By rail
Tobu-Nikko station, ~2 h from Tokyo
East Asia · Japan
Nikko, Japan
Ornate shrines in cedar forests
Getting there
By air
Haneda or Narita, ~2.5 h by train
Best time to visit
October to November — autumn colour
Don't miss
Nikko Toshogu
The Shinkyo Bridge
Kegon Falls
Lake Chuzenji
Things to do
The Toshogu shrine
Kegon Falls
Lake Chuzenji
Where to eat
Sources: Photo: Jpatokal · CC BY-SA 4.0
What to pack
Layers, walking shoes
A quieter corner
The Kanmangafuchi Abyss and its row of stone Jizo
Questions travellers ask
When is Nikko at its most colourful?
October to November, for the autumn colour. Bring layers and walking shoes.
How long does it take to get to Nikko from Tokyo?
About 2 hours by train to Tobu-Nikko station. From Haneda or Narita, allow roughly 2.5 hours by train.
What is there to see in Nikko?
The ornate Toshogu shrine, the Shinkyo Bridge, Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji. For a quieter corner, find the Kanmangafuchi Abyss and its row of stone Jizo.
What food is Nikko known for?
Yuba, or tofu skin, which you'll find in every form.
About Nikko
- Mountains
- Forest
Where it is
Nikko lies in the mountains of north-western Tochigi Prefecture, Japan, north of Tokyo, where the Daiya River leaves the volcanic highlands of Nikko National Park around Lake Chuzenji and Mount Nantai.
History
Nikko has been a centre of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship since the monk Shodo founded a temple here in the 8th century. In 1617 it became the resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, and his grandson Iemitsu rebuilt the Toshogu shrine in its lavish present form in the 1630s. The shrines and temples of Nikko are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
People
Nikko's people speak Japanese and have long lived from the shrines and temples and the pilgrims they draw, and since the Meiji era from the lake resorts where foreign embassies kept summer villas. Local crafts include Nikko-bori wood carving, and twice a year, in May and October, the Procession of a Thousand Samurai recalls the moving of Ieyasu's remains to Toshogu.
Known for
- The ornate Nikko Toshogu shrine
- The three wise monkeys carving
- Kegon Falls
- Lake Chuzenji and the autumn colours
- Yuba, tofu skin, a local speciality
Did you know?
The famous carving of the three wise monkeys, who see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil, decorates the sacred stable of Nikko Toshogu.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.