Irohazaka Winding Road
🇯🇵 Japan
The Irohazaka Winding Road is a pair of steep, switchback-laden mountain roads in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The first Irohazaka (downhill) has 28 curves and the second (uphill) has 20 curves, each named after a character in the old Japanese iroha poem. Rising from 600 to 1,270 meters, these roads connect the town of Nikko to the highlands around Lake Chuzenji.
The routes are famous for their spectacular autumn foliage, when the surrounding forests of maple, oak, and birch transform into a blaze of red, orange, and gold. The roads were originally built in the early Meiji era and have been a beloved driving destination ever since, offering tight hairpin turns with panoramic mountain views at every level.