Nikkô, whose shrines and temples earned UNESCO World Heritage status in 1999, has greater name recognition than the prefecture of Tochigi which it calls home. It’s similar to how more people around the world are more familiar with, say, Chicago than Illinois, or Sydney than New South Wales. Such is the nature of iconic locales. They run a monopoly on our imaginations and illuminate our romantic dreams of travel. The rest of Tochigi, however, is hardly lacking in places worthy of tourism. If anything, its attractions are underrated (or unknown) by international travelers to Japan. Maybe we can help rectify that.
Nikkô is still the main attraction, though, with much more to offer than a few of Japan’s most revered shrines and temples. Nikkô actually covers an expansive area in the northwest of the prefecture, counting among its geography two major rivers, the Kegon Falls, geothermal hot springs, Lake Chûzenji, and several mountains for winter sports or hiking. The natural beauty is quite a draw for many, as it should be.
Most of these riches lie within Nikkô National Park. Mount Nantai is the centerpiece. Standing 2486m in height, Nantai is one of the “100 Famous Mountains of Japan”, as ordained by Japan’s legendary mountaineer Kyûya Fukuda in his book of the same name, Nihon Hyakumeizan. Hikers flock to the trails early May through late October, when the primary trailhead from Futarasan Chûgûshi Shrine (on Lake Chûzenji, not to be confused with the main shrine near Tôshô-gû) is open. It is a steep, challenging hike of roughly six hours round trip, but once you near the summit, the views are expansive. On clear days, hikers can see the waters of the Pacific some 100km to the east and even Mount Fuji. Scraggly groundcover, scrub brush and wind-warped trees somehow manage to survive in the crimson-hued, volcanic soil that is exposed on much of the upper reaches of the hike.
At the southwestern foot of the mountain lies Lake Chûzenji, whose allure and accessibility helped it transform into a quiet vacation area beginning around the turn of the 19th century. Several European embassies constructed retreats around the rim with calming pastoral views from their decks and windows. The lake’s elevation also means it offers cool respite from Japan’s typically muggy summers. These days, the former Italian Embassy villa is open to the public, as well as the British Embassy villa. This eastern rim of the lake is also the location of Chûzenji temple.
Most of the lakeside is undeveloped. Ambitious hikers can circumnavigate the 25km rim via hilly trails that are exceptionally bright and colorful during autumn foliage. The lake’s source is the Yukawa River which spills in via Ryûzu Falls on the northern shore. The lake empties through the eastern corner in an even more impressive waterfall, Kegon, which is nearly 100m in height. Most of the lodging facilities, including hotels with hot springs, are located in the vicinity.
Another popular route for hikers, called the Senjôgahara Plateau Nature Trail, runs between Ryûzu Falls and Yumoto Onsen, a hot springs village to the northwest. The ‘trail’ is almost entirely a well-maintained boardwalk and takes between two and three hours, depending on your fitness. Much of the course runs through marshlands which are not unattractive, especially in autumn. When snow falls, visitors take to the trail in snowshoes or cross-country skis, which are rented by a few places at the Sanbonmatsu parking area. Near Yumoto Onsen, there are two other highlights: Yudaki Falls and Lake Yunoko, from which it issues. Don’t be surprised by the smell of sulfur in the air; there are many hot springs bubbling up through the marshlands.
Most visitors to Nikkô pass on the more arduous activity and find ample satisfaction in visiting the more than one-hundred religious structures inside Futarasan, Tôshô-gû, and Rinnô-ji, the three connected complexes that comprise the UNESCO heritage site. The vermillion-colored Shinkyô (sacred bridge) of Futarasan with its natural backdrop changing through the seasons was an inspiration in the past for Ukiyo-e art. Tôshô-gû is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the powerful shogun whose shogunate lasted until the dawning of Japan’s modern era in 1868. The main structures feature some of the most ornate architecture seen anywhere in Japan (Taiyû-in, the nearby mausoleum for his grandson, Iemitsu, is slightly more modest). Rinnô-ji is Nikkô’s most important temple, but is currently undergoing renovation, alas. It is covered in scaffolding but still open to the public.
Nikkô’s less legendary attractions also have plenty of appeal, at the very least because they tend to be quieter, especially during peak travel times like autumn foliage season. The Nikkô Botanical Garden will delight any garden lover with its diverse array of flora, including over 20 Japanese maple species and as many as 80 rhododendron species. The Edo Wonderland Nikkô Edomura is a theme park modeled after Japan’s medieval Genroku period. There are live shows, festivals, street performers and even ninja workshops. Some English support is available. Sake lovers (that’s you) will definitely want to try to plan a visit to Katayama Shuzô, located within the city. President Watanabe himself may even give you a tour in English. You’ll get to taste sake at the end and can buy a few bottles for your hotel, onsen or next destination.
