"Don't say 'magnificent' until you've seen Nikko" (日光を見ずして結構と言うな) — this 400-year-old Japanese proverb speaks the truth. You really do have to see Nikko (日光) in person to grasp its splendor.
The gold-leafed Yomeimon Gate at Toshogu Shrine (東照宮), the Three Wise Monkeys (sanzaru), the Sleeping Cat (Nemuri-neko) — the might of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the warlord who unified Japan, is woven into every detail of this lavish shrine complex.
After marveling at Toshogu, head up the famous 48 hairpin curves of the Irohazaka (いろは坂) road to Lake Chuzenji (中禅寺湖). If you visit in autumn, fiery red and golden leaves will blanket the road and reflect off the lake — the crowning moment of any Nikko journey.
Getting there: Tokyo Asakusa → Tobu Limited Express Nikko → Nikko Station, 2 hours. Or take the Shinkansen to Utsunomiya and transfer to the JR Nikko Line.
