Tochigi · City
Nikko
日光市にっこうしNikkō-shiThe shoguns' sanctuary in the mountains of Tochigi
Nikko is a mountain city in north-western Tochigi, home to the Toshogu mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu and the other Shrines and Temples of Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Above the town lie Lake Chuzenji, the Kegon Falls and the high marshes of Nikko National Park.
Overview
Nikko was a sacred mountain site long before the shoguns came. In the eighth century the monk Shodo Shonin founded a temple at the confluence of the Daiya and Inari rivers and opened Mount Nantai to worship, and for centuries Nikko was a centre of mountain asceticism. In 1617 the Tokugawa made it the resting place of Ieyasu, founder of their shogunate, and turned it into the most lavishly decorated shrine complex in Japan.
The Toshogu, the Futarasan Shrine and the temple of Rinnoji, set in cedar forest on the slope above the Shinkyo bridge, were inscribed as World Heritage in 1999. From the town, the Irohazaka road climbs in 48 hairpin bends to Lake Chuzenji at about 1,270 m, with the Kegon Falls, the Senjogahara marsh and the hot springs of Yumoto beyond – the heart of Nikko National Park.
Since a merger in 2006 the city covers some 1,450 km², among the largest municipal areas in Japan, taking in the old post town of Imaichi, the spa resorts of Kinugawa, Kawaji and Yunishigawa, and the former copper-mining town of Ashio. Tourism is its mainstay, from day-trippers at the shrines to hikers and anglers in the mountains.
Landmarks
- 日光東照宮Nikkō Tōshōgū
Mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, with the carved and gilded Yomeimon gate, the 'three wise monkeys' and the 'sleeping cat'.
- 日光二荒山神社Nikkō Futarasan Jinja
Shrine to the deities of Nikko's three sacred mountains, with further sanctuaries at Lake Chuzenji and on the summit of Mount Nantai.
- 輪王寺Rinnō-ji
Tendai temple whose Sanbutsudo hall houses three giant gilded statues; its Taiyuin is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu.
Shinkyo Bridge
神橋ShinkyōVermilion lacquered bridge over the Daiya River at the entrance to the shrine precinct, part of Futarasan Shrine.
Kanmangafuchi Abyss
憾満ヶ淵KanmangafuchiLava gorge of the Daiya River lined with a row of stone Jizo statues in red caps.
Tamozawa Imperial Villa
日光田母沢御用邸Nikkō Tamozawa GoyōteiFormer imperial summer villa (1899), one of the largest surviving wooden residences of the Meiji to Taisho eras.
- 華厳の滝Kegon-no-taki
The 97-metre fall where Lake Chuzenji drains into the Daiya valley, seen from an elevator-accessed platform at its base.
Ashio Copper Mine
足尾銅山Ashio DōzanFormer mine and tunnels open to visitors, a key site of Japan's industrialisation and of its first great pollution case.
Districts
- 山内Sannai
The shrine and temple precinct across the Shinkyo bridge.
Station town
The main street from the JR and Tobu Nikko stations uphill to the Shinkyo bridge, lined with inns, yuba shops and the Kanaya Hotel at its top.
- 奥日光Okunikkō
Lake Chuzenji, the Senjogahara marsh and Yumoto Onsen, reached by the Irohazaka road.
Kinugawa and Kawaji
鬼怒川KinugawaHot-spring resorts in the Kinu River gorge in the east of the city.
Imaichi
今市ImaichiFormer post town at the meeting of the cedar-lined Nikko Kaido and Reiheishi Kaido, today the city's administrative centre.
Ashio
足尾AshioFormer copper-mining town in the south-west, with the mine museum and the Watarase valley.
History
According to tradition, Shodo Shonin crossed the Daiya River in 766 and founded the temple that became Rinnoji; he reached the summit of Mount Nantai in 782. Nikko's three sacred peaks – Nantai, Nyoho and Taro – were worshipped as a unity of Buddhist and Shinto deities, and the mountain was an important site of Shugendo.
The Tokugawa era transformed it. Ieyasu was enshrined here in 1617, and in 1636 his grandson Iemitsu rebuilt the Toshogu in its present form, employing the best craftsmen of the day. Iemitsu's own mausoleum, the Taiyuin, followed in 1653. Imperial princes served as abbots of Rinnoji, and embassies from Korea and envoys from the imperial court came in procession. In the Meiji era the separation of Shinto and Buddhism divided the complex, while foreign residents discovered Nikko and Lake Chuzenji as summer retreats; several embassies built villas on the lake.
