is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in

Tochigi Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of Honshu. Tochigi Prefecture has a population of 1,943,886 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 6,408 Square kilometre, km2 (2,474 Square mile, sq mi). Tochigi ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. , the city had an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 80,239 in 36,531 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 55 persons per km². The total area of the city is . It is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists. Attractions include the

mausoleum A mausoleum is an external free-standing building constructed as a monument enclosing the interment space or burial chamber of a deceased person or people. A mausoleum without the person's remains is called a cenotaph. A mausoleum may be consid ...

of ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

(

Nikkō Tōshō-gū is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the n ...

) and that of his grandson

Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...

(Iemitsu-byō Taiyū-in), and the

Futarasan Shrine is a Shinto shrine in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as Nikkō Futarasan Shrine, to distinguish it from the Utsunomiya Futarayama Jinja, which shares the same ''kanji'' in its name. both shrines also claim the ...

, which dates to the year 767 AD. There are also many famous hot springs (''

onsen In Japan, are the country's hot springs and the bathing facilities and traditional inns around them. As a volcanically active country, Japan has many onsens scattered throughout all of its major islands. There are approximately 25,000 hot ...

'') in the area. Elevations range from 200 to 2,000 meters. The Japanese saying 【日光を見ずして結構と言うなかれ】 "Never say 'kekkō' until you've seen Nikkō"—''kekkō'' meaning beautiful, magnificent or "I am satisfied"—is a reflection of the beauty and sites in Nikkō.

Geography

Nikkō covers a vast area (1,449.83 km²) of rural northwestern Tochigi approximately 140 km north of

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

and 35 km west of

Utsunomiya is the prefectural capital city of Tochigi Prefecture in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 519,223, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . Utsunomiya is famous for its ''gyoza'' ...

, the capital of

. It is the third-largest city (by area) in Japan, behind Takayama and

Hamamatsu is a city located in western Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. the city had an estimated population of 791,707 in 340,591 households, making it the prefecture's largest city, and a population density of . The total area of the site was . Overview ...

. Both the

Watarase River The is a major river in the northern Kantō region of Japan. A tributary of the Tone River, it is in length and drains an area of .Kinugawa River , is a river on the main island of Honshu in Japan. It flows from the north to the south on the Kantō plain, merging with . At 176.7 km in length, it is the longest tributary of Tone-gawa. From ancient times, it has been known to cause flood ...

pass through the city.

Lake Chūzenji , also called Sea of Happiness, is a scenic lake in Nikkō National Park in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It was created 20,000 years ago when Mount Nantai (2484 m) erupted and blocked the river. The lake has a surface area of 11. ...

and the

Kegon Falls is located at Lake Chūzenji (source of the Oshiri River) in Nikkō National Park near the city of Nikkō, Tochigi, Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. The falls were formed when the Daiya River was rerouted by lava flows. The main falls had a h ...

lie in Nikkō, as does the

Nikko Botanical Garden The is a botanical garden operated by the Graduate School of Science, University of Tokyo, and located at 1842 Hanaishi, Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan, on rolling terrain with streams and ponds at 647 meters above sea level. It is open daily except Monda ...

. The city's many mountains and waterfalls have made it an important source of

hydroelectric power Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...

. The area has also been used for mining

copper Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...

aluminum Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. It has ...

and concrete. The weather in Nikkō is fairly similar to that of the northern island of

Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

, even though Nikkō is much closer to

than Hokkaidō. The elevation of Nikkō plays an important role in this fact. It will usually get cooler as one ascends the mountain. The average temperature of Nikkō is around 7 °C (44 °F) with the warmest months reaching only about 22 °C (72 °F) and the coldest reaching down to about −8 °C (17 °F).

Surrounding municipalities

* Kanuma * Nasushiobara * Shioya Gunma Prefecture * Numata * Midori * Katashina

Fukushima Prefecture Fukushima Prefecture (; ja, 福島県, Fukushima-ken, ) is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Fukushima Prefecture has a population of 1,810,286 () and has a geographic area of . Fukushima Prefecture borders Miya ...

* Minamiaizu * Hinoemata

Climate

Nikkō has a Humid continental climate (Köppen ''Dfb'') characterized by warm summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nikkō is . The average annual rainfall is with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around , and lowest in January, at around . The highest temperature ever recorded in Nikkō was on 8 August 2018. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on 15 March 1984.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Nikkō has declined over the past 20 years.

History

established the temple of Rinnō-ji in 766, followed by the temple of in 784. The village of Nikkō developed around these temples. The shrine of

was completed in 1617 and became a major draw of visitors to the area during the Edo period. It is known as the burial place of the ''

. A number of new roads were built during this time to provide easier access to Nikkō from surrounding regions. Nikkō Tōshō-gū,

, and Rinnō-ji now form the UNESCO World Heritage Site '' Shrines and Temples of Nikkō''. During the Meiji period, Nikkō developed as a mountain resort, and became particularly popular among foreign visitors to Japan. The Japanese National Railways began service to Nikkō in 1890 with the Nikkō Line, followed by Tobu Railway in 1929 with its Nikkō Line. Nikkō was incorporated as a town in 1889 (part of Kamitsuga District) with the establishment of the modern municipalities system. It was upgraded to city status in 1954 after merging with the neighboring village of Okorogawa. On March 20, 2006, Nikkō absorbed the neighboring city of Imaichi, the town of Ashio (from Kamitsuga District), the town of Fujihara, and the village of Kuriyama (both from Shioya District), to create what is officially the new and expanded city of Nikkō. The new city hall is located at the former Imaichi City Hall; the former Nikkō City Hall is now known as Nikkō City Hall-Nikkō Satellite Office.

