Japan Guide
Around Tokyo
Nikkō
The pilgrim town of NIKKŌ, 128km north of the capital, is home to the World Heritage-listed Tōshōgū shrine complex, which sits amid splendid mountains crisscrossed by outstanding hiking trails. The antithesis of the usually austere Shinto shrines – and often considered overbearingly gaudy – Tōshōgū attracts masses of Japanese tourists year round, who tramp dutifully around the shrine and the surrounding holy buildings. After you've done the same, it's worth investigating Nikkō Tōshōgū Museum of Art and the Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park, then crossing the Daiya-gawa River to explore the dramatically named Ganman-ga-fuchi abyss.
Every year, on May 18, the Grand Festival re-stages the spectacular interment of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu at Tōshō-gū, with a cast of over one thousand costumed priests and warriors in a colourful procession through the shrine grounds topped off with horseback archery. It's well worth attending, as is the smaller-scale festival on October 17 – this doesn't have the archery and only lasts half a day, but does coincide with "Light Up Nikkō" (Oct 16–20), during which the major temple buildings are illuminated at night to great effect.
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