One Day in Nikko

Nikko stole my heart from the moment I stepped off the bus and put the overly crowded bus ride behind me. Nikko is located in the mountains north of Tokyo and because of Japan’s efficient public transportation it can easily be reached for a fun day trip.

During our trip to Nikko, we used the Yumoto Onsen Free Pass, but let me tell you the only “free” thing about these passes is that you can use any bus in the area. The passes cost a whopping 3,000 yen a piece, but provides access to all of the beautiful areas in Nikko.

With passes in hand, it was time to hop on a bus and hope to make it out to the Yumto Onsen stop in a reasonable time. We had heard from several different sources that weekend traffic on the mountain roads, especially during prime “leaf peeping” season can be horrendous. There were even signs at the ticket counter that said they cannot refund tickets due to traffic jams.

As the bus going to Yumoto Onsen pulled up, we could see that it was already full of passengers. I initially wasn’t sure if it was even going to stop. Thankfully it did, but less thankfully we had to stand jammed in between people for an hour as the bus climbed up and down the Nikko mountains. Winding mountain roads and standing so close to strangers, is not an ideal scenario.

Roughly one hour later, we reached our destination in the heart of quaint Yumoto Town. We were greeted with the view of colorful trees, a peaceful Buddhist temple, and the pleasant smell of sulfur. Yumoto which literally means, origin of hot water, is a hot spring town. There is a marshy area behind the town with boardwalks around the hot bubbling springs.

We enjoyed a traditional lunch with amazing views of Lake Yunoko. Chris had udon noodles with yuba (tofu skin) and I had soba noodles with wild vegetables. Yuba is considered a specialty in the Nikko area and while tofu skin doesn’t sound overly appealing, it was delicious! It had a sweet taste and the texture was similar to a firm piece of tofu.

Full of noodles and broth we were ready to hike. Our destination was Ryuzu Waterfall and we started by walking along Lake Yunoko. The trees were vibrant and in the beginning we probably stopped every few minutes to take a picture. Following the lake trail we started to hear the sounds of rushing water and we knew we were close to Yudaki Waterfall. An impressive 230ft waterfall that we viewed from the top and the bottom of the falls.

After our first waterfall, the scenery changed as we hiked toward the marshland of Senjoghara Plateau. I can’t write about this day without mentioning the moment when Chris wanted me to take a photo of him sitting on a tree trunk over the river. To provide you with more context, it had been raining off and on throughout the day and the ground was already slippery. I think my exact words were, ” Be careful, it looks really slippery!” Chris proceeded to walk out on the tree. After a few steps I thought he would stop and sit down to let me take his photo, but he continued to walk further out on the tree until he took one wrong step. He started to slip and was not able to regain traction. He slipped off the tree and into the water below. Thankfully, the water was only deep enough to reach his knees, but his sneakers and socks were soaked for the last few miles of our hike.  He finished the hike like a champ and didn’t complain about his wet feet, we only had to stop a few times to wring out his socks. My biggest regret is not capturing this moment on video!

The marshland was breathtaking with more vivid red, yellow, orange, and green colored scenery. The sun broke through the hazy sky and turned our slightly rainy day into a beautiful day. As we heard the sounds of another waterfall, we knew we reached Ryuzu Waterfall and our hike was over. We got back on a nearly empty bus and made our way to the historic shrines and temples in Nikko.

Nikko is famous for its lavishly decorated Toshogu Shrine, but it has several shrines and temples that are now part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The complex has two Shinto shrines and one Buddhist temple. The area was closing by the time we got there, but we still were able to explore and check out the Shinkyo Bridge.

We had an amazing day in Nikko, the only thing that would have made it better was if we stayed a second day. Something to consider for a future trip to Japan!