Government

Nikkō has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city legislature of 24 members. Nikkō contributes two members to the Tochigi Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of Tochigi 2nd district of the

lower house A lower house is one of two Debate chamber, chambers of a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the upper house. Despite its official position "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has co ...

of the

Diet of Japan The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paralle ...

Economy

Nikkō is heavily dependent on tourism to its historical and scenic sites and hot spring resorts. Hydroelectric power production, food processing, and the non-ferrous metals industry are also important components of the economy. Nikkō has been recognized by Japan's Office for the Promotion of Regional Revitalization ( Kishida Cabinet Secretariat), which promotes the development of new technologies to combat depopulation, for its "high standard" of digital transformation/

telework Remote work, also called work from home (WFH), work from anywhere, telework, remote job, mobile work, and distance work is an employment arrangement in which employees do not commute to a central place of work, such as an office building, ware ...

infrastructure. Related projects have been awarded over ¥19.1M in government grants.

Education

Nikko has 23 public primary schools, 12 public middle schools and three combined public primary/midde schools operated by the city government. The city has three public high schools operated by the Tochigi Prefectural Board of Education. The prefecture also operates one special education school for the handicapped. High schools: * * *

Transportation

Railway

JR East The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and is the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are ...

– Nikkō Line * - - - Tōbu Tetsudō Logo

Tōbu Railway – Tōbu Nikkō Line * - - - - Tōbu Tetsudō Logo

Tōbu Railway – Tōbu Kinugawa Line * - - - - - - - - Yagan Railway * - - - - - - - Watarase Keikoku Railway * - - -

Highway

* – Yaita IC, Yaita-Kita PA * – Kiyotaki IC, Nikko IC, Imaichi IC, Dosawa IC, Osawa IC * * * * * * *

Local attractions

Hear speak see no evil Toshogu.jpg, Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil True Light Church, Nikko 20130812.jpg, True Light

Anglican Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

Church ( 日光真光教会礼拝堂), built 1916 Tobu World Square St Peters Basilica 1.jpg, Tobu World Square Moden depiction of ninja with ninjato (ninja sword).jpg, Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura * Cedar Avenue of Nikko *

Tamozawa Imperial Villa Tamozawa Imperial Villa (田母沢御用邸, Tamozawa Goyōtei) is a former imperial summer residence in Nikkō, Tochigi, Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It was constructed for Emperor Taishō in 1899 and served as a hide-out for emperor H ...

* Shrines and Temples of Nikkō (

, and Rinnō-ji) *

** The Three wise monkeys ("See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil") * Rinnō-ji ** Taiyū-in Mausoleum ** Shōyō-en Garden *

* Edo Wonderland Nikko Edomura (historical theme park) * Nikko is well known for its monkeys that walk around the town in the winter looking for food. * Jizō Bosatsu statues on the Kanman Walk. A little out of the main city, locals often tell visitors to count the statues while walking, and to recount while walking back. The number is often different, fueling a legend amongst locals. * Kanmangafuchi Abyss is a place that was formed from the lava from the eruption of Mt. Nantai

Sports

Nikkō is the home city to the

Nikkō Ice Bucks The is an Asia League Ice Hockey team based in Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan. Logo design: The word IceBucks in italicized English in black with white trim, with the words "NIKKO KOBE" in bold italics in orange trimmed with white Mascot: An orange an ...

in the

Asia League Ice Hockey Asia League Ice Hockey ( ja, アジアリーグアイスホッケー; ko, 아시아리그 아이스하키) or ALIH (AL) is an association which operates a professional ice hockey league based in East Asia, with teams from Japan, South Korea, and ...

Nikkō Kirifuri Ice Arena The Nikkō Kirifuri Ice Arena (日光霧降アイスアリーナ) is an indoor sporting arena in the city of Nikkō, Tochigi, Japan. It is primarily used for ice hockey, and is the home arena of Nikkō Ice Bucks of the Asia League Ice Hockey A ...

hosted the Women's Ice Hockey World Championships (Division I) in April 2007. There is also a speed skating oval.

Sister city relations

* Rapid City, South Dakota, United States, sister city since February 7, 1993 * Tainan, Taiwan, friendship city since January 16, 2009 * Odawara, Kanagawa Prefecture, since December 19, 1980

Notable people

* Masaru Ibuka, entrepreneur, co-founder of SonyKirkup, James
"Obituary: Masaru Ibuka,"
''Independent'' (London). December 22, 1997. * Shoma Sato, professional baseball player * Akio Fukuda, politician * Tomikazu Fukuda, politicianofficial home page
/ref>

References

External links

Official Website
*
Nikko Tourist Association

Nikko Kinugawa Travel Guide
{{DEFAULTSORT:Nikko, Tochigi Cities in Tochigi Prefecture