Nikko

Nikkō (日光) is a town of 76,000 people (2021) to the north of Tokyo, in Tochigi Prefecture. Attractions include the mausoleum of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu (Nikkō Tōshō-gū) and that of his grandson Iemitsu (Iemitsu-byō Taiyū-in), and the Futarasan Shrine, which dates to the year 767 AD. There are also many famous hot springs (onsen) in the area. Elevations range from 200 to 2,000 m.

Understand


Nikko is a hugely popular tourist destination, but most visitors day-trip from Tokyo and never venture beyond a few tourist hot spots near the station. However, the "city" covers a quarter of Tochigi prefecture, much of it mountainous and remote, and there are countless hot springs, hiking trails and less-known sights to be seen if you venture even slightly off the beaten track. The area's many mountains and waterfalls have made it an important source of hydroelectric power, and it has also been used for mining copper, aluminum and concrete.

History
The first temple in Nikkō was founded more than 1,200 years ago along the shores of the Daiya River. However, in 1616, the dying Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had unified Japan and moved to capital to Edo (present-day Tokyo), made it known that his final wish was for his successors to "Build a small shrine in Nikko and enshrine me as the God. I will be the guardian of peace keeping in Japan." As a result, Nikkō became home of the mausoleums of two Tokugawa Shoguns, Tokugawa Ieyasu and his grandson, Tokugawa Iemitsu, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Unlike most Japanese temples and shrines, the buildings here are extremely gaudy and ornate, with multicolored carvings and plenty of gold leaf, and show heavy Chinese influence. Some sense of dignity is restored by a magnificent forest of over 13,000 cedar trees, covering the entire area.

However, for all of the grandeur the shoguns could muster, they're now over-shadowed in the eyes of many visitors by a trio of small wooden carvings on a stable wall: the famous three wise monkeys who see no evil, hear no evil and say no evil.

Orientation
The actual town of Nikko lies on the southern side of Nikko City, along the Daiya River. To the west, about an hour away by bus, are Lake Chuzenji and the Kegon Falls, also known as Oku-Nikkō (奥日光, "Inner Nikko"). The twin hot spring towns of Kinugawa, home of the Edo Wonderland Historical Theme Park, and Kawaji are an hour north by train along the Kinugawa River and covered separately. Nikkō National Park (日光国立公園) covers a large chunk of the northern side, sprawling across into Tochigi and Fukushima as well.

Tourist information site
The local tourist association has a guide site in English, Nikko Official Guide.

By train
Nikko has two major train stations:, served by Japan Railways (JR), and , appropriately served by the private Tōbu railway. The train stations are separated by only a few minutes walk and are around 2 km from Toshogu Shrine.

If heading from Tokyo like most others, deciding how to reach Nikko depends on your budget, and whether or not you have any sort of regional or national JR Rail Pass.

By Tobu Railway from Asakusa
Tobu Railway operates frequent service to Nikko from their terminal at Asakusa Station, which is connected to the Toei Asakusa and Tokyo Metro Ginza subway lines. Conventional commuter services take around 2 hr 30 min - 3 hr depending on the time of day and cost ¥1360, with several transfers required. A more convenient way to travel to Nikko is on one of Tobu's direct limited express services, which take 2 hours and are operated with either the older SPACIA trains or the newer Revaty trains. Services depart every 30-60 minutes, costing ¥2700 for the SPACIA or ¥2800 for the Revaty. All services stop at the station for Tokyo SkyTree.

The limited express trains that offer direct service to Nikko are called Kegon; there are also Kinu trains that you can use, but you'll need to change to a short local service at Shimo-Imaichi to reach Nikko.

Tobu offers a few travel passes for foreign tourists that wish to visit Nikko and surrounding areas. Passes for foreign tourists can be purchased online through Tobu's website, or in person at the Tobu tourist information desk at Asakusa station. The passes do not include admission to the world heritage shrines and temples.


 * Nikko Pass - World Heritage Area: ¥2000 for 2 days. This pass includes unlimited train travel between Tobu-Nikko, Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa Onsen, unlimited travel on Tobu buses between Tobu-Nikko and the world heritage sites, and discounted admission to attractions in Nikko and Kinugawa.
 * Nikko Pass - All Area: a 4-day pass costing ¥4520 from mid-April to November, and ¥4150 at other times. In addition to the features of the World Heritage Pass, the All Area pass includes unlimited bus travel from Nikko to Lake Chuzenji, Yumoto Onsen and Kirifuri Falls.

There are two more passes available to everyone, not just foreign tourists:
 * Marugoto Nikko Free Pass: ¥4150-4520 for 4 days. This pass includes unlimited train travel between Shimo-Imaichi and Tobu-Nikko, and unlimited bus travel from Nikko to the world heritage sites, Lake Chuzenji, Yumoto Onsen and Kirifuri Falls.
 * Marugoto Nikko Kinugawa Free Pass: ¥5630-6150 for 4 days. In addition to the features of the Marugoto Nikko Free Pass, this pass includes unlimited train travel between Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa, and unlimited bus travel on routes in the Kinugawa area.

