p>

<p>This sign map, near Ryuokyo Station, explains the various courses and highlights along the way</p>

<p>The mountains seem to go on forever</p>

<p>This course has everything: a beautiful river, mountains, waterfalls and colorful flowers</p>

<p>Many hikers stop in at this shrine to pray before beginning their hike</p>

<p>The river changes color around each bend</p>

<p>This is azalea, the official flower of Tochigi Prefecture</p>

<p>A bear warning sign along the way -- yikes!</p>

<p>There were a lot of pretty and delicate flowers lining the paths</p>

<p>And some big beautiful pine trees as well</p>

<p>And another sign (that must be decades old) reminding us not to litter</p>

<p>On the river, near the start/end of the hike</p>

If you'd like to get out and enjoy the beauty of the Japanese countryside, then this hiking course in Tochigi is perfect if you're anywhere near Tokyo, or especially Nikko. The course, called the Kinugawa Ryuokyo Hiking Course, starts from Ryuokyo Station on the Noiwa Tesudo Line and is composed of paths winding their way through the forest above the twisting Kinugawa river. You can keep going until you reach the next station (4.5 hours), or double back and return to the starting point (2.5 hours) enjoying the view from the other side this time.

Larry Knipfing @larry.knipfing

Born on Long Island, New York in 1958, I have spent the last 30 years of my life living in Japan, and enjoying every minute of it! I especially love photography, and Japan is definitely one of the most beautiful places in the world to photograph! My other love is fiction writing and I have pub...