The Nikko Toshogu Shrine, dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, and other structures and cultural assets from the Edo period can be viewed in this historical exploration district. The Kinugawa River is also famous as a hot spring resort, and visitors can experience a boat trip down the rapids of the river.
Nikko and Kinugawa are home to tourist attractions such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Kinugawa Hot Springs, and Senjogahara, tourist events such as the Chrysanthemum Exhibition, Nikko Waraku Odori Dance, and flower fairs, and local delicacies such as yakiudon noodles, shimotsukare, and lebanila.
Nikko City is located in the northern part of the Kanto region, in the northwestern part of Tochigi Prefecture. Especially after it became the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Iemitsu in the Edo period (1603-1867), the city was crowded with worshippers as the gate town of Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The city became known throughout Japan as a tourist destination and scenic spot, as the saying goes, "You can't say "fine" without seeing Nikko.
In the Meiji era (1868-1912), foreigners began to visit Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Lake Chuzenji, Nikko Yumoto Onsen, Fujiwara, etc., and lodging and accommodation facilities were developed to accommodate them, thus creating the appearance of an international tourist city.
The city's tourist attractions and scenic spots include shrines and temples, and Nikko's tourist attractions include the Nikko Mountain Range (Mt. Nantai, Mt. Dai-Manako, Mt. Ko-Manako, Mt. Meoto, Mt. Akanagi, and Mt.
In addition, there are Kinugawa Onsen, Kawaji Onsen, and Yunishigawa Onsen, as well as the Kinunuma Marsh, Ryuoh Gorge, Ashio Copper Mine, and many other attractions. In 1999, the shrines and temples of Nikko were registered as World Heritage sites.
Lake Chuzenji, at an elevation of 1,269 meters, is the highest natural lake with a large area in Japan, and visitors can take a walk among the autumn leaves or take a pleasure boat ride. The Ryuukyo Gorge is a continuous canyon that was created by an undersea volcanic eruption about 22 million years ago. The nature trail along the canyon is a popular sightseeing spot where visitors can easily enjoy hiking.
Osasa Farm is a large sightseeing ranch located along the Kirifuri Kogen Highway, where cattle, sheep, goats, horses, and other animals graze, and where visitors can enjoy milk and soft-serve ice cream made from Brown Swiss dairy cows.
The Kinugawa River is a first-class river that flows from north to south across the Kanto Plain and joins the Tone River. With a total length of 176.7 km, it is the longest river among the tributaries of the Tone River. During the Edo period (1603-1867), the Tone River was shifted eastward by Ieyasu Tokugawa in his Tone River Eastward Expansion Project, and the Kinugawa River was replaced by a channel closer to the Kinugawa River, so the Kinugawa River became a river that flows into the Tone River.
The upper reaches of the Kinugawa River are a volcanic area, and the valley is deep. The river is dark green in color, and large white rocks are conspicuous along the riverbanks. Also in the basin are hot spring resorts such as Okukinu Hot Spring Village, Meyobuchi Hot Spring, Kawamata Hot Spring, Yunishigawa Hot Spring, Kawaji Hot Spring, Kinugawa Hot Spring, and Nikko Yumoto Hot Spring.
The most famous of the numerous Kinugawa hot springs is, as the name suggests, Kinugawa Onsen, located in the upper reaches of the Kinugawa River. Along with Hakone and Atami, it is known as one of Tokyo's "backwaters" and attracts a large number of tourists. The hot spring water is alkaline simple spring water or simple spring water.
The shrine is dedicated to the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Shogunate. The gorgeous architecture represented by the Yomeimon Gate is unparalleled in its mixed Shinto/Buddhist style. Together with Kunouzan Toshogu Shrine and Ueno Toshogu Shrine, it is one of the three major Toshogu shrines.Five of the eight buildings are designated as National Treasures, and 34 are design...»
Travel back in time through a barrier gate! After passing through the barrier gate, you will be in the city of Edo (present-day Tokyo). This is a cultural park where you can experience the culture of the Edo period. Once you step into the entrance gate, you will be greeted by samurai warriors and town girls in a realistic reproduction of the streets of Oedo's Ya-hyakuhachi-machi, a large area lin...»
Of the 48 waterfalls scattered around Nikko, Kegon Falls is the most famous. It is 97 meters high, 7 meters wide, and 4.5 meters deep, with the water from Lake Chuzenji falling all at once from its large cliffs. This waterfall, which allows visitors to enjoy the grandeur of nature and its beautiful shape at the same time, is one of the three most famous waterfalls in Japan. The elevator (fee req...»
Iroha Slope, a steep sightseeing road with 48 characteristic curves, connects downtown Nikko with Lake Chuzenji and Oku-Nikko. The road consists of two slopes, the first Iroha slope for downhill and the second Iroha slope for uphill, and the total number of sharp curves on the two slopes is as many as 48. Each curve is marked with a "I", "RO", "HA"... sign, allowing visitors to enjoy the drive w...»
Many elegant villas standing by the lakeside of Lake Chuzenji in the rich nature were built by foreigners and embassies of various countries from the middle of Meiji Era to the beginning of Showa Era, and flourished as international summer resorts. The building in the park was built in 1928 as a villa for the Italian Embassy, and was used by successive ambassadors until 1997. There are two build...»