Included in these passes is one round-trip from the Asakusa area on standard commuter trains. You can purchase separate reservation tickets for the direct limited express services on either the SPACIA (¥1340 each way) or the Revaty (¥1440 each way). A 20% discount is given on these tickets when purchased with a pass.

By JR from Tokyo Station
You can reach Nikko from Tokyo Station in around 2 hours by taking the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and changing to the JR Nikko Line. Since the one-way fare starts from ¥5060 unreserved, this travel option makes more sense for holders of the Japan Rail Pass or one of JR East's regional passes including the Tokyo Wide Pass.

By JR/Tobu from Shinjuku/Ikebukuro
JR and Tobu operate joint limited express trains a few times a day from Shinjuku and Ikebukuro stations that operate to Tobu-Nikko in 2 hours at a cost of ¥4000. One service operates directly to Nikko, while the others operate to Kinugawa and require a train change at Shimo-Imaichi. Regional JR East passes, including the Tokyo Wide Pass, fully cover this journey. Holders of the national Japan Rail Pass must pay a surcharge for the portion of the trip on Tobu tracks, in which case it may be easier to just take the JR to either Tokyo or Omiya to connect to the shinkansen.

By bus
Tohoku Express Bus operates one daily round-trip service from Tokyo Station, reaching Tobu-Nikko station in 3 hr. The trip costs ¥2500 one way or ¥4000 round trip. The bus from Tokyo leaves at 07:50, and the return trip from Tobu-Nikko leaves at 16:00.

There is also a twice-daily bus service from Yokohama station, which is the same bus that serves Nikko from Haneda Airport (4 hours, ¥3300).

Get around
The JR and Tobu stations have Tourist Information Centers open during daytime hours. Both stations are about 2 km to the west of the shrine area.

To reach the shrines, you can take a Tobu Bus (bus stop 2C just outside the Tobu Nikko train station, bus fare included in Tobu's World Heritage Pass, about a 6-minute bus ride to the UNESCO World Heritage area), or you can get up close and personal with the neighborhood and use your own two feet, following the pedestrian signs along the main road (Route 119). Getting off at bus stops 81–85 on the Tobu 2C bus line will get you to the shrine and temple area. Halfway between the stations and shrines, there is another Tourist Information Center (591 Gokomachi area; ) where you ca get maps, ask questions (some English spoken), use the Internet (¥100/30 minutes), and quench your thirst with water from a small, ladle-drawn waterfall. Also if it is raining, they very happily lend out umbrellas and you are able to drop these off on the way back. Allow about a half-hour or so to walk from the train station to the shrine entrance.

The JR station has various tourist bus passes for the Nikko area from the JR ticket office. As an example, a ¥2000 ticket will get you 2 days of unlimited rides to and back from the Chuzenji onsen area lake area, which is discounted from the posted fares. The back of the ticket includes a helpful map showing the numbered stops and where the ticket if valid.

See



 * After two flights of steps you will reach the Sacred Stable, housing a white horse. The most famous symbol here is the carving of the three wise monkeys (see infobox), a part of a curious series of carvings about the life cycle of a monkey, from giddy childhood to fearful old age. Nearby, you can also find an interesting approximation of an elephant, carved by an artist who had clearly never seen one.
 * After two flights of steps you will reach the Sacred Stable, housing a white horse. The most famous symbol here is the carving of the three wise monkeys (see infobox), a part of a curious series of carvings about the life cycle of a monkey, from giddy childhood to fearful old age. Nearby, you can also find an interesting approximation of an elephant, carved by an artist who had clearly never seen one.

There are a few other sites near the temple area:



Lake Chuzenji-area attractions
The Lake Chuzenji-area can be reached by taking bus #1 or #2 from the Nikko or Tobu-Nikko train stations and remaining on the bus past the temple area. The journey takes approximately 1 hour.
 * Akechidaira View Point (Bus stop #23) - You can take a cable car (¥730 9AM-4PM) to a viewpoint of Mount Nantaisan, Kegon Falls, and Lake Chuzenji.
 * Lake Chuzenji - (Bus stop #26) - The highest lake in Japan, this lake has cool temperatures in the summer and is surrounded by summer villas of the rich. Sightseeing boats (hourly, 09:30-15:30; winter: 10:30-14:30) offer spectacular views.
 * Chuzen-ji temple is a 700-m walk south from the red Buddhist gate along route 250.
 * An additional 700-m walk will bring you to the former ambassador villas for Britain and Italy. The properties have now been returned to Japan and converted to memorial parks with beautiful views of the lake. Admission to both for ¥300 includes a self guided tour of the building including the history of properties and notable figures. Traditional English tea service also available.
 * Ryuzu Falls (Bus stop #35) - A cascade down rocky steps. In spring, this waterfall is surrounded by azalea flowers and in autumn, it is surrounded by lush colorful foliage.
 * Odashirogahara Plateau (Bus stop #36) - An area of wetlands surrounded by Mongolian oak groves. Famous for a lone birch tree known as the Lady of Odashirogahara
 * Senjogahara Plateau (Bus stop #38) - Wetlands with a wooden raised path for hiking (2 hours, circular trail). Beautiful flowers.
 * Yudaki Falls (Bus stop #40) - A 70-m cascade flowing from Lake Yunoko. There is a view point at the basin of the falls.
 * Lake Yunoko (Bus stop #41) - A pretty lake surrounded by a hiking trail (1 hour).
 * Lake Yunoko (Bus stop #41) - A pretty lake surrounded by a hiking trail (1 hour).

