A day excursion to Nikko was one of the highlights of our Tokyo trip. Nikko is a small charming city located north of Tokyo in the Tochigi Prefecture. We joined a guided tour, traveling comfortably by bus from Shinjuku – a journey of just over two hours. We did make a short pit stop along the highway. This allowed some of us to buy breakfast as we started the trip really early and had not eaten yet.
Our first stop was the magnificent Toshogu Shrine, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Established in 1617, it serves as the lavish memorial and burial place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of Japan. Lord Ieyasu was the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate which marked the beginning of Japan’s Edo period. The award-winning Shogun mini-series was based on his story. The shrine is a feast for the eyes. It is adorned with elaborate gold leaf carvings. These carvings blend Chinese Buddhist and Shinto elements. The complex itself is vast, with numerous buildings and structures meticulously preserved.
After spending around 90 minutes exploring the shrine, our group reconvened for the next leg of our Nikko adventure: a visit to Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji. Our tour bus driver skillfully navigated the winding Irohazaka road, a route famous for its 48 hairpin turns (24 up and 24 down). This road is popular among Anime lovers as the famous Japanese racing anime setting is based on it. A funny side note, along the way up the mountain, the weather shifted, and I noticed a light snowfall. I pointed this to my wife who said it couldn’t be as there was no snow forecast from our weather app the night before. She said it must just be the pollen from the trees on the mountain side. But true enough, as soon as we arrived at Kegon fall, our guide had an announcement. She told us to bundle up before leaving the bus as it was indeed snowing lightly. Just light, powdery flurries. Not enough to cover the ground and stuff but enough for us to feel the freezing temperature. I was totally unprepared for it. The weather app data from the night before said the temperature would hover around 5C – 6C. So I was dressed only for such temperatures.
At Kegon Falls, on top of the mountain, the temperature was around 1C to -1C. We braved the chill to witness the stunning falls, where water plunges 97 meters into a rocky pool surrounded by the brown and gold autumn colors of the trees and foliage. The falls was said to be more impressive during spring and summer as the water volume increases. Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious, warming hot soba lunch at a nearby restaurant, providing a welcome escape from the cold.
After lunch, we boarded the bus for the last part of our tour. Our options were to visit Lake Chuzenji or to enjoy the onsen. We chose to stroll around the lake. Lake Chuzenji is Japan’s highest natural lake. It is a beautiful lake and offers a serene peaceful stroll for nature lovers. In warmer weather, it serves as the center of recreational activities for the town of Nikko. The whole town had vintage vibes and a small-town look and feel. After strolling around and taking photos for a while, my wife and I felt the cold. The windchill from the strong wind around the lake made it worse. We found a small coffee shop/souvenir store that had a vintage vibe that reflected the whole feel of the town. It was truly amazing and delightful to be in the quaint city of Nikko. We got to experience light snow. We witnessed the magnificent falls and walked around a serene and peaceful lake. Then, we just kept warm inside a cafe with meaningful conversations.
This was one for the books, my wife and I enjoyed this chill (both literally and figuratively) and scenic trip. Nikko was a perfect blend of cultural immersion, natural beauty, and retro charm. . On our way back to Shinjuku, we stopped at a rest stop with Edo-style structures. It had restaurants and souvenir stores for us to buy food and mementos. It was a wonderful way to end our day trip to Nikko.
All photos are clickable for the non-cropped view and were taken with my Fuji X100VI using the Portra 400 film recipe. Do take time to follow, like, share and comment . Thank you and God bless, Stay tuned for Part 5 – the last part of our trip. 🙂
Daniel's Lighthouse 