Yudaki Falls

In Oku-Nikko, water spilling from Lake Yunoko rushes down a lava cliff about 70 m high, seen up close from a platform by the plunge pool.

An Oku-Nikko waterfall that flows out of a lake

Yudaki Falls is in Oku-Nikko, the highland area deep in the mountains of Nikko. The water pours from the southern end of Lake Yunoko, beside the hot spring village of Nikko Yumoto. The falls are about 70 m high, and the water runs about 110 m down the slope.

The rock face the falls flow over is made of lava from a volcano called Mount Mitsudake. That lava dammed the Yu River to form Lake Yunoko, so the lake's outlet simply becomes the waterfall.

Together with Kegon Falls and Ryuzu Falls, Yudaki is counted as one of the "three great waterfalls of Oku-Nikko". Its name contains the character for hot water (yu), but what flows here is not hot spring water: it is cold lake water.

The viewing platform by the plunge pool and nearby trails

Right in front of the plunge pool is a kanbakudai (a viewing platform for looking at a waterfall), from which the broad stream of water seems to be bearing down on you from overhead. There are no steps between the car park and the platform.

A walking path runs alongside the falls, so you can see them from different angles: from the top, from the plunge pool and from partway up the rock face. The water leaving Yudaki becomes the Yu River, which flows through the Senjogahara marshland on its way to Ryuzu Falls. The falls lie along the hiking course that runs north from Senjogahara, so many people drop in on foot.

Seasons and getting there

According to Tochigi Tabi Net, the prefecture's tourism site, the autumn leaves around Yudaki and Lake Yunoko are usually at their best from early to mid-October. In spring, pink azaleas and rhododendrons bloom.

From JR Nikko Station or Tobu-Nikko Station, take a bus bound for Yumoto Onsen and get off at Yudaki Iriguchi (about 80 minutes), then walk about 5 minutes. By car, it is about 35 minutes from the Kiyotaki Interchange on the Nikko-Utsunomiya Road. The car park is closed in winter (roughly early December to early April), and the toilets are also unavailable in some seasons.

Tips

• Combine it with a hike across Senjogahara and you can enjoy the lake, waterfall and marshland scenery of Oku-Nikko all in one go.
• If you drive in winter, you will need winter tyres or chains. Note that the car park is also closed in winter.

Sources

• 湯滝｜日光市観光協会 (opens in a new tab)
• 湯滝｜栃木県観光物産協会 とちぎ旅ネット (opens in a new tab)
• 湯滝 - Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)

Updated 30 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.