Nikko Day Private Tour With English Speaking Guide

The almost 100 meter tall Kegon Waterfall (華厳の滝, Kegon no taki) is the most famous of Nikko's waterfalls. It is even ranked as one of Japan's three most beautiful falls, along with Nachi Waterfall in Wakayama Prefecture and Fukuroda Waterfall in Ibaraki Prefecture. Kegon Waterfall is the only exit for the waters of Lake Chuzenji. It can be seen from a free observation platform that is easily accessible on foot, as well as from a paid platform at the base of the falls. The paid platform is accessed via a 100 meter deep elevator and offers more impressive views. The sight of the waterfall in combination with Lake Chuzenji can be enjoyed from Akechidaira Observatory, which is accessible by ropeway from Akechidaira Plateau. Kegon Waterfall is also a popular autumn color spot. The trees around the waterfall are usually most colorful from mid to late October. In the winter the waterfall is impressive as well when it freezes almost completely solid.

Lake Chuzenji (中禅寺湖, Chūzenjiko) is a scenic lake in the mountains above the town of Nikko. It is located at the foot of Mount Nantai, Nikko's sacred volcano, whose eruption blocked the valley below, thereby creating Lake Chuzenji about 20,000 years ago. Chuzenjiko's shores are mostly undeveloped and forested except at the lake's eastern end where the small hot spring town of Chuzenji Onsen was built. The town is also the site of Kegon Waterfall, the most famous of several waterfalls in Nikko National Park. Another popular waterfall, Ryuzu Waterfall, is located at the northern shores of Lake Chuzenji where Yukawa River discharges into the lake.

Tamozawa Imperial Villa (田母沢御用邸, Tamozawa Goyōtei) blends traditional Edo and early modern Meiji Period architecture throughout its 106 rooms. The villa was erected in Nikko in 1899, using parts of a residence that originally stood in Tokyo. Before being moved to Nikko, the building served as the Tokyo residence of a branch of the Tokugawa family and was later temporarily used as the Imperial Palace. In Nikko, it was enlarged into a summer residence for the Imperial Family, but suffered neglect after World War II. In the year 2000, the villa was opened to the public after extensive renovations.

Toshogu Shrine (東照宮, Tōshōgū) is a magnificent memorial to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, which ruled Japan for over 250 years until 1868. Ieyasu is enshrined at Toshogu as the deity Tosho Daigongen, "Great Deity of the East Shining Light". Initially a relatively simple mausoleum, Toshogu was enlarged into the spectacular complex seen today by Ieyasu's grandson Iemitsu during the first half of the 17th century. The lavishly decorated shrine complex consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Visitors may note that Toshogu contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements. It was common for places of worship to contain elements of both religions until the Meiji Period when Shinto was deliberately separated from Buddhism. Across the country, Buddhist elements were removed from shrines and vice versa, but at Toshogu the two religions were so intermingled that the separation was not carried out completely.

The Shinkyo Bridge Nikko’s Shinkyo Bridge is a sacred river crossing which officially belongs to nearby Futarasan Jinja Shrine. One of Nikko’s best-known sightseeing spots, the elegant arc of this bridge crosses the Daiya-gawa River and its vermilion and black lacquer contrasts beautifully with the natural scenery about it. The name “Shinkyo” or 神橋 simply means “sacred bridge” and the bridge is considered to be one of Japan’s three most beautiful bridges along with the Kintaikyo Bridge in Yamaguchi Prefecture and the Saruhashi Bridge in Yamanashi Prefecture. The bridge, which is 28 meters long, 7.4 meters wide, and stands 10.6 meters above the river, is both a nationally designated Important Cultural Property and a UNESCO designated World Heritage Site.