Forested area that has walking paths and benches.

Location for the movie "Hot Road." Many tourists visit this symbol of Enoshima.

The Nikko Woodcarving Village Craft Centre offers demonstrations of making Nikko Geta sandals and Nikko-style woodcarving. Visitors can try their hand at the traditional Nikko-style woodcarving by tracing designs on everyday items such as trays， hand mirrors and small plates.

It is a temple of the Tendai sect and surrounded by nature.

Setsubun Season – Celebrating with “Oni” from Around the World to Pray for Good Fortune and Drive Away Evil The Kinugawa Onsen “Oni” Festival (Shōfuku Oni Matsuri) is a winter celebration that combines the “Oni” in Kinugawa’s name with Japan’s Setsubun traditions. Held annually from late January to late February, the entire Kinugawa Onsen area becomes a festive stage where people and “oni” dance together to bring good luck and ward off evil. With the theme “Demons of the World Gather in Kinugawa – Humans and Oni Join in Festive Exorcism,” the event is both a blessing ceremony and a lively, family-friendly celebration. One of the highlights is the “SL Shōfuku Oni Train,” where participants dressed as oni ride a steam locomotive and interact with adorable local mascot characters like “Kinuta,” “Kinu-chan,” and “Kawa-chan.” Visitors can also enjoy taiko drum performances, monkey shows, chainsaw wood carving, demon-themed food, cultural experiences, and stamp rally games. It’s one of Kinugawa’s most vibrant seasonal events during the Setsubun period.

mekke is a base for “discovering” the charms of Nikko based on the theme of "feeling, connecting, and touring". Workshops that can only be experienced here, such as Nikko carving and deerskin leather crafting, are held from time to time. It also has a coworking space and community space, and is used as a place where tourists and local residents can easily connect with each other. Electric bicycles can be rented and baggage storage services are available, allowing visitors to tour Nikko in comfort. On the first floor, there is an exhibition space for Nikko's history and traditional performing arts, as well as a tourist information center, where you can freely pick up pamphlets to help you gather information for your trip. This is a new starting point for Nikko, where sightseeing, experience, and exchange are all connected in one place.

Utsunomiya City in Tochigi Prefecture is the hometown of world famous jazz musicians such as Sadao Watanabe and Haruhiko Takauchi. To make Utsunomiya a Jazz Town, various musical events are taking place throughout the year. New jazz-related groups are being created owing to the efforts of jazz lovers as well as owners of clubs and music houses that have a connection to jazz music. One such group is the Utsunomiya Jazz Association, and its member clubs are hosting live jazz performances where you can feel the vibes of Jazz Town Utsunomiya. If you are a first-timer, no problem! You will be warmly welcomed by regulars and staff members in a bright atmosphere. Enjoy a wonderful night in Jazz Town Utsunomiya.

What is Setsubun Armor Year-cross? Every year’s February 3 is “Setsubun” festival in Japan, symbolling the end of the winter. On this day, Ashikaga City holds “Armor Year-cross” event, over 200 people would dress as samurai to join the event. The parade walk to Bannaji Temple from Orihime Community Center. People celebrate their victory when they arrived at Bannaji Temple, and pray for city’s prosperity. History of Setsubun Armor Year-cross Back to the Kamakura period about 750 years ago, a powerful samurai called Ashikaga Yasuuji led 500 samurai to assemble at Bannaji Temple, the residence of Ashikaga Family, in order to honor their family. 120 years later, his descendant, Ashikaga Takauji, became the Shougun of Japan and created the Muromachi period. This event was closed in the late Edo and Meiji eras, but in 1915 (Taisho 4) it was restarted by a group of fiber workers. Ashikaga City has samurai armor and kimonos for visitors to try on.

This museum features permanent exhibits about the Yamaage Matsuri of Karasuyama， UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage and a National Important Intangible Cultural Heritage. At this facility， a human-like robot named Kansuke Jiisan (Grandpa Kansuke) provides a detailed explanation of the Yamaage Festival. Visitors can get a close look at the large stalls actually used for the festival as well as a one-fifth-scale replica of the actual stage. Local specialty products are sold at the convenient tourist product corner offering the perfect souvenirs."

*Gohanshiki has been cancelled in 2020. This traditional ceremony is still observed only at Nikkosan Rinnoji Temple. In this ceremony， people are forced to eat a large amount of rice. Cooked rice are offered on a large plate and every grain are urged to eat. The big bowl contains 5.4 litres of rice. No one actually eats the rice， but it is said that those who participate in the ceremony will have a family fortune and a healthy life. This sacred rice dedication ceremony is part of Nikko's ancient mountain Buddhism. By doing that， it is believed that the blessing of Buddha will immediately eradicate the Seven Major Misfortunes such as fire， floods， devils， etc.， and the people will receive the Seven Major Fortunes. It is said that even feudal lords such as the Tokugawa Shogun Families and other famous feudal lords across Japan joined this ceremony in the Edo period."

