Nikko
UNESCO World Heritage Site: Shrines And Temples Of Nikko (1999); Within Nikko National Park · Nikko, Tochigi
A mountain town about two hours north of Tokyo, where the most lavish shrine complex in Japan stands in a forest of giant cedars; together with its temples it is a World Heritage Site. Toshogu, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the shogunate that ruled Japan for two and a half centuries, was rebuilt on a grand scale in the 1630s and is covered in gold leaf, lacquer and carving, from the famous three wise monkeys, see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, to the sleeping cat and the dazzling Yomeimon gate. Nearby are Rinno-ji temple and Futarasan shrine, and the red lacquered Shinkyo bridge over the river marks the entrance to the sacred area. Above the town, the Irohazaka road climbs in forty-eight hairpin bends to Lake Chuzenji and the Kegon Falls, which drop nearly a hundred metres, in the high plateau of Nikko National Park, spectacular in October's autumn colours. Nikko is an easy day trip from Tokyo by train, but staying overnight, perhaps in an onsen at Lake Chuzenji or Kinugawa, lets you see the shrines before the crowds.
2301 Sannai, Nikko, Tochigi, 321-1431, Japan
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED. The structure: shrines and temples open from around 8 am to 5 pm from April to October and close earlier, around 4 pm, from November to March, with last entry about 30 minutes before closing. Buses between the town and the lake run to a timetable that thins out in the evening and in winter, and the Irohazaka road jams heavily on autumn weekends. The Kegon Falls lift keeps daytime hours. Heavy snow can close some lake roads. Confirm times and bus schedules before going.