You can enjoy the rich nature of Lake Chuzenji, an international summer resort in Oku-Nikko, and the history of British culture in this park. Many foreign villas were built along the shores of Lake Chuzenji from the middle of the Meiji period (1868-1912) to the beginning of the Showa period (1926-1989), and the area was crowded as an international summer resort. The building in the park was buil...»
Located near Kegon-no-taki Waterfall and Lake Chuzenji, this museum offers visitors a fun way to learn about the nature and history of Oku-Nikko through the use of video equipment and other facilities. It also functions as a visitor center and a base for disseminating information on Oku-Nikko, and offers a wide range of activities, including the latest information on nature in each of the four se...»
Located in the center of Oku-Nikko, Lake Chuzenji is one of the highest lakes in Japan at 1,269 meters above sea level. The lake is filled with clear water, and the surrounding area offers beautiful scenery in each of the four seasons. The azaleas in early summer and the autumn leaves in fall are especially beautiful. The lake has been selected as one of the 100 most scenic spots in Japan, and t...»
Rinnoji Temple, founded in the Nara period (710-794), is the main temple of Japan and, along with Toeizan and Hieizan, is one of Nikko's representative temples and shrines, with a vast area of land. This Rinnoji is the general name for the entire Nikko Mountain, and there are many branch temples within the mountain. The temple grounds are divided into two areas, with the Sanbutsudo Hall and the ...»
After reaching the unprecedented summit of Mt. Nantai (2,486 m above sea level), Shodo Shonin, a priest of the Nara period (710-784) and the founder of Nikkozan, built Chuzenji Temple in Enryaku 3 (784) as a place for ascetic practice. Initially, the temple was located toward the entrance to the Nantai-san summit, but was relocated to Utagahama on Lake Chuzenji after the Great Mountainside Tsunam...»
This hot spring resort extends behind Nikko's especially beautiful "Senjogahara" and is spread out along the shores of Lake Yunoko at the foot of Kinsei Pass, with high mountains such as Mt. Shirane looming in the background. Here, visitors can soak in the hot springs while viewing the beautiful seasonal changes of flowers. The spring water is sulfuric, and the hot springs are said to be effectiv...»
Located on the northern shore of Lake Chuzenji, which was created by the eruption of Mount Nantai, this hot spring resort has been popular as a summer resort since ancient times. The source of the hot spring is Nikko Yumoto Onsen, which began to be drawn in 1951. The quality of the spring water in Nikko Yumoto Onsen is hydrogen sulfide spring water, which is extremely hot at about 78°C (158°F), b...»
This is a suspension bridge for pedestrians that connects the Kinugawa Onsen Hot Spring Resort and Tateiwa. It is approximately 140 meters long and offers a panoramic view of the rapids of the Kinugawa River and beautiful mountains. The bridge is approximately 40 meters high and spans through a large rock formation. Tateiwa is about 70 meters high and was so named because it resembles a shield u...»
This is a scenic spot deep in Nikko with beautiful valleys. Surrounded by rich natural tourist attractions such as Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Kegon Falls, and Kinugawa Hot Spring Village. The beauty of the valley, bathed in sunlight and filled with negative ions, is sure to enchant you with its beauty. A group of about 70 Jizo statues, known as "Kake Jizo," are scattered around the area around Rutsuka...»
Once known as "Japan's No. 1 mining town," this copper mine has a prosperous history. Visitors can tour the mine shafts. After the mine was closed, some of the tunnels were opened to the public, and visitors ride a trolley train through the dimly lit tunnels, where realistic dolls recreate the ore mining process of that time. There is also a museum, including a "Copper Museum," where the copper s...»
Kinugawa Onsen is one of the most beautiful hot spring resorts in the Kanto region, with its magnificent valleys and beautiful scenery. Discovered in the Edo period (1603-1867), Kinugawa Onsen has a long history, and at that time, only Buddhist monks and feudal lords on pilgrimages to Nikko were allowed to bathe in the hot spring. Since the Meiji period (1868-1912), it has been open to the publi...»
The Kirifuri Plateau is a highland area within Nikko National Park. Kirifuri Kogen is a highland area within the Nikko National Park, with natural scenery such as "Kisuge-daira," a highland area 1,300 to 1,600 meters above sea level that stretches halfway up Mount Akanagi, and "Kirifuri Waterfall," one of the three most famous waterfalls in Nikko. These facilities make it possible to enjoy the are...»
Kirifuri Falls is located in Tokono, Nikko City, on the Kirifuri River, a tributary of the Itana River in the Tone River system. This waterfall is considered one of the "Three Great Waterfalls of Nikko" along with Kegon Falls and Uramitaki Falls, and has also been selected as one of the 100 best waterfalls in Japan. The Kirifuri Waterfall is divided into an upper and lower section, with the upper...»
Senjogahara originates from a myth that the gods of Nantaiyama and Akagiyama fought over Lake Chuzenji. It used to be a lake, but now it is a vast marshland covering 400 hectares. The marshland is home to 350 species of plants and a large number of wild birds, and has been recognized as a "wetland of international importance" and registered under the Ramsar Convention. A nature study trail surrou...»
The 20-meter-high Uramitaki Falls are known for the haiku master Matsuo Basho, who visited Nikko in 1689 on his journey along the Okunohosomichi trail and saw the falls and composed the haiku "Tadatari wa taki ni kokomoriya natsu no hajimae" ("It's the beginning of summer when I stay in the falls for a while"). This waterfall is located upstream of the Arasawa River, a tributary of the Oya River....»