Day 11 – Trip to Nikko

The hustle and bustle of Tokyo ended up being left behind for most of today, as I took an approximately 2-hour trip on the JR and bullet train to Nikko in the mountains. Nikko is a small town and World Heritage Site in the Japanese region of Tochigi. The town is at the entrance to the Nikko National Park, and is a breathtaking area with lakes, mountains, waterfalls, hot springs, and numerous hiking trails. The park is most famous for the lavishly decorated shrine of Toshogu.

The sun was shining brightly as I set off with a perfect blue sky. The scenery on route was amazing and, after a relaxing journey, I eventually arrived at the small and pretty station at Nikko. Getting around in the mountainous area is easier than you would expect, as there are regular buses that run in and out of the station and take you to all the main sites. You can use your IC card on these buses, too, or you can just use cash.

So, my first stop was the Toshogu Shrine that is an impressive piece of architecture with a large number of steps to climb to reach it. You can freely wander around the shrine area, or you can pay to go inside. The shrine complex is made up of more than a dozen structures set within a forest, and elements of Shinto and Buddhism are apparent here as they are in many other areas of the Japanese culture. The shrine can be quite exhausting on the legs, as there are many steps within it to climb, but it is well worth it for the experience.

My next stop was the beautiful red Shinkyo Bridge. This bridge was constructed in 1636 and is ranked as one of the top three bridges in Japan, and I can see why. A bridge of some kind, however, has been in the same spot for many years. I love this bridge, as it has such an authentic Japanese feel to it – the water below it was crystal clear, too, with an aquamarine hue. If you don’t mind a bit of a walk, you can actually walk to the bridge from the shrine. It is then only a short distance from the bridge to get to the bus stop that takes you up into the mountains to see the lake and waterfall.

The bus journey took around 45 minutes and consisted of many hairpin bends, but, once up at the top, there is a lovely village and fantastic views across Lake Chuzenji. You can then also walk over to the viewing platform to get great views of the Kirifuri Waterfall. This was a stunning location and I also saw deer and a couple of Japanese Macaque monkeys on route.

The village up in the mountains was quiet whilst I was there, and many of the shops and eating establishments closed early. There are hotels up there, too, but they also looked quiet. April is early in the season, as apparently the season doesn’t really get underway until May. So, if you decide to visit at quieter times of the year, it is a good idea to make sure that you take some drinks and snacks with you on the trip to keep you going. My day in Nikko was quite long, but well worth the trip, and my return travel route worked out well with all my required trains arriving just at the right time.

In the evening, after arriving back at my hotel, I decided to explore some more of the streets of Tokyo. I wandered around some of the tiny back streets where all the popular eating places are. Tantalising aromas of local cuisine and BBQ smoke waft up and down the streets and lure you in – you can literally join in any of the places you fancy, providing you can find a spare seat! I ended up sampling some delicious Korean BBQ – a great way to finish off a busy day.