This shrine in Sano City， Tochigi Prefecture was founded in 1883 and enshrines Fujiwara-no-Hidesato. Built over the remains of Hidesato's castle， the area is a natural fortress surrounded by cliffs and valleys covered in Japanese Red Pine trees and some of the castle ruins still remain. En route to the main hall you'll pass the Sakura Horse Grounds in which numerous sakura cherry trees are planted."

Murasakizuka Golf Club, designed by John Benzel and Bob Wolf (USA), features technically challenging authentic courses on a vast hilly area of 1.16 million square meters. The contrast in landscape produced by ponds and waterfalls allocated in various parts on the courses is quite popular. The golf club has three courses – Ujiie, Katsuragi, and Saotome – totaling 27 holes (par 108) and 10,396 yards in yardage. The courses are on gentle slopes with an elevation of 10 meters. There are also accommodation sites on the premises, and you can choose your favorite stay style from a hotel, villa, and glamping. The villa comes with a private hot spring bath for you to spend a relaxed time alone with your family and friends.

A Dramatic Ceremony Draws Laughter and Gasps The Gohan-shiki is a unique ceremony that has been handed down only in Nikko area. Nikko was opened as a sacred mountain for the syncretization of Shintoism and Buddhism, and mountain asceticism by mountain ascetics flourished, with the ascetics bringing back offerings made to the main deity in the mountain and sharing them with people in the village.   The entire ceremony consists of approximately three parts: the "Santen Gogyo Ku" and "Saito Daima Gomaku," the "Gohan Gonyo Ceremony," and the "Garamaki".   After the "Santen Gogyo Ku" and "Saito Daima Gomaku,"the hall becomes bright, the recipients line up on the platform, and the "ceremony of receiving rice with strength" begins. The ceremony proceeds in the following order: "Gojinshu (sacred wine)," "Prayer," "Gohan (rice)," "Naseen (rice dishes)," "Kinko (food)," and "Koyo (offering). One of the most spectacular parts of the ceremony is when a monk dressed in a mountain priest costume presents three heaping piles of rice to a kamishimo-dressed recipient, who is told to "eat 75 bowls of rice without leaving any leftovers". The comical sight of the recipient being forced to eat the rice and having it placed on his head is sure to draw laughter from the audience.   After successfully completing this ceremony, the recipients will conclude the ceremony by sowing the blessings they have received in the ceremony to the general public, in accordance with the Buddhist teaching of "not keeping the blessings for oneself but sharing them with others.   In the Edo period, only feudal lords of 100,000 koku or more could serve as a recipient, and the Tokugawa shoguns and other famous feudal lords from all over the country were named as recipient as an "honor for my clan".

A hallowed boat carries 108 candles downs the Uzuma River， with Gagaku-style music (Japanese Imperial Court music)， performed by a historic Japanese orchestra. This Buddhist event is said to have begun at the beginning of the Meiji era to pray for the safety of boat transportation on the Uzuma River and to flush away 108 earthly desires. 

  Utsunomiya is famous throughout Japan for its gyoza, and so it’s only fitting that an annual festival to the fried dumplings would be held in the city. The Utsunomiya Gyoza Festival has been held at the beginning of November since 1999, with members of the Utsunomiya Gyoza Committee setting up stalls to sell their famous dumplings.   Visitors will be able to enjoy the subtle differences of dozens of dumplings as well as fill empty stomachs at a low cost: A three to five piece portion of gyōza, whether fried, boiled or steamed, will cost just 200 yen.   During the two days of festivities, visitors can also watch music bands and comedians at Miyajazz Inn, or see other live concerts at nearby venues.

Why not rent an old-fashioned kimono and stroll around the World Heritage sites of Nikko? Dressing in the kimono takes approx. 10 min. and costs 3,800 yen (tax incl.) for one day. Savor an ambience that is extraordinary.

Kitsuregawa is a historic castle town and prospered as a post station on the Edo road. The Onsen is located along the rivers running through the town. The light-brown, salty, slightly alkaline water is one of the best in quality containing the three key elements of hot spring water: sulphur, salt and iron. Accessible in about 30 minutes from Utsunomiya, the prefectural capital, this is a popular Onsen for a day visit. You can also stop by the nation’s first roadside station with Onsen facilities inside.

When sunlight hits the spray of the waterfall, a dreamy rainbow appears, making this a breathtaking highlight of your hike. Nijimi Falls is a symbolic scenic spot near Ryuokyo Gorge in Nikko. It is named after the rainbow often created by sunlight shining through the mist. The waterfall is about 20 meters high, and its powerful flow creates a misty spectacle. Visitors can enjoy close-up views of the waterfall from different angles along the well-maintained trail. This spot is an important stop along the Ryuokyo Gorge walking route. The trail is surrounded by lush nature, offering cool shade in summer, vibrant autumn leaves, and refreshing air all year round. It is recommended to wear sturdy walking shoes and take your time exploring. Particularly on sunny mornings, this is the best time to capture photos of the rainbow created in the mist.