Nikko - Japan

Walk the world without caring about the weather tomorrow

“Don’t say ‘magnificent’ until you’ve seen Nikko” is the catchiest sentence in most of today’s tourist literature. It is the translation of a popular Japanese saying proclaims Nikko wo minakereba “kekko” to iu na which eulogizes the everlasting magnificence of the city.

Nikko literally means sunlight, an endearing complement to the name of Japan (Nihon) which literally means sun’s origin. This city with a population of nearly 100,000 has been the heart of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries while picturesque, mountainous scenery, lakes, hot springs (onsen), waterfalls, hiking trails and wild monkeys are the highlights of Nikko National Park that you do not want to miss.

Geographically, Nikko is located to the north of Tokyo, in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture. Though it is much closer to Tokyo, the 200-2000 m elevation of Nikko makes the weather rather close to that of Hokkaido. It usually gets cooler when one ascends the mountain. The temperature is only about 22°C in warmest months while it could reach down to -8°C in the coldest months. The average temperature is around 7°C.

The Magic of Nikko

Kyoto and Nara might be the largest and second largest treasure-house of Japan’s cultural legacy where you find beautiful shrines and temples, but you won’t find a sumptuously ornamented shrine there. The Nikko Toshogu Shinto shrine is dedicated to Shogun Tokugawa leyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. When he was dying in 1616, he told his final wish to his successors which was to build a small shrine and enshrine him as the God. Hence, Toshogu, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, became home of the mausoleums of the shogun and is part of the “Shrines and Temples of Nikko”. The buildings here are lavishly ornated with colorful carvings and an abundance of gold leaf, reflecting significant Chinese influence. The Yomei-mon Gate and Kara-mon Gate, the carving of the sleepy cat “Nemuri-Neko” as well as the famous three wise monkeys carved on the stable of the shrine’s sacred horses carry different significance respectively and are all the amazing must-see things.

Besides, Nikko and the area around Lake Chuzenji offer travelers a peaceful atmosphere embellished with beautiful autumn foliage (koyo). Colorful leaves are to the Japanese autumn what cherry blossoms are to spring. The immortal beautifulness of the Japanese maple (momiji) and colorful leaves have beckoned thousands of both Japanese and international visitors each year around mid September until the end of November. When one immerses himself in the appreciation of this natural wonder, there is no past like in Hiroshima, no future like in Tokyo, nothing but just that magic moment.

“Dress (in kimonos) ‘til you drop in Kyoto, eat ‘til you drop in Osaka” is the Japanese sayings well-known to travelers who seek traditional Japanese clothing and Japanese gourmet restaurants in the wonderful archipelago. Visiting Nikko might give you the inspiration and urge to add “Bath ‘till you soaked in Nikko”. Why? It’s because you will see an onsen, a term for hot springs in the Japanese language, almost every few steps. This is comparable to Bangkok, where you can see a 7-11 convenient store almost every few steps along the way. Does it give you a better picture now? As a volcanically active country, Japan has countless onsen spread alongside its length and breadth. The stress-free homey ambiance in these traditional public bathing is conducive to melting the communication barriers and getting to know others hence they are so popular in Japan. This is the virtues of “naked communion” (裸の付き合い hadaka no tsukiai) Japanese uphold. That said, to experience the most out of Nikko, let’s learn how Japanese break the ice in onsen.

Travel To Nikko - Top 6 Best Places

If you are short of time to explore this innocently sweet city, here is the A-list of the best places to travel.

Toshogu Shrine - Lavish mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
Taiyuinbyo - Mausoleum of Iemitsu, Ieyasu’s grandson.
Rinnoji Temple - Nikko’s most important temple.
Lake Chuzenji - Lake at the foot of Mount Nantai.
Yumoto Onsen - Hot spring resort in the national park.
Futarasan Shrine - Dedicated to Nikko’s sacred mountains.

3 Reasons Why I Love Nikko

I love it not because I love staying in the 5-star Nikko hotel but the somewhat absurd reasons below.

What are the most astonishing natural wonders to view in Japan? The answers are cherry blossoms in Spring and colorful leaves in Autumn. The experience would certainly be jotted down as one of the best things I have done in my entire life. “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page” – St. Augustine.
Hot spring! If I was born with a mind like water I might not have put this reason here. In this information overload age, hot spring is the best salvation to my little mind that is cracking because of constant absorption of knowledge and new stuff in life. Let’s decode the “naked communion” in Japanese culture and get some new “naked” friends here.
Standing in the lavishly decorated shrine is going to give me inspiration to work harder in life so that I would be enshrined when I leave the world. Of course that’s just my little fantasy but the magnificence of Nikko Toshogu really mesmerizes me much. “Don’t say ‘magnificent’ until you’ve seen Nikko” huh?