Travelers looking for quieter vacationing than Nikkô typically visit the northeastern part of Tochigi, where Nasu and Nasushiobara are located. Both are noteworthy for their hot springs, cool summer temperatures and outdoor attractions. Nasushiobara, which borders Nikkô, is perhaps best known for Shiobara Onsen, a well-established hot springs resort with a handful of natural and man-made sites of interest, including two waterfalls, Ryûka and Mikaeri Falls, and two scenic pedestrian suspension bridges that traverse the river running through town. If you want to hike out from the developed center of Shiobara Onsen and explore the valley, you’ll discover dozens of smaller waterfalls and sparsely traveled trails that receive little fanfare but are worth the relatively easy hike.
Nasu is more geographically expansive than its counterpart to the southwest and offers much more in the way of leisure activities and facilities. As an easy vacation destination for many Japanese families, especially in the summer, it offers a wide range of diversions, from campgrounds and golf courses to various theme parks and recreational centers. Its primary attraction, though, is still its many hot springs scattered across the slopes of Mount Nasu. Most refer to them collectively as Nasu Onsen, though each pocket of development has its own name, operator and identity. About a kilometer from the Ômaru onsen facilities is a ropeway that will take you to the upper station of Mount Nasu. There are actually five peaks on the mountain, and most adventurers ascend to Chausu, though more seasoned hikers may also want to attempt Asahi or Sanbonyari, the highest of them. The lower slopes of the mountain (and many other areas of Tochigi) are well known for vast stretches of azaleas, which usually bloom in late May. Near Yahata’s hot springs facilities, several kilometers of boardwalks (with handicap access) wind through the shrubs and are open to the public.
While these blooming expanses of mountainside are impressive to see, garden lovers may find more allure in the Ashikaga Flower Park in Ashikaga City. Most visitors try to time their trip when the different colored wisteria are blooming, usually late April to mid-May. An 80m wisteria tunnel is the highlight for many. Another is a 140-year-old wisteria. Many guests are disappointed if they miss the wisteria, but the park has plenty of other blooming species of plants, including hydrangea, irises, peonies, water lilies and rhododendrons. With ponds reflecting the blooms, it’s still a treat in later blooming seasons.
If you don’t find Tochigi’s pastoral charms, well, charming, and if the energy of the city is more your pace, then Tochigi’s captial, Utsunomiya, might be more your speed. Outside of Japan, this city of slightly more than a half a million people has little name recognition, but domestically it’s well known as Japan’s gyôza capital. There are dozens of restaurants that specialize in this dish of Chinese origins and droves of people visit the city just to go on gyôza crawls. For more on this unique history (and a recipe from a local), see our recipe page. Many local izakaya, while not focusing on gyôza, per se, will definitely have them on their menu–try pairing with some local sake.
Is local sake your only aim? You simply must stop into Sasara. It serves over 100 selections from all of Tochigi’s 33 breweries, and for a mere ¥100 thanks to some support from the prefectural sake association! The bar is only open on weekdays from 5pm to 7pm so it’s an ideal place for a kind of sake happy hour. You’ll likely find the rest of the evening in Utsunomiya anything but subdued as the city’s many salaried workers like to go out and let off some steam. One izakaya that sake-lovers hold in high esteem is Kokushu-no-Shiwaza. Located a few hundred meters from Utsunomiya station, it offers quite a selection with its casual pub fare (and is non-smoking). Another popular one in the vicinity is Takehiro, which offers more refined Japanese dishes than a typical izakaya to pair with its excellent selection of sake (sectionalized smoking).
For those who prefer the relaxed atmosphere of a smaller city, Tochigi City may be a perfect fit. It also boasts quite a handful of quaint historic buildings and traditional warehouses from the medieval period, several of them centrally located. Helpfully, the city’s tourism homepage (www.kuranomachi.jp/english/) offers two different downloadable walking maps with routes passing by key buildings and museums. A pleasant jaunt on the outskirts of the city (included in the map) takes you up 1000 stone stairs to Ôhira Shrine. The stairs are lined by hydrangeas which bloom in the early summer and are an attraction of their own.
Few travelers to Japan that plan on visiting Nikkô budget the time to see much of the rest of Tochigi, which is understandable given typical schedule restraints, but still regrettable. If you live in Japan, you probably have more luxury to explore the prefecture. There are many more destinations and activities beyond these presented here, too–some of them not obvious (strawberry picking anyone?). As we’ve discovered from having lived many years in Japan, often the lesser-known, unexpected places glow brightest in memory. Especially when a little sake is involved.