766
Shodo Shonin founds a temple at Nikko, the origin of Rinnoji.
782
Shodo Shonin reaches the summit of Mount Nantai.
1617
Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined at Nikko.
1636
Tokugawa Iemitsu completes the rebuilding of the Toshogu.
1653
The Taiyuin mausoleum of Iemitsu is completed.
1873
The Kanaya family begins lodging foreign visitors, the origin of the Nikko Kanaya Hotel.
1890
The railway reaches Nikko.
1934
Nikko National Park is designated.
1999
The Shrines and Temples of Nikko are inscribed as World Heritage.
2006
Nikko merges with Imaichi, Fujihara, Ashio and Kuriyama.
Culture
Nikko's culture is shaped by the coexistence of Shinto and Buddhism, by the Edo-period craftsmanship of the Toshogu and by more than a century of international summer residence at Lake Chuzenji, where the former Italian and British embassy villas are open to the public. Festivals of the shrine and temple follow a centuries-old calendar.
Festivals
- 東照宮春季例大祭Tōshōgū Shunki Reitaisai
On 17–18 May: horseback archery (yabusame) and the Procession of a Thousand Warriors in Edo-period costume.
Toshogu Autumn Grand Festival
東照宮秋季大祭Tōshōgū Shūki TaisaiOn 17 October, a second procession of warriors amid the early autumn colours.
Yayoi Festival
弥生祭Yayoi MatsuriSpring festival of Futarasan Shrine in mid-April, with flower-decked festival wagons from the town's districts.
Gohanshiki
強飯式GōhanshikiRite at Rinnoji on 2 April in which mountain ascetics force towering bowls of rice on the participants.
Food
Yuba
湯波yubaTofu skin, rolled and layered in Nikko style and served in soup, simmered or deep-fried; a legacy of temple cuisine.
Nikko yokan
日光羊羹Nikkō yōkanFirm sweet bean jelly, made in Nikko since the nineteenth century and sold by several old shops.
Shaved ice with natural ice
天然氷のかき氷tennengōri no kakigōriIce cut in winter from ponds in the Nikko area and served as fluffy kakigori in summer.
Himemasu
ヒメマスhimemasuKokanee (landlocked sockeye salmon) from Lake Chuzenji, grilled with salt at lakeside inns.
Getting around
- Tobu limited expresses run from Asakusa to Tobu-Nikko Station in about two hours; JR trains arrive at Nikko Station via Utsunomiya on the Nikko Line.
- Buses run from both stations to the Shinkyo bridge and the shrine area (about 10 minutes), to Lake Chuzenji via the Irohazaka hairpin road (about 45 minutes) and on to Yumoto.
- Kinugawa-Onsen is served directly by Tobu trains; a steam-hauled tourist train, the SL Taiju, runs between Shimo-Imaichi and Kinugawa-Onsen.
- The Akechidaira ropeway and hiking trails around Lake Chuzenji and Senjogahara are best in the green season and autumn; roads can be congested at the peak of the foliage.
Day trips
Senjogahara marsh, Yudaki and Ryuzu falls and the Yumoto hot springs.
A steep day climb from Futarasan Chugushi shrine on the shore of Lake Chuzenji, open in the summer season.
Kinugawa Onsen
鬼怒川温泉Kinugawa OnsenRiverside spa resort, with river rafting and the Edo Wonderland theme park nearby.
The high moor of Oze National Park, reached over the mountains via Gunma.
Gyoza and the Oya stone quarries on the way back to Tokyo.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
How much time is needed in Nikko?
The Toshogu, Futarasan Shrine and Rinnoji can be seen in a long day from Tokyo. Adding Lake Chuzenji, Kegon Falls and Senjogahara makes an overnight stay worthwhile.
What is the famous monkey carving at Nikko?
The three wise monkeys – see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil – are carved on the sacred stable of the Toshogu, part of a panel series on the life of a monkey.
When is the autumn foliage in Nikko?
Colours start in the high marshes around Yumoto in late September or early October, reach Lake Chuzenji and the Irohazaka in mid-October and the shrine area in early November.
Is Nikko the same as the Nikko National Park?
No. Nikko City is a municipality; Nikko National Park is a larger protected area covering the mountains of Nikko, Nasu, Shiobara and parts of Gunma and Fukushima.
Related
Sources
- 1.日光市ホームページ (opens in a new tab) — 日光市 (Nikko City)
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
- 3.Shrines and Temples of Nikko (opens in a new tab) — UNESCO World Heritage Centre
- 4.日光国立公園 (opens in a new tab) — 環境省 (Ministry of the Environment)