Stunning in the snow, glorious shrines which still exude old Japanese culture and “3 shrines, 2 temples” bargain tickets! Nikko has been a place of worship for more than 1,200 years and although it attracts a lot of tourists, it’s still possible to feel a sense of being alone, especially in winter when the temperatures are sub-zero celcius and the snow is falling.

Home to the original three wise monkeys (sanzaru) who are supposed to represent the ideal way of life - hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil - which kinda leaves you in a fantasy land if you really think about it. But hey, idealism is a nice thing!

Other highlights are the Rinno-ji’s main hall dating from 776 A.D. with its 16 foot tall three buddhas, the Shoyo-en Garden with a 200 year old cherry tree which has been declared a national monument and the toriis or gates which are covered in elaborate carvings and give you a crick in your neck from looking up.

In one of the shrines, you can purchase a shrine book which the scribe will ’sign’ in beautiful calligraphy with the name of the Buddha and stamp it with a red shrine stamp. You can take a shrine book to any shrine in Japan, pay something like 100 yen and they will sign and stamp it as well. It’s the most wonderful souvenier.

Close by are Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji, both of which freeze during the winter. You can catch an elevator to a viewing platform at the bottom of the falls to get a better look at the ice.

It’s two hours from Tokyo on the train and you can either walk 25 minutes to the shrine complex or jump on a bus for 5 minutes. In the cold, we know which one we would choose! You can buy a 3 shrine, 2 temple combined ticket or pay for each hall seperately. The combined ticket only covers some of the halls and excludes others, such as the Sleeping Cat

Nikko is a magical place and well worth the effort to visit.

Recommended reading: Unbeaten Tracks in Japan: An Account of Travels in the Interior Including Visits to the Aborigines of Yezo and the Shrine of Nikko by Isabella Lucy Bird fromor