Toshogu shrine
Toshogu Shrine is located in Nikko, a little village tucked away in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture.
Not only is it a natural wonder, but it’s also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1999. Yes, that’s right—Nikko is so special that even UNESCO couldn’t resist giving it its stamp of approval!
Toshogu shrine is the resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa shogunate that ruled Japan for over 250 years. And let me tell you, they went all out to honor him.
The shrine is an explosion of colours, gold accents, and intricate carvings. Dragons, elephants, monkeys—you name it, it’s there. Don’t miss the famous carving of the “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” monkeys. It’s like stepping into an artist’s wildest dream!
Access
Getting to Nikko from Tokyo is really easy:
- With a JR Pass: Take the Tohoku Shinkansen from Tokyo or Ueno Station to Utsunomiya Station (about 50 min). From there, switch to the JR Nikko Line to JR Nikko Station (around 40 min).
- Without a JR Pass: Take the Tobu Limited Express from Asakusa Station straight to Tobu Nikko Station (about 1h 50 min; ¥2,800).
If you’re on a tighter budget, there are also local Tobu trains (¥1,400), but they take over 2.5 hours and usually require a transfer.
Nikko’s city centre is pretty compact, so the best way to get around is on foot. Most of the main sights—like Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine, and Rinnoji Temple—are just a 10 to 15-minute walk from each other.
Price
Toshogu’s goshuin is 500 ¥.
Opening Hours
Entrance fee to Toshogu shrine is 1600 yen.
It’s open from 9h to 17h.
