Nikko

Nikko lies in the mountains of Tochigi prefecture, roughly two hours north of Tokyo by train, and it has been a place of pilgrimage for more than a thousand years. The Shrines and Temples of Nikko are listed by UNESCO, and the centrepiece is Toshogu, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the shogunate that ruled Japan for more than two and a half centuries. Beyond the sacred precinct, the area is a national park of waterfalls, high lakes and forest, so a visit combines history and scenery in a way that few day trips from Tokyo can match.

Toshogu was completed in the early seventeenth century and expanded soon afterwards, and its richness is deliberate. Buildings are covered with lacquer, gold leaf and carvings of birds, flowers, dragons and mythical beasts. The Yomeimon gate, with its hundreds of figures, is so detailed that it is said that one could spend a day looking at it. On one of the stables, a panel of carved monkeys includes the three wise monkeys that see, hear and speak no evil, and above a doorway a small sleeping cat is carved. Many visitors are surprised that the style is so far from the restrained Zen aesthetic of Kyoto, and it is worth asking a guide why the shogun's family chose such display.

Nearby sit Rinnoji, a Buddhist temple with a large gilded hall, and Futarasan Shrine, which is older than Toshogu and is dedicated to the mountains. The red Shinkyo Bridge, which crosses the Daiya River at the edge of the town, is considered sacred and was once reserved for the shogun's envoys and priests. The Tamozawa Imperial Villa, a former residence of the imperial family, shows a quieter side of the architecture, with tatami rooms and gardens. Visitors need tickets for most of these sites, and queues build up in autumn and on holidays.

Higher up, the landscape changes. The road climbs by the Irohazaka route, a pair of one-way roads with a long series of hairpin bends, to the plateau where Lake Chuzenji lies at about 1,270 metres. The lake was formed when an eruption of Mount Nantai blocked a river, and its shore has a promenade, old villas built by foreign diplomats and a ride on a sightseeing boat. Kegon Falls drops about ninety-seven metres from the lake's outlet into a gorge, and an elevator takes visitors to a viewing platform at the bottom. Smaller falls, such as Ryuzu, the marshland of Senjogahara and the Kanmangafuchi gorge with its row of stone Jizo statues, round out a full day.

The seasons matter more than in most places. The hills around the lake are at their best in autumn, when the maples turn red and gold, usually from mid-October on the high ground to early November in the town. Spring brings cherry blossom late, in April and early May. Summer is cooler than Tokyo and a relief from the heat, and winter is cold, with snow and, in the coldest weeks, frozen waterfalls. The mountain roads can close or become slow in snow.

Getting there is easy but takes time. Express trains from Tokyo's Asakusa station and limited-express services from Shinjuku reach Nikko in around two hours, and buses climb from the station to the lake. Many visitors take a private car, which saves time, avoids crowds on the winding road and allows an itinerary that matches the weather. A driver can also help with parking, tickets and an early start.

Allow a full day at the minimum. A typical programme begins at Toshogu in the morning, before the tour buses arrive, continues to the lake and the falls in the afternoon and ends with a walk in the marsh or the gorge if time allows. Overnight visitors can enjoy hot spring inns in the valley and the quiet of the town in the early evening.

Practical points make the visit smoother. Bring comfortable shoes, since the shrine precinct involves many steps and gravel paths, and carry a light waterproof jacket. Temperatures on the plateau are several degrees lower than in Tokyo. Photography inside some buildings is restricted, and visitors are asked to behave quietly in sacred areas. Cash is useful for entrance fees and small purchases, though many places accept cards.

Nikko also has a food culture of its own. Yuba, the skin that forms on heated soy milk, is the local speciality and is served in rolls, soups and hot pots, alongside soba noodles made with mountain water. Sweet shops sell steamed buns and ice cream in many flavours, and the old streets of the town have pickle and sake shops that offer samples. The nearby hot spring villages of Kinugawa and Yumoto have inns with open-air baths that suit travellers who want to stay overnight and recover from a day of walking.

Edo Wonderland, a theme park in nearby Kinugawa, recreates a town of the Edo period with actors, shows and craft workshops, and some itineraries add it as an optional stop. Families with children may enjoy it, while those with an interest in history may prefer to spend the time at the shrines and the lake.