Nikko 日光

Nikko, a must-see in Japan

The city of Nikko is located 140 km north of Tokyo, in Tochigi Prefecture. Its name means "Sunlight ". This ancient city was built at the foot of the mountains and is located in the heart of Nikko National Park, which is home to large cedar forests. The surroundings of the city are very well known because you can find there many major sites, Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, registered as World Heritage by Unesco since 1999.

Set in lush greenery, this religious complexe is a must-see for a visit to Japan and is popular with Japanese and tourists alike. As proof, a Japanese saying goes: "Do not say "magnificent" before having seen Nikko" ( Nikkō o mizushite kekkō toiū nakare ).

History and foundation of Nikko

For Nikko, it all began in 766 when the monk Shôdô Shônin founded the Honryû temple (now Rinnô-ji) at the foot of Mount Nantai. He then had other temples built there. Later, Mounts Nantai, Tarō and Nyohō, but also the surroundings of Lake Chūzenji take on a sacred character for followers of Shinto religion.

The site will then be one of the country's high sacred places, both for Japanese Buddhism and for Shinto.

• Read also : Shintoism

The site then acquired additional importance in 1636, when Japan, pacified and prosperous, entered the golden age of the Edo period (1603-1868). The reigning family, the Tokugawa, built there the mausoleum of Ieyasu, the great unifier of the Archipelago. The latter had indeed expressed as a last wish, in 1616, that a mausoleum in Nikko be build for him be buried there. The site then becomes a symbol of Japanese syncretism , where Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines come together, and where the divine is everywhere.

Very popular with tourists in Japan, Nikkô is stormed in the spring during its festival (May 17 and 18): more than a thousand participants dressed as Edo samurais replay the funeral ceremony of Ieyasu Tokugawa; and there are yabusame, knightly archery and ceremonial events imbued with Shinto rites.

Nikkô: temples and shrines

Once you reach the entrance to the historic sites (about 2 km from both Nikko stations), the tour begins. You start by a bridge, marking the separation between the profane world and sacred universe. The Shinkyô ("sacred bridge"), lacquered in red, was originally reserved for the emperor and the shogun ... before being walked by hundreds of thousands of visitors.

More minimalist, the pediment of the sacred stable attached to it is even more famous. Indeed, we can see there three little monkeys carved in wood, that everyone in Japan knows as Mizaru ("the blind"), Kikazaru ("the deaf") and Iwazaru ("the dumb"), which hide their eyes, ears and mouth respectively. They symbolize the precepts of the Tendai Buddhist sect, inspired by Confucius: do not look at evil, do not say it, do not listen to it. Gandhi will make it a rule of all wisdom.

• Read also: Koya-san, the sacred mountain of Kansai

Also to see in Nikko

The Ieyasu Tokugawa mausoleum is not the only one on the site. At the western end of the complex lies his grandson Iemitsu (the 3rd shogun ), in Taiyu-in, which is accessed after passing through the shrine of Futarasan-jinja (782).

It takes a full day to fully enjoy the spiritual beauties of Nikkô and it may be nice to spend the night there and be surrounded to the charm of its natural heritage .

Along the Daiyagawa River, the Kanmanga Fuchi promenade, between the undergrowth and the strange volcanic formations of Mount Nantai, is sumptuous. Upon arrival, dozens of statues of Jizô (protector of children) covered with moss seem to defy time and proclaim the union of minerals and plants.

Then, you can return to Nikkô station and take a bus to access the lake Chûzenji (30 km). There, you can go around the lake by boat (1 hour) or go further, to the spectacular Kegon waterfall no Taki and Yumoto Onsen hot springs.

How do I get to Nikko?

Nikko has two stations, which are very close to each other: JR station and Tobu station.

To get to JR Nikko station from Tokyo, take the Shinkansen from Tokyo station or Ueno station. You will have to change to a local line in Utsunomiya (allow between 2 hours and 2.5 hours in total). Save on your trip to Japan by booking a Japan Rail Pass

Tobu station is accessible by direct semi-express train from Asakusa (1h50 journey).