Kirifuri Highlands (Kisugedaira Observatory)

Kirifuri Highlands, or Kirifuri Kogen, spreads across the gentle north-eastern slopes above Nikko town, a world away in feel from the temple precincts below. Once home to a small ski resort, the highland was reborn as a nature park, and its centrepiece today is Kisugedaira, a broad meadow of grass and wildflowers stitched together by a remarkable staircase known as the Tenku Kairo, the "Sky Corridor."

The Sky Corridor is a boardwalk-and-steps trail of 1,445 stairs that climbs the open hillside in a series of decked flights and landings. Each landing is numbered and comes with a viewpoint, so the ascent is punctuated by rest stops and ever-widening panoramas. You do not need to conquer all 1,445 steps to be rewarded: within the first several landings the outlook already sweeps out over the Kanto plain, and on clear days the horizon can reveal distant landmarks, including on exceptional days the faint silhouettes of Tokyo's skyline and Mount Tsukuba far to the south.

Kirifuri's signature season is early summer. From late June into mid-July the slopes blaze with Nikko-kisuge, a native orange day lily that gives the Kisugedaira meadow its name; tens of thousands of blooms open across the hillside, and the sight of the flower field rising toward the sky-blue mountains draws visitors from across the region. The name Kirifuri itself means "falling mist," a nod to the fog that often drifts across these highlands and lends them an ethereal quality on cool mornings.

Autumn brings a second act, as the grasslands turn tawny gold and the surrounding forests flush red and amber, usually peaking in the second half of October, earlier than the foliage down in the town. In every season the elevated meadow, sitting well above 1,300 metres, is noticeably cooler than central Nikko, making it a refreshing summer escape when the lowlands swelter.

The area is well set up for casual visitors. A visitor centre and car park sit at the base of the staircase, with restrooms, a cafe and information on the local flora and the several gentle hiking trails that lace the highland; longer walks lead toward the Kirifuri Falls and Mount Akanagi for those wanting more. Entry to the park and the Sky Corridor is free, an increasingly rare thing among Nikko's attractions.

Getting there is straightforward: Tobu buses bound for Kirifuri Kogen leave from Nikko Station and reach the highland terminus in around twenty-five minutes, delivering you close to the foot of the stairs. Because the highland is snowbound in the depths of winter, the staircase and facilities operate roughly from spring through late autumn. Bring water for the climb, a light layer for the mountain air, and if you can time it, aim for the day-lily bloom of early July, when Kisugedaira is at its most spectacular and the long stairway seems to rise straight into a field of orange stars.