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There is an old Japanese saying, nikko wo minakereba kekko to iu na, which translates roughly as do not say splendid until you have seen Nikko. It refers to Toshogu, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and it is the one place in Japan where the usual restraint of Japanese religious architecture is thrown out entirely in favour of gold leaf, lacquer and several thousand carvings.
Beyond the shrines, Nikko sits at the edge of a national park of lakes, waterfalls and cedar forest that would justify the journey on its own.
Toshogu was built in 1617 to enshrine Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who unified Japan. His grandson expanded it into the extravagance you see now, deliberately overwhelming, and quite unlike anything else in the country.
The Yomeimon gate carries over 500 carvings and is so detailed that people historically stood staring at it until sunset, which is why it is also called the Twilight Gate. The famous three wise monkeys are on the sacred stable, and the sleeping cat carving guards the path up to the tomb itself, a long climb through cedars.
Rinnoji, the Buddhist temple, and Futarasan shrine sit alongside and are included in most combination tickets. The whole complex is UNESCO listed.
It helps to know why it looks the way it does, because Toshogu is a deliberate exception to everything else in Japanese religious architecture.
Tokugawa Ieyasu unified Japan and died in 1616. His grandson Iemitsu rebuilt the mausoleum on an extravagant scale in the 1630s, partly as an act of devotion and partly as a demonstration of Tokugawa power to the regional lords, who were required to contribute. The result mixes Shinto and Buddhist elements freely, in a way that was normal then and was largely undone by the forced separation of the two religions in the Meiji period.
The carvings repay slow looking. The three wise monkeys on the sacred stable are one panel in a sequence of eight telling the story of a human life. The sleeping cat above the gate to Ieyasu’s tomb is paired, on the reverse, with sparrows playing safely nearby, the point being that peace is so complete that even the cat sleeps. One pillar in the Yomeimon gate is carved upside down on purpose, since completed perfection was thought to invite decline.
The tomb itself is up around 200 stone steps through cedars, and far fewer people make the climb than see the gate.
Kegon Falls drops nearly 100 metres from Lake Chuzenji and is one of the three great waterfalls of Japan. A lift takes you to a viewing platform at the base.
Lake Chuzenji sits at 1,270 metres, formed when Mount Nantai erupted and dammed the river. The road up is the Irohazaka, a pair of one-way switchback routes with 48 hairpin bends, named after the 48 characters of the old Japanese syllabary.
Senjogahara is a marshland plateau with a boardwalk trail, and the Ryuzu Falls nearby are at their best in autumn, when Nikko’s colour is among the most reliable in the country.
Practical note on tickets. A combination ticket covers Toshogu, Rinnoji and Futarasan, and is better value than paying separately if you intend to see all three. Rinnoji’s Sanbutsudo hall and its treasure house are sometimes ticketed separately again, so check what your ticket includes at the first counter rather than the third.
Shinkyo, the vermilion bridge across the Daiya river at the entrance to the shrine area, is one of the most photographed structures in Japan. You can pay a small fee to walk onto it, though the view from the road beside it is the one you have seen.
The town itself is small and strung along one main road. Kanmangafuchi Abyss, a short walk from the centre, is a riverside gorge lined with around 70 stone jizo statues in red bibs, and is quiet, strange and free.
Most people day trip, but staying turns a rushed schedule into a comfortable one. Nikko town, near the stations, has the widest choice and puts you a walk from the shrines. Chuzenji Onsen, up the Irohazaka switchbacks by the lake, is quieter, cooler in summer and has hot spring ryokan with mountain views.
Kinugawa Onsen, a short branch line ride away, is the larger hot spring resort and is often cheaper than Nikko itself.
The road up to Lake Chuzenji is worth describing because it is an attraction in itself. The Irohazaka is a pair of one way switchback roads, one climbing and one descending, with 48 hairpin bends between them, named after the 48 characters of the old Japanese syllabary. Each bend carries its character on a sign.
At the top, Akechidaira Plateau has a ropeway to a viewpoint looking back down the valley towards Kegon Falls, which is the best vantage point of the whole trip and one many visitors drive straight past.
In late October and early November the road congests badly with autumn colour traffic, and a journey that takes 25 minutes can take two hours. Start early or travel midweek.
Beyond the lake, Senjogahara is a high marshland plateau at around 1,400 metres with a flat boardwalk trail running several kilometres through it. It is easy walking with mountains on all sides, and in June the wildflowers are exceptional.
The Ryuzu Falls at its lower end split around a rock into two channels, hence the name dragon’s head, and are among the most photographed autumn spots in the region. Yutaki Falls and Lake Yunoko sit at the far end, with Yumoto Onsen, a small sulphurous hot spring village, beyond.
Autumn is the headline season and the busiest by far, with colour running down the mountain from early October at the top to early November in the town. Spring brings fresh green and far fewer people.
Summer is noticeably cooler than Tokyo, which is precisely why the foreign diplomatic community built summer villas along Lake Chuzenji, several of which are now open to visit. Winter is quiet and cold, with the falls partly frozen and the higher roads sometimes closed.
The Tobu line from Asakusa in Tokyo takes around two hours to Tobu-Nikko station and costs roughly 1,400 yen each way on the limited express. There is also a JR route via Utsunomiya, which is slower but useful if you are coming from elsewhere.
Within Nikko, buses run from the station up to the shrines, on to Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls. The shrine area is a twenty minute walk from the station if you would rather not wait.
A long day trip from Tokyo covers the shrines. Adding Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls makes it a rushed day and a comfortable overnight.
Autumn is the peak season and the Irohazaka road jams badly in late October and early November. Go on a weekday if you can, and start early.
Yes, around two hours each way from Asakusa. A day covers the shrines comfortably, or the shrines and the falls at a rush.
The mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the most elaborately decorated shrine complex in Japan, with over 500 carvings on the Yomeimon gate alone.
Autumn for the colour, though it is also the busiest and the mountain road congests badly. Late spring is quieter and still beautiful.
The main route is the Tobu line from Asakusa, which takes about two hours. There is also a slower JR route via Utsunomiya, useful if you are arriving from outside Tokyo.
If you want both the shrines and the national park without rushing, yes. A day trip realistically covers one or the other properly.
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