Gilded shrines deep in cedar forest
Nikko is where the Tokugawa shoguns chose to be enshrined, and Toshogu, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, is the most ornate shrine in Japan, covered in gold leaf and carvings including the famous three wise monkeys. It forms a UNESCO site with the neighbouring Futarasan shrine and Rinno-ji temple. The red Shinkyo Bridge marks the entrance to town. Higher up, the Irohazaka road climbs to Lake Chuzenji and the plunging Kegon Falls, which are magnificent in autumn colour. It makes a long day trip from Tokyo.