Nikko is famous for it’s World Heritage shrines and temples such as Rinnoji Temple and Toshogu Shrine, but it’s not all that is around this area. There are hidden treasures that many tourists don’t see simply because they don’t know to look for them.
Take the time to speak to Ken at Nikko Park Lodge about his recommended places around Nikko and you’ll discover some amazing waterfalls, shrines, statues and cemetaries that are not often visited by the usual tourists.
The Bakejizo (Ghost Jizo), a line of around 40 jizo statues lining the banks of a river. They’re known as the Ghost Jizo because if you count them on the way up and again on the back down there will be a different number. Spooky! But really beautiful. Sadly there should be more around a hundred but a flood many, many years ago washed some of the statues away. However the ones that are left are beautifully cared for in their red hats and bibs. It’s quite special to see so many of these type of statues together.
Another spooky place to visit just near to the BakeJizo is the Graveyard of the monks of Rinnoji Temple. Covered in moss and lichen, this ages old cemetary is a beautiful place to visit… but perhaps only during daylight hours.
(These places are a short walk West from the Toshogu Shrine complex along the Kamangafuchi Abyss. Make sure you drop in at Nikko Park Lodge Tobu Station for more information).
Before Nikko was famous for Toshogu Shrine it still had many visitors who came to see Takino Shrine, further up in the mountains. It’s still worth a visit now with some amazingly large and ancient trees, Inari shrine (fox shrine) and waterfalls.
(Takino Shrine is North of Toshogu Shrine and can be reached by a short walk through the forest).
To the friends of Nikko Park Lodge,
In the wake of the Quake/Tsunami disaster, we have received many questions about the state of the area. We’d like to take this opportunity to assure you that life in Nikko continues as normal.
Spring flowers blooming in front of Nikko Park Lodge Tobu Station 15th April.
Nikko and the surrounding national parks were not damaged by the quake and there is no danger traveling in the area. You will find Nikko today exactly as it was before the quake; supermarkets and convenience stores are fully stocked with all food and drinks and there is no shortage of petrol (not even any lines!). While there are fewer tourists than usual, all temples and tourist attractions remain open and there are restaurants and cafes available to eat at.
The town of Nikko, in Tochigi Prefecture, is more than 100km away from the Fukushima Nuclear Plant and separated by a large mountain range and there is no concern about radiation here.
While the disaster caused some disruptions for the first few weeks to transportation the trains and buses are now running normally, although some have slightly altered timetables to help conserve energy. If you have any questions regarding how to get to Nikko by public transport please feel free to contact us here at Nikko Park Lodge.
And the most important thing; Nikko is currently looking beautiful! Clear blue sunny skies over the snow-capped mountains while the Sakura (cherry blossoms) are blooming on the trees. The temperature each day is about 20̊C (68̊F) and it’s getting warmer each day. Nights are still getting down to around 5̊C (40̊F) and of course it is colder in the mountains so remember to pack warm clothes.
Check out our blog at http://www.nikkoparklodge.com/blog/ for recent photos of the area.
View from Nikko Park Lodge Tobu station towards the mountains, 15th April
If you want to make the most of your time in Nikko we offer guided tours in English that can be tailored to our guests’ interests (eg. Temples and historic sites, waterfalls, nature trails). We ask for a minimum group size of 4 and charge ¥4000 per person (to access the same areas by public transport without the guide would be ¥3300 {1 day pass} or ¥3000 {2 day pass} by public bus). Let us know if you are interested in joining one of our guided tours.
Please let us know if you have any questions,
Warm Regards,
Ken Sakamoto and the staff of Nikko Park Lodge
www.nikkoparklodge.com/
