Will take train from Shinjuku JR railway station or other station in the morning and stay in Nikko for five hours and come back to Shinjuku JR railway station in the evening.
Even though Shinjuku is the most commonly used station because of the convenient train schedules to and from Nikko, any other JR or Metro stations instead of Shinjuku station can be chosen with an additonal hour or two.
At your hotel in Tokyo or JR Shjinjuku station
Mausoleum for Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate which ruled Japan for almost three centuries. 55 architectures, 8 national treasures including Yomei-mon Gate & Main Hall.
Row of 70 stone statues of Jizo Bodhisattva who is protector of those journeying through the physical and spiritual realms
If you leave very early in the morning from JR Shinjuku station and include this 97 meter waterfall as an optional destination, you need to add additonal two to three hours in your itinerary.
Mausoleum of Iemitsu, Ieyasu’s grandson
At JR Shinjuku station
Can visit many UNESCO World Heritage Sites in an ancinent city of Nikko and experience the local history and delicacies.
The Nikko Toshogu Shrine was designed to accommodate large numbers of worshippers while at the same time exulting and commemorating the deity, and stressing timelessness. A unified style pervades all the architecture utilizing many buildings and decorative techniques, including lacquering, brightly colored painting, and decorative metal fittings.
guide fee for 9 hours,hours, hotel pick-up in Shinjuku area
transportation fee (you and guide), Spacia Nikko special express train round trip fro Shinjuku to Niiko costs 8,180 yen per person. Roud tripTaxi from Tobu Niikko station to Toshogu Shrine costs 2,500
yen. lunch, tea , entrance fee for Toshogu Shrine (1,300 yen per person. guide is free), $10 hotel pick-up fee if your hotel is not located in Shinjuku area. overtime guide fee $50 per hour, if applicable
Born and raised in Niigata prefecture, visit my mother and sister who live in Niigata city every month from Tokyo. Niigata has lots of attractions for tourists, including Yahiko Shrine/suspension cable car ride to the top of Mt. Yahiko, Northern Culture Museum where you can see the richest farmer's residence and garden, sake breweries with free sake tasting, castle towns like Shibata city or Murakami city, winter ski resorts with four meters of snow, delicious local sea food from Sea of Japan or from Sado Island/ fruits and brown edamame. It takes only two hours by Shinkansen train to reach Niigata from Tokyo.
Niigata prefecture and Niigata city each has a population of 2.3 Million and 0.8 Million, good sizes but much smaller than Tokyo, the biggest city area in the world. By experiencing both Tokyo on the Pacific Ocean side and Niigata on the Sea of Japan side, you can taste both modern gigantic city life/culture and traditional city/rural life/culture in Japan.
In addition to Greater Tokyo Area where I live, I will be happy to be your guide in any cities/areas on the Sea of Japan side as well.
My tour destinations outside Greater Tokyo area include Niigata-city, Nagaoka -city, Itoigawa-city, Sado island, Nagano city, Snow Resorts in Niigata and Nagano mountain areas, Yamagata city, Tsuruoka city, Sakata city, Kanazawa city, Oono city, Echizen city, Tsuruga city, Fukui city, Gokayama and Shirakawago which are World Heritage sites famous for Gassho-zukuri and Kyoto/Nara.
Only available on weekdays
Even though some minor works are still on-going, major portion of recent renovation project which begun in 2007 was finished recently. Now is the best time to see the restored lacquer, paint, and decorative metal fittings in their original vibrant colors.
Roud trip train ticket costs around 8,000 yen per person from Shinjuku. Even though we can walk, if we use bus between Nikko railway station and the Shrine, additional 500 yen per person, and taxi around 1300 yen per ride.
Nikko is 634 meters above sea level and temperature is cooler than in Tokyo.
The tour involves walking on slopes and stairs. Highly recommended to wear comfortable walking shoes.
It is best to visit Nikko on weekdays, especially during autumn color season.
Roud trip train ticket costs around 8,180 yen per person. Roud tripTaxi from Tobu Niikko station to Toshogu Shrine costs 2,500 yen.
My wife and I spent our first two days in Tokyo with Takano Yoshi. Having lived in the US, India and other countries, Yoshi is sensitive to the intimidation of being a stranger in a strange land. Spending time with Yoshi is more than a tour, it is a cultural revelation, replete with insights and suggestions that will enrich your further travels in Japan and beyond. Yoshi's guidance enhanced our entire two-weeks in Japan. We will introduce Yoshi to everyone we know going to Japan and will re-engage him when we return. Takano Yoshi surpassed our expectations. Arigato gozaimasu Yoshi!!!
It is good to hear from you, John san. You must have returned safely to your residence in Virginia Beach by now. I enjoyed walking with and eating lunch with Kim san John san who can appreciate the real Japanese food such as Sushi and Japanese eels. Please visit Japan again during cherry blossom season.
Yoshi was an excellent host for our first day in Tokyo. He met us in the lobby of our hotel, showed us how to navigate the trains so we were comfortable the next few days on our own. He showed us some hidden gems in the fish market and picked out the most perfect piece of toro tuna for us. He shared great stories along our route. We enjoyed talking Michigan Football with him! Go Blue.
I enjoyed touring with Noah san and his family in Tokyo. Just as we both hoped for, Michigan defeated Alabama in Rose Bawl and will head for the Final against Washington next week. Go blue!
Yoshi was a fabulous guide, showing us all the must-see places in Tokyo. His English was fantastic. It was very helpful to have a local helping to answer all our questions and know where the best places to go were. Thanks Yoshi for showing us around your city, we can't thank you enough.
You must have returnd to your residence in Colorado by now. It has been my pleasure to introduce major attractions in Tokyo including good Japanese restaurant for lunch to you and your husband. Please come back to Japan again during cherry blossom season in Spring.
Yoshi-san is a fantastic tour guide - highly knowledgeable about Japan history and culture, kind and patient, well-traveled, fluent in English, and great sense of humor ! We highly recommend him. Go Blue !
I have had a very valuable time talking with Ted san and his wife Rose san on various topics on Japan as well as our university graduate student days in Michigan. In Kamakura I am happy to see that his son has found a beautiful partner in life and he has a new daughter in law. Please enjoy the rest of your stay in Japan. Go Blue!