"Seeing No Evil Here in Beautiful, Historic Nikko" Nikko by AKtravelers

Nikko, about three hours from Tokyo, won UNESCO World Heritage Site status in 1999 for its collection of shrines and temples built around the founders of the Tokogawa Dynasty, the shoguns that unified and ruled Japan from 1600 to 1867. Tokogawa Ieyasu, the great general who started it all, chose the splendidly peaceful hills of Nikko as his over-the-top burial site, even though he ruled from Edo. His admiring grandson also chose this site, and his temple broke withtradition to face his grandfather's. IN addition to these sites, you can walk along a beautiful riverside lined with the Jizo buddhas or stroll through a 19th-20th century summer palace used by the restored emperors from 1870 through 1947. There's a great deal to see in this small town!

Lakes and mountains west of Nikko

Of course, there's more than just history here. Being a mountain town, Nikko is surrounded by lacy waterfalls made famous in Japanese poetry, crystal clear lakes, jagged mountains and birch forests. If you like skiing or hiking, neither is far away. Additionally, the mountains are spotted with onsens, those wonderful geo-thermally warmed Japanese baths that are the perfect way to end a busy day -- especially on a cool fall evening. We visited at just that time of year, catching the last of the Japanese maples as they turned range and red. We were not disappointed.