Nikko
Discover 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. 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.
Taste of Nikko...
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. 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. 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. 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. There are quite a few upmarket hot spring ryokan around Nikkō, but many are a considerable distance from town.
A Rich Past
Explore the historical roots that shaped Nikko into what it is today.
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. 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....
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsNikko has two major train stations: 36.747181139.6221221 Nikkō Station , served by Japan Railways (JR), and 36.7481139.622 Tōbu-Nikkō Station , 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. 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....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting 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; ☏ +81 288-53-3795) 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.
Where to Stay
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. 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. There are quite a few upmarket hot spring ryokan around Nikkō, but many are a considerable distance from town.
Money & Budget
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. Oddly, Western-style cheesecake and kasutera pastries are also popular despite having no obvious historical or cultural connection to Nikkō. 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. 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.