Nikko Look up at the cherry blossoms, then head for the falls and winding roads

Irohazaka connects the town of Nikko with Lake Chuzenji and Oku-Nikko. On the uphill Second Irohazaka, signs mark each bend with the next syllable in the “i, ro, ha” sequence: every time you round one turn, the next sign appears. I love collecting photos of national highway signs, so even with my eyes on the road and my hands on the wheel, I couldn't help following the sequence in the corner of my eye. The autumn leaves are usually at their best from mid-October to early November, and today the mountains were just turning.

After driving up Irohazaka, I got out at Akechidaira. While driving, I kept my eyes on the road and tightened my grip on the wheel at every bend. Even after stepping out, I felt my heart leap at the thought of seeing the road from outside the car.

Across the slope in front of me, I could see the road winding through the autumn foliage in several tiers. I’d just been looking at the mountain from inside the car; now I could take in the whole view. My driving friend stood a little way off with a can of coffee, listening as I talked.

I pointed toward a stretch of road and started talking about whether we'd drive there next. There was another bend, and more road beyond it. I'd come to admire the view, but before long I was talking about the drive back.

My friend laughed, asking if I was already imagining myself driving. I felt a little embarrassed. I was still standing right there, but apparently my mind had already gone around the next bend. After that, I took my time looking at the trees along the road, too.

When I took a photo, I made sure to include the road I’d just been pointing at. When I looked at it later, it would remind me, “That’s the stretch I drove next.” I hoped the picture would capture how much I’d looked forward to the road ahead, not just the autumn leaves.

Back in the car, my friend set off ahead again, and I followed in my red car. When I turned my eyes back to the road and put my hands on the wheel, the time I’d spent admiring it became part of the fun of driving. I stayed excited all the way back, wondering what view waited around the next bend.

As I started down the slope, the light filtering through the trees shifted with every bend. Keeping my eyes on the road and my hands on the wheel, I loved passing through patches of light and shadow one after another. My friend's car ahead would appear around one bend and disappear around the next.

On the way down First Irohazaka, I pulled into the car park at Tsurugamine Viewpoint. From here, you can see Hoto Falls and Hannya Falls. Until then, I'd been focused on the road, but now two waterfalls tumbling through the autumn-covered mountains held my gaze. My friend watched in silence, a can of coffee in hand.

When I set off again from Tsurugamine, I could feel the sequence of letters on the signs nearing its end. I felt a little sad when I rounded the last bend and the town of Nikko came into view. On the way up, I enjoyed the road; on the way down, I came across waterfalls. Irohazaka packs so many different pleasures into a single road.