Nikkō
Golden shrines in the cedar mountains
Go because nowhere else in Japan marries such extravagant, gilded artistry with such serene mountain nature.
Come for Tōshō-gū — the astonishingly ornate shrine-mausoleum of the shogun who unified Japan — set among towering cedars, waterfalls and mountain scenery. A UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the great day trips from Tokyo. As the old saying goes: never say "splendid" until you've seen Nikkō.
There is a Japanese proverb — "never say kekkō (splendid) until you've seen Nikkō" — and the shrines here earn it. After the restraint of most Japanese religious architecture, Nikkō comes as a gilded, carved, polychrome astonishment: gold leaf and vermilion, dragons and elephants and the famous three wise monkeys, all set beneath colossal cedars in the mountains north of Tokyo. It is where the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate was laid to rest and deified, and no expense was spared. Around the shrines lies a landscape of waterfalls, gorges and a high lake — nature and artifice in rare balance.
A little background
Nikkō's grandeur springs from one man: Tokugawa Ieyasu, the warlord who ended Japan's civil wars and founded the shogunate that ruled for over 250 years. On his death in 1616 he was enshrined here as a god, and his grandson rebuilt the complex on a lavish scale in the 1630s, marshalling the country's finest craftsmen. The result — Tōshō-gū and its neighbouring temples and shrines — was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Nikkō had been a centre of mountain worship for over a thousand years before that, which is why it sits where it does, deep among sacred peaks.
What to see
Tōshō-gū. The star: Ieyasu's shrine-mausoleum, a riot of carving and gold. Look for the famous "see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil" monkeys, the sleeping cat, and the soaring Yōmeimon gate, so intricate it's nicknamed the "twilight gate" for the time you can spend admiring it.
Rinnō-ji and Futarasan Shrine. The neighbouring temple and shrine complete the World Heritage ensemble, quieter but beautiful.
The Shinkyō Bridge. A graceful vermilion bridge arching over the river at the entrance to the sacred precinct.
Lake Chūzenji and Kegon Falls. Above the town, a winding mountain road climbs to a high lake and the thunderous 97-metre Kegon Falls — spectacular in autumn, and worth the trip up if you have time.
How to get there
Nikkō is about two hours from Tokyo. The most convenient route is the Tobu Railway from Asakusa (limited express in around 2 hours); JR travellers can go via Utsunomiya on the shinkansen. It's a long but very doable day trip; an overnight lets you reach the mountains and lake above the town at a gentler pace. Tobu offers discount passes covering transport and local buses.
When to go & practical notes
Autumn (mid-to-late October up at the lake, November in the town) is glorious and famously busy, the maples blazing around the shrines and falls. Spring is lovely; winter is cold and can be snowy but atmospheric. The shrines involve a fair amount of walking and steps among the cedars, so allow time and wear good shoes. The mountain area above town (lake and falls) needs extra hours and a bus ride — decide in advance whether you're doing shrines only, or shrines plus mountains.