One of my favorite ways to explore an area, especially if there are bodies of water, is to paddle through it. I’ve tried it during the autumn months where the autumn foliage was amazing. If you want another way to enjoy the autumn scenery, you should at least try this one.
Lake Chuzenji or Chuzenjiko is a famous lake that is easily accessible from Tokyo. It’s a famous weekend destination for most families in the Kanto region. When driving to Lake Chuzenji, you need to pass through the famous Irohazaka winding road.
It’s a very large lake which I have yet to fully explore. Since its quite large, we joined a kayak group to paddle together and tour around it. We had to be careful of the large sightseeing boats that frequently go around the lake.
Anyway, we got on our boats and paddled towards the west side of the lake, with lots of hiking trails. The plan for our trip was mostly to enjoy the autumn scenery around the lake. We did see some red foliage, but it wasn’t the peak moment yet.
The thing about these exploration trips is that everything is for the entire experience. Sometimes, driving through the roads around the lake doesn’t really offer good vantage points. We passed by some cool camping grounds by the lakeside that I probably want to stay in next time we visit.
One thing to be careful of when kayaking through large lakes is the wind direction. We had to hurry back by lunchtime before it gets difficult to fight against the wind. If you don’t power through, it’s hard to move across the water. Also, imagine if you’re using an inflatable boat too! Lots of planning should be made when you choose to go on a kayak trip.