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Nikko Travel Guide
Things To See
Go to the Toshogu Shrine
The site of the resting place of the powerful leader of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa
Ieyasu, the Toshogu Shrine is an important landmark in the city of Nikko. It is a vast shrine
complex in the forest and is made up of several buildings. Its structures, such as a fivestorey
pagoda, storehouses and gates, are lavishly decorated, with designs and carvings
that can only be seen at this site. Three of the most famous of these unique carvings are
the Sozonozo Elephants, the Nemurineko and the monkeys.
Take a ride at Edo Wonderland (Nikko Edomura)
A small theme park that depicts life in Japan during the Edo Period, Edo Wonderland
comprises traditional, Edo-style shops, museums and restaurants, with park staff and
employees dressed in Edo Era costumes. Visitors can also rent costumes for a fee to
more fully experience life during the 1600s to 1800s; wearing traditional Japanese attire
while touring the park’s attractions. Other facilities available are souvenir shops that sell
toy weapons, teapots and woodblock prints; a live show theatre; and wax museums that
feature torture and prison scenes from the battle years.
Benevolent Kings at Nio-mon Gate of Taiyuinbyo
See Taiyuinbyo
Taiyuinbyo is the resting place of Tokugawa Iemitsu, grandson of Ieyasu and third shogun
of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Just like Toshogu Shrine, it is adorned by intricate designs
and styles. Its architecture and layout are a fusion of Shinto and Buddhist influences, with
walking paths that lead to the different gates, towers, halls and the mausoleum.
Yudaki Falls
Visit the Rinnoji Temple
Considered to be the most important temple in Nikko, the Rinnoji Temple is an ancient Buddhist structure founded by a monk named Shodo
Shonin, who brought Buddhism to the city back in the 8th century. Its main building is known as the Sanbutsudo and is where large, goldcoated,
wooden statues of the three mountain deities of Nikko are kept (Bato-Kannon, Senju-Kannon, and Amida).
Explore the Futarasan Shrine
Just a few minutes’ walk from Toshogu is the Futarasan Shrine, which is a shrine founded by the same Buddhist monk who brought Buddhism
to the city (Shodo Shonin). It is a structure that honours the deities of the most sacred mountains of Nikko — Mount Taro, Mount Nyoho and
Mount Nantai.
Learn at Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
Featuring architectural styles and designs from the Edo Period and modern Meiji Era, Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park consists of the
Tamozawa Imperial Villa, a large, old wooden building with 106 rooms, and a well-maintained Japanese style landscape garden that is famous
for its autumn colours.
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