This city, set amid mountains, usually is seen as a day trip from Tokyo. Numerous shrines and pagodas are nearby, the best-known being Toshogu Shrine, which houses the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa shogun. The shrine has an unusual mixture of Confucian, Zen and Shinto architecture. Toshogu is the original site of the see-no-evil, hear-no-evil, speak-no-evil monkeys (you will find them carved on one of the gates). Also in this area are two waterfalls (Kegon and Dragon's Head Cascade) and Nikko Edo Mura, a theme-park replica of a feudal village that offers martial arts performances. It's popular with children. Nikko Western Village, another amusement park, is interesting for its rather goofy depictions of the U.S. Old West. There is good hiking in the area above Nikko and plenty of hot springs.
Watch out for the growing population of monkeys roaming the area—some have identified the contents of vehicles and backpacks as handy sources of snack food. These monkeys can be fairly aggressive, and they've been known to climb through open windows to ransack the contents of cars and rooms. Concerns about an unchecked increase in their population prompted Nikko's city government to impose a ban on feeding them. It's best not to get too close—they may look cuddly, but they have sharp teeth. 75 mi/120 km north of Tokyo.
