For well over a century, this historic mountain community has provided respite from the stifling heat that hangs over Tokyo through the summer, and it is still the ideal destination for unforgettable experiences and adventures all year round.
While the journey for diplomats and pioneering foreign visitors would have been a significant undertaking in the late 1800s, it is far swifter and more comfortable today thanks to Tobu Railways’ SPACIA train service between Tokyo’s Asakusa Station and Nikko. Taking advantage of a selection of rail pass options, travelers can be transported from the hustle-and-bustle of the capital to this UNESCO-registered World Heritage site in sumptuous comfort and in less than two hours.
Nikko sprawls along the winding valley of the Daiya River. Many visitors come to see the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, which includes an impressive five-story pagoda originally built in 1650 and the famous carving of the three wise monkeys on the stable for the shrine’s sacred horses, or Nikkozan Rinnoji Temple.
Beyond these often-congested sights, however, is a separate part of the town with its own charm. Known as Oku-Nikko, it spreads around the shores of Lake Chuzenji - which feeds the river via the spectacular 97-meter Kegon Falls - and is overlooked by the volcanic Mount Nantai.
It was this tranquil backwater that diplomats stationed in hot and humid Tokyo discovered in the late 1800s. Several ambassadors arranged for summer retreats to be built on the shores of the lake, with Oku-Nikko soon so popular with the diplomatic corps that it was widely held that foreign governments’ diplomacy with Japan was conducted here throughout the summer months.
The first to put down semi-permanent roots was Ernest Satow, a British diplomat who originally visited in 1872 and later wrote a guidebook to the region. His villa was completed in 1896 and subsequently bequeathed to the British Embassy, with countless diplomats using the premises until it was handed over to the city in 2008. Today, it houses a museum about the foreign diplomatic community in Nikko.
A short distance away is the Italian Embassy villa, also now a museum, while the US Occupation authorities completed the Lake Chuzenji Boat House on the opposite side of the lake in 1947.
Luxury and adventure with The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko
The region’s premier hotel opened in 2020 and is the perfect base for all the uniquely Japanese experiences that can be enjoyed in and around this historic town, as well as a range of unforgettable outdoor adventures.
Experience – Wake up the senses with a session of “Zazen” meditation under the tutelage of a local monk. If that whets your appetite, The Ritz-Carlton can arrange traditional “Takigyo” meditation beneath a nearby waterfall. Visit religious sanctuaries that date back centuries and display unrivalled statues, paintings and religious artefacts.
Chuzenji Temple hosts a ceremony to burn wooden prayer sticks, while the shrine maidens of Futarasan-jinja Shrine Chugushi – dedicated to those seeking romance - perform a daily ceremonial “Kagura” dance. Alternatively, visitors can try their hand at the unique local form of wood carving, known as “Nikko-bori.”
No visit to Nikko would be complete without a visit to an onsen. Relax in waters from The Ritz-Carlton’s hot spring, which flows at a constant 78.6 degrees Centigrade in both the indoor bath and the stunning open-air pool.
Adventure – Hiking trails circumnavigate the lake, while others zigzag to the peaks of mountains that overlook the picturesque town. These can also be explored by mountain bike.
In the summer months, take a paddleboard, canoe or pedal boat on the lake, or fish from its pebbled shores. As soon as winter descends, visitors can enjoy skiing, snowboarding or sledding on the immaculate powder-covered slopes, while the hotel can also arrange backwoods snowshoe excursions.
And for the most adventurous, the hotel will fit visitors out with the crampons and ice axes required to climb a frozen waterfall nearby.
“It is a national park with majestic and rugged nature, but also a World Heritage site with temples and shrines that date back more than 1,200 years,” he said. “All of these elements are wonderful, of course, but the unique aspect is that they are all presented in perfect harmony right in front of us.”
McBride says he finds it difficult to choose one favorite time of year in Nikko due to its beauty of the changing seasons – from the cool and comfortable summer to the “fiery leaves in autumn” and “dancing powder snow” in the winter – but he has discovered that of all the countless activities available to guests at the hotel, the morning Zen meditation experience with a local monk is the most popular.
Getting there
The journey from central Tokyo is an integral part of the adventure.
Tobu Railways’ sleek trains depart from Tokyo’s Asakusa Station, passing the unmistakable TOKYO SKYTREE and edging north through the city’s suburbs. Leaving the capital behind, the urban sprawl changes to villages and paddy fields, pine forests and the scenic valleys and mountains of Tochigi Prefecture.
Tobu Railways can provide a range of local rail and bus passes, with the NIKKO PASS providing a round-trip from Tokyo as well as access to local bus and train services in Nikko, as well as a sightseeing boat on Lake Chuzenji. The NIKKO PASS World Heritage Area similarly covers local train and bus services but adds admission discounts to several popular sights.
The journey is soon to become even more luxurious, with Tobu Railways launching the carbon-neutral Limited Express SPACIA X in July.
The striking white exterior reflects the colors of Nikko’s Toshogu Shrine and the crisscross design is reminiscent of Edo period handicrafts, such as bamboo weaving or woodwork. Inside, the SPACIA X has a café counter and six types of seating, including sofas and private rooms, with the Cockpit Suite providing unrivalled views from the very front of the train.
Swiftly and stylishly, the SPACIA X will convey visitors to the unforgettable destination of Nikko.