This Edo-era strolling garden can feel like a refuge from the temple crowds – except during autumn, when the turning leaves are a great attraction.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
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Tōshō-gū is Nikkō's biggest attraction, a shrine to the powerful shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616). No expense was spared: when the original structure …
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Taiyū-in, completed in 1653, is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604–51), the third Tokugawa shogun and grandson of Ieyasu. (Ieyasu was deified, which…
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Adorned in gold leaf and some 500 carved images depicting folk tales, mythical beasts and Chinese sages, the 'Sunset Gate' is the most revered traditional…
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Rinnō-ji's grand main hall, Sanbutsu-dō ('Hall of Three Buddhas'), was first built in 848; the current structure dates to 1645 and, with restoration work…
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Futarasan-jinja was founded over 1200 years ago as a place to worship the mountain Nantai-san (2484m), his mountain consort, Nyohō-san (2483m), and their…
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Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
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About 1km west of Shin-kyō bridge, this splendidly restored imperial palace (c 1899) of more than 100 rooms showcases superb artisanship, with parts of…
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The big-ticket attraction of Chūzen-ji is this billowing, 97m-high waterfall. Take the 1930s elevator down to a platform to observe the full force of the…
0.68 MILES
Along this particularly scenic stretch of the Daiya-gawa, where white rapids swirl around rocks, is a row of Jizō statues, the small stone effigies of the…
Nearby Nikkō attractions
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This museum has an interesting collection of temple artefacts, sculptures and scrolls. Admission includes entry to the lovely Edo-period garden Shōyō-en.
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Rinnō-ji's grand main hall, Sanbutsu-dō ('Hall of Three Buddhas'), was first built in 848; the current structure dates to 1645 and, with restoration work…
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Opened in 2015 for the 400th anniversary of Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, this modern building behind Rinnō-ji contains artefacts relating to the shogun,…
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A towering stone torii (entrance gate) at the head of the stone steps on Omotesandō leading up to Tōshō-gū, burial place of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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This five-tiered pagoda at Tōshō-gū is an 1819 reconstruction of the mid-17th-century original. Buying a supplementary ticket affords you the chance to…
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This much-photographed red footbridge over the Daiya-gawa is located at the sacred spot where Shōdō Shōnin is said to have been carried across the Daiya…
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In Tōshō-gū's initial courtyard are these 'Three Sacred Storehouses'; on the upper storey of the Kamijinko (upper storehouse) are relief carvings of …