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a small town in the mountains a hundred
kilometers north of tokyo
nico has been a site of religious
importance for over 1200 years
it was developed by a buddhist monk as a
site of mountain worship surrounding the
three local sacred mountains
mount nantes
in the 1600s nico became even more
prominent when it was selected as the
site of nico toshogu
which ranks among the most celebrated
shrines in the country
the shrine is dedicated to the spirit of
one of the most important figures in
japanese history
tokugawa ieyasu who moved the political
center in the early 1600s
from kyoto to edo today's tokyo and
founded the tokugawa shogunate
which would control japan for over 250
years
until the 1860s in the mountains behind
the town centre of nico
lies the okuniko region which is part of
the nico national park
a beautiful mountainous landscape of
lakes forests
marshlands waterfalls and hot springs
during the month of october nico turns
into one of the country's most beautiful
spots with spectacular autumn colours
probably nico's most famous local
speciality is yuba
or tofu skin the thin layer of tofu that
forms when boiling soy milk
often sold in its dried form yuba has
long been used by the local monks
as a high protein vegetarian food that
can be easily stored during the area's
long winters
nico is most easily reached by direct
turbo railway trains from asakusa
station in tokyo
but it can also be reached by jr via
utsunomiya
while it is possible to fit in as a day
trip an overnight trip is recommended to
see both the shrines and temples in the
town
and the natural attractions in the
okuniko area public transportation
inside nico is also excellent thanks to
a convenient bus network and various
easy to use passes are available for
visiting tourists
with many historical sites and lots of
beautiful scenery to explore
here are our top five recommendations
around nico
number five tamazawa imperial villa
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one of the area's lesser known spots
this former summer residence was
constructed in 1899
as a retreat for the imperial family not
far from nico's shrines and temples
it is one of the largest wooden villas
in japan and is an intriguing blend of
traditional japanese
and western elements today the villa
serves as a museum and memorial park
and is well equipped with multilingual
displays for visitors exploring its 106
different rooms
besides the mansion's interior visitors
can enjoy a japanese-style garden
where a 400 year old weeping cherry tree
blossoms spectacularly around mid-april
and maple trees display vibrant colors
usually around late october
and early november number 4. kagon falls
one of several spectacular waterfalls in
the okunuko area
the hundred meter tall kegon falls makes
it onto japan's top three
besides the nachi falls in wakayama
prefecture and the hukarota falls in
ibaraki prefecture
the kaigon falls can be seen from
multiple perspectives
from a free observation deck overlooking
the falls
from a paid platform with three
different decks accessed via a 100 meter
elevator at the base of the falls
and from the more distant akechidaira
observation deck
this is accessed by ropeway and offers
spectacular views of the falls
lake chesenjiko and the surrounding
landscape
in winter the waterfall sometimes
freezes solid which makes for a truly
spectacular view
number three senjugahara hiking course
nico has a great many beautiful hiking
trails and one of the most rewarding
is the senjogahara hiking course
connecting the ryuzu waterfall near the
shores of lake chuzenjiko with the town
of yumoto onsen
via the senjogahara marshland the
roughly six kilometer walk
takes around two and a half to three
hours to complete and requires no
advanced hiking skills although proper
hiking shoes are definitely a good idea
it is also possible to walk shorter
sections of the trail
by using the bus which serves multiple
stops along the hiking trail
the trail starts at the ryuzu or dragon
head waterfall
said to resemble the head of a dragon
and continues through the beautiful
sanjogahara marshland on a raised wooden
path to protect the environment
in winter when there is snow adventurous
travellers can explore the marshland on
snowshoes
or cross-country skis available for rent
at a couple of rest houses at the sambon
matsu parking lot
another highlight along the trail is the
yudaki or hot water waterfall
where the yukawa or hot water river
plunges down a 70 meter drop
shortly after flowing out of lake
yunnoko meaning hot water lake
note that none of these bodies of water
are actually hot but tired hikers will
find several hot spring sources at
yumoto onsen
the small hot springtown at the end of
the trail
number two rinnoji temple
rinnoji is the oldest and most important
temple in nico
founded by the monk who discovered nico
in the 8th century
it is devoted to the area's three sacred
mountains which in the temple's main
hall
are represented by three gold lacquered
wooden statues
of an amida buddha and two cannon
bodhisattva
don't miss the temple's garden shoyoen
located across from rinnoji's main hall
the beautiful garden features a central
pond and can be enjoyed from a circular
walking path
with its many maple trees standing
photogenically around the pond
the garden is a popular site for viewing
autumn colours
typically from around late october to
early november
number one toshogu
japan's most opulent shrine niko toshogu
is devoted to the spirit of tokugawa
ieyasu
the founder of the tokugawa shogunate
which ruled japan from 1603
to 1868. iyasu had over 20 children
and was succeeded by his son hidetada
when his son iamitsu became the third
tokugawa shogun
he built this beautiful shrine as a
mausoleum to his grandfather
covering many of its buildings in
colorful and exquisitely detailed
carvings
that can still be seen today when
entering the shrine grounds
visitors first encounter a group of
storehouses whose elaborate decorations
include a famous image of the three wise
monkeys
mizaru kikazaru and iwazaru who
see hear and speak no evil
close by is the carving of the suzunozo
or
imagined elephants carved by an artist
who had famously never seen one in real
life
visitors will then pass through the your
memon gate possibly japan's most heavily
decorated structure
displaying hundreds of colourful
carvings past the your maimon
visitors will encounter the shrine's
main buildings consisting of the prayer
hall
connected to the main hall where the
shrine's deities reside
note that besides iyasu two more of
japan's most influential leaders
toyotomi hideyoshi and minamoto yuritomo
are also enshrined here
beyond the main halls a flight of stairs
leads further up the forested slope to
ersu's mausoleum
before climbing up the stairs don't miss
the small but highly popular carving of
the sleeping cat or nemouri neko
above a gate on the gates opposite side
is another carving of a sparrow
together they are thought to symbolize
the harmony of the tokugawa government
the path up to the mausoleum takes about
five minutes
after which visitors will meet the
relatively subtle and austere yet
dignified structure
the toshogu shrine can get very busy
for those who don't like crowds note
that taiyun the mausoleum of eeyasu's
grandson iamitsu
is just a short walk away out of modesty
this was built in a slightly less grand
way than toshogu
but is still spectacular and comes with
less crowds
we hope this top five list gives you a
good place to start when planning your
trip to nico
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