Our Lake Chuzenji Cycling Guide: A Relaxed Oku-Nikko Picnic Itinerary

Tobu Railway Co., Ltd. and the Nikko Natural Science Museum Co., Ltd. have launched a limited-time Lakeside Picnic Ride plan in the Oku-Nikko area. This eco-friendly initiative seamlessly combines scenic bike rentals with an exclusive takeout menu from the Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel.

Discovering Oku-Nikko: avoiding the crowds

Surrounded by majestic nature—including Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls and Mount Nantai—Oku-Nikko is one of Japan’s leading tourist destinations, offering stunning views in every season. However, visitors are often concentrated during Golden Week or the fall foliage season, leading to heavy crowding and long lines at local restaurants and tourist spots.

The Lakeside Picnic Ride offers a solution. By making an advance reservation, travelers can skip the lines and enjoy a comfortable, leisurely experience while exploring the natural scenery of the lake and mountains.

Lakeside retreat with deep diplomatic roots

Before it became a haven for cyclists and picnickers, the shore of Lake Chuzenji was already popular with visitors seeking to escape the humid heat of summer. In the late 19th century, British diplomat and Japanologist Sir Ernest Satow chose the lakeside for its cool summer air, building a two-story wooden villa there in 1896. 

Satow was so taken with the area that he later wrote what is considered to be the region’s first English-language guidebook for travelers, published in 1875. Other foreign diplomats and consuls soon followed his example, including the Italian delegation, which built its own summer residence nearby. It’s preserved today as the Italian Embassy Villa Memorial Park, a peaceful spot well worth a stop along the picnic route.

The British villa itself changed hands in 2010, when the embassy donated it to the Tochigi prefectural government. After a six-year renovation, it reopened to the public, complete with a café serving tea and scones (with instructions on how to best prepare them) beside the building’s original brick fireplace. This allows today’s visitors to take in the same lakeside views that once drew 19th-century diplomats north for the summer. It’s a fitting reminder that the appeal of Oku-Nikko’s fresh air and mountain scenery is nothing new, and that a slow, unhurried pace has been part of its charm for centuries.

Pioneering an “international eco-resort”

Because the plan relies on bicycles rather than vehicles that emit greenhouse gases, it perfectly aligns with the Ministry of the Environment’s 2023 selection of Oku-Nikko as a pioneering area for decarbonization.

Tobu hopes this initiative will allow visitors to experience what it calls “International Eco-Resort Nikko”—a movement supporting the sustainable development of the Nikko area, where history, culture, traditions and nature coexist. By extending the time visitors spend in the region and distributing crowds more evenly, the initiative aims to increase visitor satisfaction and drive regional revitalization by creating new consumption opportunities.

Plan overview: The lakeside picnic ride

With this plan, visitors can rent a bike, pick up a gourmet takeout meal and enjoy a lakeside picnic at locations like the Lake Chuzenji Boat House.

Pricing & packages

• Rental Bike & Sandwich Set: ¥5,000
• Rental Bike & Cake Set: ¥4,000

How to reserve

Advance reservations are required. Visit the Nikko Natural Science Museum website by 4:00pm the day before your planned trip: www.nikko-nsm.co.jp/en/cycling/lakeside-picnic-ride_d.html?0:734

Daily itinerary & logistics

• From 9:30am: Pick up your pre-reserved rental bike from the Nikko Natural Science Museum (located adjacent to the Chuzenji Onsen Bus Terminal).
• 11:30am – 3:00pm: Pick up your takeout meal from the Yukon coffeehouse at the Chuzenji Kanaya Hotel.
• Afternoon: Enjoy a relaxing walk, leisurely cycling and a picnic with lake views at the Lake Chuzenji Boat House or surrounding areas.
• By 4:30pm: Return your rental bike to the Nikko Natural Science Museum.

Getting there

Oku-Nikko is easily accessible from central Tokyo on the Tobu Railway. Limited express trains such as the Spacia and Revaty run directly from Asakusa Station to Tobu-Nikko Station, and arrive within two hours. From there, a local bus bound for Chuzenji Onsen or Yumoto Onsen covers the hilly trek up to the lake in roughly 45–50 minutes, dropping riders close to the Chuzenji Onsen Bus Terminal and the Nikko Natural Science Museum next door. 

Travelers planning to explore beyond the picnic ride may also want to look into the “Nikko Pass All Area”, which combines train travel from Asakusa with unlimited trips on the local buses. It’s a handy tool for reaching and exploring Oku-Nikko without the hassle of individual tickets.