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Nikko Guide: What to see and where to stay

Nikko is located north of Tokyo in Tochigi, a prefecture whose relatively small size belies its importance to the Japanese spiritual lineage. Numerous temples and shrines are among the primary tourist attractions in the area.

Nature lovers will enjoy Nikko National Park, an expansive terrain that straddles Tochigi, Gunma, and Fukushima prefectures. The diverse landscapes of the national park include swamps, lakes, and mountains, which are habitats for animals like the Japanese macaque and Asian black bear.

Read on for tips on what to do around Nikko and where to stay for an immersive experience of tranquil Japan.

 

1. Getting to Nikko

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Nikko can easily be reached by train from Tokyo in around two hours. Express Tobu trains run from Asakusa to Nikko. Alternatively, you can take the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo Station and transfer to the JR Nikko Line at Utsunomiya Station to reach Nikko.

Reservations for these trains are typically required, so please make advance arrangements based on your travel preferences and location. It also takes around two hours for those traveling by car to reach Nikko.

 

2. Discovering Nikko’s spiritual lineage

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The shrines and temples of Nikko have collectively been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site. There are 103 buildings across the three primary institutions comprising the World Heritage site: the Shinto shrines Tosho-gu and Futarasan-jinja, along with the Buddhist temple Rinno-ji.

Many buildings were constructed in the 17th century, though some date as far back as the eighth century. Their architectural beauty and integration with the natural landscape of forests and mountains is a testament to the culture of Shinto, Buddhism, and ascetic mountain worship that has thrived throughout the generations.

Tosho-gu Shrine is a memorial to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa Shogunate and known as one of the country’s “great unifiers”. Its lavish Yomeimon Gate is decorated with around 240,000 pieces of gold leaf and carvings of dragons, phoenixes, and other figures.

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Futarasan-jinja is dedicated to the deity of Mount Futarasan, also known as Mount Nantai. At nearly 2,500 meters in altitude, Mount Nantai is one of the most prominent local peaks of Nikko and is revered in the indigenous spiritual practice of mountain worship. Its main buildings are west of Tosho-gu, but formally, the grounds encompass 3,400 hectares around Nikko.

Shodo Shonin, an ascetic monk who lived in the eighth century, founded both Futarasan-jinja Shrine and Rinno-ji Temple. Rinno-ji is a Buddhist temple dedicated to the deities of the three mountains of Nikko. The main Sanbutsu-do Hall houses striking statues of these three deities. An exhibition hall and a photogenic garden are among the other attractions at Rinno-ji.

 

3. Embracing the beauty of nature

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Nikko National Park spans nearly 115,000 hectares of land and boasts far too many natural wonders to cover in one visit alone. Kinunuma Swamp is the highest wetland in Japan, at an elevation of 2,020 meters, and is comprised of 48 different ponds. It is a popular destination for viewing alpine plants in the summer and colorful leaves in the autumn.

There is also the Senjogahara Marshland that was originally formed by an eruption of Mount Nantai. Hundreds of wildlife species can be found here, and a boardwalk provides easy access through the area. A significant portion of the marshland is a registered wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

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On the other side of the park, Shiobara Gorge is a scenic area near Mount Nasu with several walking trails. The region boasts around 100 waterfalls, including the 60-meter-high Ryuka-no-taki. Other attractions include the Momijidani Suspension Bridge (320 meters) and the uniquely shaped rock formations known as the Nanatsu-iwa.

Across the Happogahara Plateau, around 200,000 Japanese azaleas bloom in early summer and set the landscape ablaze in their fiery red. The plateau also makes for a pleasant destination in autumn and is a favored spot for stargazing.

 

4. Where to stay in Nikko

Unique ryokans and modern hotels with hot spring facilities are among your options for overnight lodgings in Nikko. Note that these options represent a geographic range, with some close to Nikko Station and others located deeper in the national park.

Nikko Onsen Nikko Senhime Monogatari

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Enjoy relaxing views of the Nikko landscape, distinctive in each season, at Nikko Senhime Monogatari. The hotel offers various room configurations for every type of traveler group and has public baths to soothe you after a long day’s adventure. Additional facilities like a cafe, restaurant, and piano lounge ensure you can unwind between your nature and culture explorations. Enjoy a nourishing and delectable dinner of Japanese cuisine made with the freshest of seasonal ingredients.

Fufu Nikko

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The boutique luxury establishment Fufu Nikko has private hot spring baths in every guestroom. It is located near Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa, constructed in 1899 for Emperor Taisho. The suites at Fufu Nikko each have an atmosphere of antique elegance with a distinctive color palette.

This ambience extends to the communal lounge space with its fireplace, classical music, and the hotel’s in-house restaurant serving seasonal kaiseki banquet cuisine or teppanyaki flat-iron grill. Fufu Nikko also offers private tours of Tosho-gu Shrine and other notable spots that can be arranged for a personalized experience of local nature and culture.

Kinugawa Onsen Asaya Hotel

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With more than 130 years of history, Kinugawa Onsen Asaya Hotel is a comprehensive facility for relaxation and comfort amid the nature of Nikko. The hotel has public bathing facilities on the ground floor as well as the 13th floor, where a “floating garden” open-air bath looks out onto the surrounding landscape. For those who want more privacy, the bathtubs in some of the guestrooms can draw the same hot spring water. Meal options range from a breakfast buffet with 60 different dishes and wagyu beef curry lunch to after-hours snacks and drinks.

Akari no Yado Villa Revage

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The cozy wooden interior of Akari no Yado Villa Revage will make you feel right at home amid the sprawling nature of Nikko. This bed and breakfast is located near the Nikko Botanical Garden and offers convenient access to Tosho-gu Shrine and the day spa of Nikkowanoshiro Onsen Yashio Hot Spring, among other locales.

With less than 10 guest rooms, you’ll be able to enjoy an intimate lodging experience. A complimentary breakfast and relaxing on-site bath round out the other comforts of Akari no Yado Villa Revage, allowing you to start and end your day in a state of relaxation.

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