Located in the mountains of Tochigi, just north of Tokyo, Nikko is the perfect blend of nature and culture. It’s an ideal day trip from busy Tokyo, taking only a couple of hours on the train to reach.
Mostly known for the UENSCO-listed Toshogu Shrine, Nikko also boasts many other shrines, temples, and natural wonders including waterfalls and the Lake Chuzenji.
So whether you’re a nature lover, history nerd, or just looking for a peaceful break, Nikko should be your number one destination for a day trip from Tokyo.
How to get to Nikko
Nikko has two train stations that are right next to each other: Nikkō Station and Tōbu-nikkō Station.
The easiest way to get to Nikko from Tokyo is to take the Tobu Railway Express line from Asakusa Station to Tōbu-nikkō Station. It takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes in total, with no transfers.
You can purchase a NIKKO PASS online and pick it up at the Tourist Information Centre Asakusa (located on the first floor of Asakusa Train Station) – this will cover your train trip to Nikko (you will still need to purchase a limited express ticket on top however) and any bus travel in the city. It costs ¥2,120/€13.
Taking the Tobu Limited Express Spacia X Train
The Spacia X Limited Express is a beautiful, modernised train complete with a cafe bar and a special Cockpit Suite that you can book specially for your trip. Seated right behind the driver, you get unparalleled views on your journey.
There is also a Cockpit Lounge, premium seats, standard seats, box seats and compartments, depending on your preference.
I booked the Cockpit Suite when I took the Spacia X train from Nikko back to Tokyo, and was able to see a beautiful sunset out of the wide, hexagonal windows and through the front of the train.
To book a seat on the train, you first need to pay for a normal ticket which will cost ¥1,400/€9 via a ticket machine or using your PASMO/Suica card when entering the station gates (unless you’ve purchased the NIKKO PASS), then you need a limited express ticket on top, which you can book through the website online.
These cost ¥1,940/€12 (standard seat) or ¥2,520/€16 (premium seat). To book a special seat costs an extra ¥400/€2.50 (box seat), ¥500/€3 (cockpit lounge), ¥8,000/€50 (compartment) or ¥18,000/€112 (cockpit suite).
You can see how exactly the fees work here.
Is the Spacia X Limited Express Train Cockpit Suite worth the money?
Honestly, this is a hard question to answer. For an additional €112, you get access to your own private suite for just under 2 hours, right behind the driver, and experience space and comfort you wouldn’t get in a normal carriage.
However, for that amount of money, I would only say it’s worth it if you’re a train lover. One of my group was, and he said it was one of the best things he did in his whole time in Japan. For me, however, the novelty wore off reasonably quickly, and while it was nice to curl up on a sofa in your own private space, I’m not sure I’d pay the extra if it was just me.
What to do in Nikko in One Day
Visit the Shrines, Temples, and other Cultural Highlights
Taiyūin Temple
Opening Hours: April – October 8am – 5pm, November – March 8am – 4pm
To start at the Taiyūin Temple, you can catch the World Heritage Tour bus from Nikko Station or Tobu-Nikko Station to the Taiyuin/Futarasanjinja-mae bus stop.
Taiyūin Temple is a tribute to Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty (1603-1868), and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Entrance costs ¥550/€3.50.
To visit the Worship Hall at the top of multiple sets of stone steps, you first pass through the Niōmon Gate, which is guarded by two Niō Guardians: Agyō (open mouth) and Ungyō (closed mouth). These celestial beings are designed to ward off evil spirits and protect the sanctity of the temple grounds.
Past this gate, you’ll find the purification fountain, which is a work of art in itself. You’ll also start being able to see some of the moss-covered stone lanterns that are scattered across the temple’s grounds, lining the pathways. Many of these lanterns were donated by feudal lords of the Edo period in honour and respect of Tokugawa Iemitsu.
Climbing the first set of stone steps, you’ll come across the beautiful Nitenmon Gate, which is guarded by the two heavenly kings Jikokuten and Zōchōten. Spend time inspecting the intricate carvings, gilded and lacquered details, and vibrant colours of the gate.
Carry on up the stone steps, taking in the greenery around you, to arrive at the Yashamon Gate. This gate is guarded by four ‘Yasha’ – Bidara (red), Abatsumara (green), Umarokya (blue) and Kendara (white). This gate is also called the ‘Botan-mon’, or ‘Peony Gate’, because of its many engravings of peony flowers.
The final gate, Karamon, is decorated with gold leaf, and features two cranes and a white dragon carved over the entrance. Pass through to find the Worship Hall and Main Hall, which are connected by a passageway. The main hall isn’t open to visitors, but you can walk around the structure.
The Worship Hall is decked in gold and black, and you can visit inside, using the benches outside to take your shoes off.
Behind these halls you will find a final gate, the Kokamon, which is closed. Behind this lies the grave of Tokugawa Iemitsu.
Futarasan-jinja Shrine
Opening Hours: April – October 8am – 5pm, November – March 8am – 4pm
Futarasan-Jinja is dedicated to the deities of Mount Nantai and its surrounding natural environment.
It was established in 767 by the buddhist monk Shōdō Shōnin, and honours three Shinto deities: the god Ōkuninushi, the goddess Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone, a deity of thunder and the mountains.
