A mountain and shrine day trip built around two very different halves: the UNESCO-listed shrine complex in Nikko town, and the lake-and-waterfall scenery higher up around Lake Chuzenji. Doing both in one day is tiring given the drive up the Irohazaka switchback road, so most visitors either focus on the shrines or push on to the lake and Kegon Falls and treat the shrines as a shorter morning stop.
| Distance | 80km from Maebashi |
|---|---|
| Travel time | 1 hour 30 minutes by car or 2 hours by train |
| Getting there | From Takasaki Station: JR Ryomo Line to Oyama (30 min), then Tobu Nikko Line to Nikko (1 hour 40 min); total approximately 2 hours 30 min, ¥2,500 ($16.75); or rental car via National Route 122 (90 min drive) |
| Address | Nikko, Tochigi 321-1412 |
How to get there
- JR + Tobu train combination (2 hr 30 min, ¥2,500 / $16.75)
- Rental car (90 min, highway tolls ~¥1,200 / $8.04)
- Organised day tour bus from Maebashi or Takasaki
Location
Nikko, Tochigi 321-1412
36.7597, 139.6000 View on map
Highlights
- Toshogu Shrine - the ornately carved mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, including the well-known carved sleeping cat and three wise monkeys panels
- Shinkyo Bridge - the red lacquered bridge at the entrance to the old shrine precinct, a fixed photo point for the town
- Kegon Falls - a roughly 100-metre single-drop waterfall with an elevator down to a viewing platform at the base
- Lake Chuzenji - a caldera lake formed by the eruption that created Kegon Falls, with lakeside walking paths
- Rinno-ji Temple - a large Buddhist temple complex adjoining Toshogu, part of the same shrine-and-temple UNESCO listing