Two hours north of Tokyo, the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu lies in Toshogu, the most lavishly carved shrine in Japan, among the cedars with Rinno-ji and Taiyuin (a UNESCO site since 1999). Above the town, the switchbacks of the Irohazaka road climb to Lake Chuzenji and the 97-metre Kegon Falls. October's autumn colour is famous and jams the mountain road; winters are cold and snowy.
Highlights
- Toshogu's Yomeimon gate and the three wise monkeys
- Vermilion Shinkyo Bridge
- Taiyuin mausoleum
- Kegon Falls
- Lake Chuzenji by boat
- Irohazaka switchbacks in autumn colour
- Kanmangafuchi's row of stone Jizo
- Kinugawa hot springs
- Yuba (tofu skin) cuisine
Things to do
- Nikko Toshogu, Rinno-ji & Futarasan shrineMorning · 3h
- Shinkyo Bridge & Kanmangafuchi Abyss walkAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Kegon Falls & Lake ChuzenjiMorning · 4h
- Senjogahara marshland hikeMorning · 3h
- Onsen evening at Kinugawa or YumotoEvening · 2h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: May – June, October – November
Worth knowing
Autumn Colour Traffic on the Irohazaka
October's autumn colour brings Nikko its biggest crowds: the Irohazaka road up to Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Falls jams for hours on weekends. Go early on a weekday, and book rooms well ahead.
Heads up
Golden Week Crowds (29 April – 5 May)
Golden Week is a run of national holidays from 29 April to 5 May: shinkansen and domestic flights sell out, hotels raise prices, and sights are packed. Book transport and rooms early, or plan around those dates.
Heads up
Obon Holiday Rush (mid-August)
Around 13–16 August Japan travels home for Obon: trains and flights are full (Nozomi trains ran reserved seats only at Obon 2026), and resort hotels charge peak rates. Reserve seats for every long journey that week.
Heads up
New Year Closures (29 Dec – 3 Jan)
Over the New Year holiday many museums, castles, gardens and small restaurants close from about 29 December to 3 January, while the big shrines are packed for the first visit of the year. Check opening days before you plan a sight for those dates.
Heads up
Rainy Season (Tsuyu)
From early June to mid or late July it rains most days, often all day, on Honshu and Kyushu: carry an umbrella, keep outdoor plans flexible, and expect landslide warnings to close mountain roads and some railways after heavy downpours. Hydrangeas are in flower and the crowds are thinner.
- Autumn leaves (koyo) — The maples turn red from late September in Hokkaido, through October in Nikko and the Alps, to mid-November to early December in Kyoto, Nara and Tokyo. Kyoto's temples open at night with lit-up gardens; trains, buses and hotels are as full as in cherry-blossom season.
- Golden Week — Four public holidays in a week, when much of Japan travels: shinkansen and domestic flights sell out, hotel prices rise, and sights are packed. Avoid travelling between cities on the first and last days.
- Obon — The festival of the ancestors, around 13-16 August: families travel home, shinkansen and flights sell out (Nozomi trains ran reserved seats only at Obon 2026), and there are Bon dances and lantern floats in towns across Japan.
- New Year (Shogatsu) · 31 Dec — Japan's biggest holiday: temples ring their bells 108 times at midnight on 31 December and millions make the first shrine visit (hatsumode), Meiji Jingu and Fushimi Inari above all. Many museums, restaurants and offices close from about 29 December to 3 January; trains run, but are full around the start and end.
- Nikko Toshogu Grand Festival — On 18 May about a thousand men in samurai armour and Edo-period dress escort the shogun's spirit in a procession through the shrine; a smaller procession is held on 17 October.