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Toshogu Shrine 東照宮 : fancier than most temples, with more gold! |
Kegon Waterfall 華厳の滝 |
If you're not into themed parks like Edo Wonderland or Tobu World Square, I guess you're interested in Nikko for Toshogu Shrine 東照宮, a place worth visiting even if you've been to many temples in Kyoto and Kamakura. Kegon Waterfall 華厳の滝 a short bus ride away is also very famous for some reason... it is, well, a waterfall.
lovely cabin 
supermarket in front of Tobu Nikko Station |
We stayed at Nikko Inn, a quiet and spacious cottage in a local area. The 4 of us stayed at 2 separate cottages. Each had 2 tatami rooms with heaters, a kitchen with a hot plate, fridge, rice cooker, plates, and utensils, and a bathroom with a very small square tub and a toilet complete with a washlet and a bum dryer! You can even plug your iPod in and have music playing in the tatami rooms! Wifi works well also.
You check in at this house literally steps right in front of the exit of Shimogoshiro Station [TN21] 下小代駅, a local one a few stops from Nikko Station. There are just one or two trains per hour. Train timetables and a map of the local area with a suggested walk are provided in the rooms. There are also bikes for rent at 500 yen per day. The cottages are a 3-minute walk on the other side of the train tracks. You can hear the railway crossing but it's not too bad. If you plan to walk outside at night, it'd be a good idea to have a flashlight. They do have some groceries to be purchased for cooking but if you want to a larger selection, there's a supermarket called "Lion Dor" a 5-minute walk from Tobu Nikko Station. You'll be able to see the supermarket if you stand in front of Tobu Nikko Station and look straight ahead - it's a yellow building with a green roof. |
Lake Chuzenji 中禅寺湖 is a serene place with very few visitors in late April.
| f u n t h e m e p a r k s a l s o i n N I K K O 日 光 | ||
 Edo Wonderland 日光江戸村 |
 Tobu World Square |
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