Day 1: Nikko National Park
The whole point of going to Japan for Christmas was to see some snow, so a trip into the mountains was a must. We didn’t have much time to go too far from Tokyo so we went to Nikko.
We took the train from Tokyo to Nikko and arranged a hire car. We debated hiring a car, but I’m so glad we did. It was so convenient to get where we wanted to do, we didn’t have to wait for public transport, and parking was never an issue.
After arriving at the train station in Nikko we picked up the car and drove to our hotel. Since we had a car we didn’t have to stay right in the town center or that close to the attractions, so we found a great BnB just outside of the town center – Nikko Teddy Bear House. The hosts were lovely and really looked after us!
We spent our first full day in Nikko looking at the temples and shrines in the Nikko National Park, which make up the UNESCO World Heritage Site.
We started at the largest shrine – Toshogu Shrine. As you approach the shrine you will see the five-story pagoda. After entering the shrine, but before you go through the main gate make sure you visit the Honjido Hall and see the famous “Crying Dragon” painting. There is a guide in the hall providing information about the painting and the special feature within the hall (no spoilers here). There is a sign for English speakers – make sure you stand near the sign and the guide will provide the information in English as well.
From there you can walk through the gate into the main area and see a number of decorated buildings. Many of the buildings are covered in gold lacquer work. Here you will see the carving of the wise monkeys (hear no evil, see no evil, do no evil). On the same building you will see a number of other carvings, each telling a different story. The carvings were created to teach children right from wrong.
You can also view the main shrine, gohonsha and walk up a flight of stairs to view Tokugawa Ieyasu’s mausoleum (tomb) where his remains are believed to lie. It’s a beautiful view from the stairs and the top near the tomb which looks over the forest and back down on the other buildings within the shrine.
Next to the Toshogu Shrine is the Futarasan Shrine. The Futarasan Shrine is the oldest shrine in Nikko, founded in 782. It was founded by Shodo Shonin, a Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism to Nikko. He also founded the Rinnoji Temple which is nearby. The Shinkyo Bridge, which is outside of the complex near the main road, is part of this shrine.
The Rinnoji Temple is the primary Buddhist temple in Nikko. You can walk through the shrine and see three large wood statues lacquered in gold. We returned to this temple for the New Year’s celebrations – more on that later.
After the shrines and temples we jumped in the car and drove to see Kegon Waterfall and Lake Chuzenji. It was a beautiful drive up the mountain. As we got higher, the snow got a bit thicker. The waterfall was especially beautiful with the surrounding snow and ice. By the time we got to the lake it was starting to get dark, so we had a quick look across the lake before heading back to Nikko.
Day 2 (New Year’s Eve)
On the second day we drove just outside of Nikko to Edo Wonderland. Edo Wonderland is a Japanese cultural theme park showcasing the Edo Era. There are also a number of performances that you can attend, including a ninja show and a geisha show. You can also learn how to throw a ninja star and use a samurai sword. It was a fun afternoon.
After the theme park we went to Kinugawa Onsen. We first visited the Kinu Tateiwa Otsuribashi (suspension bridge), then went to a hot spring foot bath. The foot bath was in a great location, overlooking the town. It was very peaceful and relaxing. There are several foot bathes throughout the town.
Now that it was getting dark we headed to Tobu World Square. We were lucky because they had a special event on and were open in the evening rather than just the day. The Tobu World Square is a park made up of miniature replicas (1/25 scale) of known landmarks around the world. While we were there they also had a number of light displays for the evening visitors. The landmarks were very detailed and it was fun to see some of the places that we have been.
From there we made our way back to Nikko to visit the Rinnoji Temple for New Year’s Eve. We were excited for a different type of new year’s celebration. We are used to fireworks and parties and drinking, so starting the new year at a Buddhist temple was something we had been looking forward to for a while.
Day 3 – Kanmangufuchi Abyss
There was one last place we wanted to visit while in Nikko and that was the Kanmangufuchi Abyss. We tried to find this place on our first night, but it was too dark to see anything. Unfortunately, we waited until our last day. Normally this wouldn’t of been an issue, but it happened to be New Year’s Day. In order to get to the area we had to drive past the shrines and temples in Nikko. Since it is Japanese custom to visit a shrine on the first day or two of the new year there was a large amount of traffic! After some time, we finally arrived but had to hurry because we were catching a train to the airport to fly home. If we missed the train, we would likely miss our flight! Anyway…
This area displays a row of old Jizo statues lined along a river. It was a short walk to the statues and once you arrived you didn’t know where to look – the statues were amazing, but the river next to them was stunning as well. We walked all the way to the end of the statues admiring the peacefulness of the area. We spent every last second we could before running back to the car and making our way to the train station.
Nikko was a highlight of our trip to Japan. We experienced the Japanese Edo Era, got to see some amazing old shrines and temples, saw the wise monkey carving, and had the best New Year’s Eve we have both ever had. Plus we got to see snow (which was the main reason for visiting Japan over Christmas).
Be sure to add Nikko to your list of places to visit while in Japan – you won’t be disappointed.