If you make one trip from Tokyo, it
should be to the pilgrim town of
NIKKO
, 128km north of the capital, with a
World Heritage-listed shrine complex
set amid splendid mountains and
surrounded by outstanding hiking
trails. The antithesis of the
usually austere Shinto shrines - and
often considered overbearingly gaudy
-
Tosho-gu , which,
appropriately enough, means
"sunlight", is the
dazzling jewel of Nikko. Year round,
masses of Japanese tourists tramp
dutifully around Tosho-gu and the
surrounding holy buildings, which
include the
Futarasan-jinja
shrine and the Buddhist temple of
Rinno-ji
. After you've done the same, it's
worth investigating the
Nikko
Tosho-gu Museum of Art , in the
woods behind Tosho-gu, and then
escaping the crowds by crossing the
Daiya-gawa River to explore the
dramatically named
Ganman-ga-fuchi
abyss , which is in fact a
tranquil riverside walk.
If it's the great outdoors you're
after, don't miss out on the most
beautiful part of the Nikko National
Park around Chuzenji-ko ,
some 17km from Nikko, or the quieter
and less touristy resort of Yumoto
, higher in the mountains.
Although with an early start it's
possible to see both Tosho-gu and
Chuzenji-ko in a long day-trip from
Tokyo, you're far better off making
an overnight stay in or around Nikko
to get the most out of the area.
Cramming both places into one day
during the peak summer and autumn
seasons is impossible - it's far
better to concentrate on Nikko
alone. A final tip: pack some warm
clothes, since Nikko is cooler than
lowland Tokyo, and in winter you can
expect plenty of snow.