Do

 * National Route 120 heads from the center of town into the park, passing Mt. Nantai and Lake Chuzenji (中禅寺湖 Chuzenji-ko) on its way to the Senjogahara Plateau, where the gods of Mt. Nantai and Mt. Akagi are said to have battled for possession of Lake Chuzenji - with several animal and insect transformations and archery experts involved in Mt. Nantai's eventual victory. There's a 6.3-km walking course on the plateau; allow a little over two and a half hours. Lake Chuzenji is surrounded by hiking trails ranging from 4.6 km (1½ hours) to 19.7 km (6 hours), and also has rowing and motor boat facilities in the warm season. The area is sometimes called Oku-Nikko (奥日光 Oku-Nikko), meaning "Inner Nikko".
 * Route 120 then crosses over the Yukawa River and passing the Yudaki Falls, Lake Yunoko and the Yumoto spa and ski slopes to the northwest of the city, eventually reaching Mt. Shirane and Lakes Kirikomi and Karikomi, which have their own walking courses.
 * Once inside the park, special "low-pollution hybrid" buses run from a depot at Akanuma, near the Yukawa River and the Ryuzu Falls, to the nature preserve at Senjugahama, on the western shores of Lake Chuzenji. Parking is free at Akanuma, but the road to Senjugahama is closed to all other vehicles.
 * A short walk south from the center of town will get you on a strenuous but rewarding hiking trail to the summit of Mt. Nakimushi (鳴虫山 Nakimushiyama). Allow a few hours for a return trip.
 * Adventurous hikers might want to take the city bus to Matō, down National Route 122 in the far southwestern corner of Nikko city territory, in order to hike to Akagane Shinsui Koen (Copper Hydro Park), billed as Japan's Grand Canyon, as pollution has killed all the trees and left the valley bare. The infamous Ashio copper mine was located nearby. (See Kiryu for details.)
 * Adventurous hikers might want to take the city bus to Matō, down National Route 122 in the far southwestern corner of Nikko city territory, in order to hike to Akagane Shinsui Koen (Copper Hydro Park), billed as Japan's Grand Canyon, as pollution has killed all the trees and left the valley bare. The infamous Ashio copper mine was located nearby. (See Kiryu for details.)

Buy
Aside from the usual good luck charms at the shrines and souvenir shops selling phone straps of Hello Kitty in local dress, there are several interesting secondhand shops along Hippari Dako selling used kimono, antiques and knick knacks.

Popular souvenirs from Nikkō include:
 * yuba (ゆば), the 'skin' that forms on top when making tofu; better eaten fresh, see
 * tamarizuke (たまり漬け), vegetables pickled in tamari soy sauce

Oddly, Western-style cheesecake and kasutera pastries are also popular despite having no obvious historical or cultural connection to Nikkō.

Eat
Yuba (ゆば), the 'skin' that forms on top when making tofu, seems to be everywhere in Nikko. Even if you're not a fan of tofu, it tastes pretty good, especially with soba (buckwheat noodles in a soup broth). Yuba is also one of the most typical edible omiyage from Nikko.



Drink
There is a small alcohol shop across from the station that is run by an old couple and has an interesting selection of world beers.

Sleep
Nikko can be covered in a busy day trip from Tokyo, but it's also a good place to spend the night, especially in a traditional Japanese ryokan guesthouse. The shrines are quite atmospheric early in the morning and at dusk, when the tour buses are not around.

Budget
There are several campsites in Nikko, although only Narusawa (+81 288-54-3374) and Ogurayama (+81 288-54-2478) are open year-round; several others run from April to mid-November or July to August.



Splurge
There are quite a few upmarket hot spring ryokan around Nikkō, but many are a considerable distance from town.



Go next

 * Kirifuri Highlands &mdash; waterfalls, hiking and skiing
 * Kinugawa &mdash; hot springs and the offbeat Tobu World Square/Edo Wonderland theme parks
 * Nasushiobara
 * Yumoto &mdash; hot spring resort perched by another lake (yudaki-falls), 30 minutes deeper into the hills.
 * Those with an interest in pottery or steam locomotives may enjoy Mashiko on the way back to Tokyo.
 * Utsunomiya
 * Kanuma
 * Tochigi
 * Minamiaizu