The main shrine buildings are located near the entrance, but further in, there are lots of sub-shrines and beautiful gardens to explore as well. There’s a small fee of ¥200/€1.25 to enter the garden area.
The first building you’ll see upon entering is the Worship Hall, and behind this is the Main Hall, where the deities are enshrined. For that reason, you can only access the Worship Hall.
Further into the shrine gardens you’ll find a smaller sub-shrine called the Daidokuden. This building is dedicated to the god Okuninushi, and festival in his honour is held on the first weekend of June each year, called Daikoku Matsuri. It features food stalls, a flea market, and taiko drum performances.
Close by is a small shrine to Daikoku, who is one of the Seven Lucky Gods and is a god of wealth, as well as protecting the household and the kitchen. Daikoku is shown with his golden mallet which symbolises prosperity, and with rats which symbolise having plenty of food.
Other sub-shrines include the Hiei Shrine, which is dedicated to the mountain god Oyamakui-no-kami, worshipped as a god of good health, and the Mitomo Jinja, dated from 1763. The name ‘Mitomo’ means ‘friend’, and this shrine is dedicated to Sukunahikona, who is worshipped as the god of wisdom.
At the far end of the shrine gardens is a sacred spring, from which the water is called ‘wakagaeri-no-mizu’ meaning ‘rejuvenating water’, because it’s believed to be good for your health, beauty, and eyesight.
Near the sacred spring is a café where you can get tea, coffee, soft drinks, and small snacks. The drinks here are made using water from the sacred spring!
Tōshogū shrine
Opening Hours: April – October 8am – 5pm, November – March 8am – 4pm
Tōshogū shrine is dedicated to the spirit of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543 – 1616), and it is also the location of his grave. Entrance costs ¥1,300/€8.
After buying your tickets (there are ticket machines to the left of the entrance) you enter through the Omotemon gate, where two Nio guardian spirit statues guard the entrance.
You will then see the three sacred storehouses called ‘Sanjinko’. Under the eaves of the last storehouse you can see the famous sozo-no-zo carvings, which means ‘imagined elephants’, because it’s believed the artists had never seen a real elephant before!
The sacred stable can be seen beyond the storehouses, which was the home of the horse that Tokugawa rode into the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600. Many monkeys decorate the panels around the stable, including the classic ‘see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil’ monkeys.
Walk up the stone steps and you will come to the Yomeimon gate, which is one of the most ornately decorated gates in Japan and has 508 carvings on it, including clouds, birds, and other animals.
After this gate you will see the Shinyosha, a building which is used to store the portable shrines which are carried in procession during the spring and autumn festivals. Further on, you’ll come across the Karamon Gate, a Chinese Gate that’s protected by images of lions and dragons, and also features a finely detailed carving of famous Chinese sages.
Above the entrance gate that leads to Tokugawa’s grace, you’ll find the most famous carving – the ‘Nemurineko’, or ‘Sleeping Cat’.
Past the entrance gate are 207 stone steps leading up to the Inner Shrine. The tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu lies here beneath a 5-metre tall pagoda made from gold, silver, and copper.
Gojū-no-tō Pagoda
Just outside the Tōshogū shrine, you can find the five-story Gojū-no-tō Pagoda. It was first built in 1648, but was destroyed by fire in 1815. The current pagoda dates from 1818.
Shinkyo bridge
Opening Hours: April – October 8:30am – 4pm, November – March 9:30am – 3pm.
The Shinkyo Bridge is a sacred river crossing which officially belongs to nearby Futarasan Jinja Shrine. It costs ¥300/€2 to cross it.
While the design dates back to 1636, the bridge was washed away in floods in 1902, and rebuilt in 1904 according to the same design.
Other things to do in Nikko
- Rinnoji Temple – a large Buddhist temple complex in central Nikko.
- Takino’o Jinja and the Shiraito Falls – located in the woods to the north of Tōshogū shrine.
- Kirifuri Falls – a 75-meter-high waterfall that can be reached by bus from Nikko Station, with a viewing platform.
- Lake Chuzenji – A number of hot spring spa hotels are located on the eastern shore, and you can take cruises, fish, and do water sports on the lake.
- Kegon Falls – a 97-meter-high waterfall that’s the most famous and popular in Nikko.
- Ryuzu Falls – found on the north side of Lake Chuzenji, these falls have a viewing platform and a little shop neaby.
- Chuzenji Temple – a major Buddhist temple on the east side of Lake Chuzenji.
Where to eat in Nikko
There’s one place I’d recommend you go to eat in Nikko, and that’s Grill & Steak Myogetsubo.
Every dish is beautifully and carefully created and presented, from simple appetisers like the sweetcorn soup, to the mouth-watering main event – the steaks.
It’s not too expensive either, surprisingly, with a full course menu (including appetiser, soup, salad, rice/bread, steak, dessert and coffee, plus drinks) coming to about €85 per person.
The restaurant is also beautiful, making use of an old residence of the Nichizoin temple, with an elegant garden to look out over while eating.
A small note: Don’t book to eat here if you’re in a rush. The service is dedicated, but slow, as you’re intended to savour your meal.
Myogetsubo
Address: 2381 Sannai, Nikko, Tochigi 321-1431, Japan
Opening Hours: 11am – 7:30pm, closed Wednesdays
Website: https://myogetsubo.com/
Read more about my Japan travels here!