Tochigi Hidden Gems
Home to Nikko's lavishly carved shrines and the mountains and lakes behind them — the classic day trip north of Tokyo.
7 spots
Climate & Best Season
Hot plains summers and cool mountain air in Nikko/Oku-Nikko, which sees snow. Late October–November for foliage.
Famous For (Food)
- Utsunomiya gyoza
- Yuba (tofu skin)
- Strawberries
- Soba
Signature Sights
- Nikko Toshogu (UNESCO)
- Kegon Falls & Lake Chuzenji
- Kinugawa Onsen
- Ashikaga Flower Park wisteria
Ohirasan Shrine
The approach to Ohirasan Shrine is about a thousand stone steps up the side of Mt. Ohira, and for two weeks in June it i…
Izurusan Manganji
Manganji sits at the head of a narrow valley in the hills north of Tochigi City, founded according to its own account in…
Karasawayama Shrine
Karasawayama was a Fujiwara mountain castle held by the Sano family for centuries, and it is one of the few castles in t…
Kanmangafuchi Abyss
A twenty-minute walk from the Toshogu crowds, on the far bank of the Daiya River, a lava gorge runs between the trees an…
Banna-ji Temple
Banna-ji was built in 1196 by Ashikaga Yoshikane as the clan temple of the family that would go on to hold the shogunate…
Oya-ji Temple
Oya stone is the soft volcanic tuff that Utsunomiya is built out of, and Oya-ji is where it was first carved. The temple…
Nasu Kokuzohi
In the year 700, the sons of Nasu no Atai Idé raised an inscribed stone to their late father, who had governed the provi…