Nikkō is one of Japan's most celebrated historic sites, set in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture about 140 km north of Tokyo. The shrine and temple complex here, built to enshrine the Tokugawa shoguns, is the most ornate in the country — extraordinary even by Japanese standards, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The centrepiece is the Tōshōgū Shrine, completed in 1636, built in honour of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the shogunate. Hundreds of craftsmen worked on it over two years, covering virtually every surface in gilded lacquer, intricate carvings, and vivid colour. The famous Yōmeimon Gate — sometimes called the Gate of the Setting Sun because you could admire it until sunset without getting bored — is its most photographed element.
Beyond Tōshōgū, the Rinnō-ji Temple and the Futarasan Shrine fill out the UNESCO site. The Kanmangafuchi Abyss — a gorge lined with rows of moss-covered Jizō statues — is one of Nikkō's quietest and most atmospheric sights. Above the town, Kegon Falls plunges 97 m into the valley — one of Japan's three great waterfalls — and Lake Chūzenji, reached by the winding Irohazaka switchback road, offers mountain scenery and hiking.
The Cedar Avenue of Nikkō, stretching 35 kilometres along the approach roads, is the world's longest tree-lined avenue — planted in the 17th century by a lord who could not afford gold but could afford to give future generations cedar trees. Nikkō is a popular day trip from Tokyo (two hours by Limited Express from Asakusa), but an overnight stay allows a more relaxed visit and access to the quieter paths above the shrine precinct.