NIKKO2

The Five-Star NIKKO Sake and Nature Trail

For a luxury Japanese experience.  This two-day itinerary incorporates sake, UNESCO heritage shrines, beautiful lakes and waterfalls, five-star accommodation, a bamboo experience and an amazing French sake dinner!

The Five-Star NIKKO Sake and Nature Trail

DAY 1

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10:30~12:00
Watanabesahei Sake Brewery

Start your Nikko sake trip by visiting Watanabesahei Sake Brewery (Watanabesahei shoten) nestled at the foot of the Nikko mountains. Take a tour of this small, family-run sake brewery that has been preserving the tradition of brewing sake since 1842.


The owner is welcoming and speaks very good English!

明治の館Nikko2

12:15~13:15
Lunch at Meiji-no-Yakata

For a special lunch, visit Meiji-no-Yakata which was originally built as the holiday home for F.W. Horn, an American who introduced the electric gramophone / phonograph to Japan during the Meiji period.

Enjoy western style dishes by award-winning chef Minoru Yamamoto as well as the historical Meiji period atmosphere.

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13:30~15:00
Shrines and Temples of Nikko
(UNESCO World Heritage Site)

Nikko is most famous for the shrines and temples of Nikko and the area was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.

See below for a map to the two shrines and temple.

Futarasan Shrine : Google Map

Nikkō Tōshō-gū Shrine: Google Map

Rinnoji Temple: Google Map

UNESCO World Heritage Page: Shrines and Temples of Nikko

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15:30~16:30
Lake Chuzenji (Okku-Nikko)

One of the most beautiful lakes in Japan, Nikko’s Chuzenji Lake, was a popular holiday destination for foreign diplomats during the Meiji period.

Be sure to check out the  lake cruises and activities such as SUP (Stand up paddle-boarding), cycling  and hiking.

Enjoy the picturesque scenery!

THE RITZ-CARLTON NIKKO

16:45
Hotel (The Ritz-Carlton Nikko)

19:00~21:00
Sake Dinner

Enjoy a luxurious stay at the newly opened Ritz-Carlton along the scenic Chuzenji Lake and Mt. Nantai in Oku-Nikko.

Enjoy an amazing dining experience and wind down with spa treatments and a soak in the onsen (natural hot spring).

The onsen is the only one of its kind for The Ritz-Carlton.

DAY 2

Lake Chuzenji View Room Twin

9:30
Depart from Hotel (The Ritz-Carlton)

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10:00~11:00
Senjogahara (Oku-Nikko)

Visit Senjogahara, a marsh land 1,400 meters above sea level.

Protected by the Ramsar Convention, a diverse range of plants and animals inhabit the forests, lakes, swamps, rivers, and marshes.

Senjogahara’s popular trekking trails allow you to walk around the marsh in around 2.5 hours.

Myougetsugbo

12:30~13:30
Lunch at Myogetsubo
(Wagyu Steak)

Enjoy a delicious Wagyu steak at Myogetsubo, a popular Wagyu Steak restaurant, near Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko​.

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14:30~15:30
Four Seasons Bamboo Forest Wakayama Farm

Down from the Nikko mountains in Oya is Wakayama Farm, one of the largest carefully maintained bamboo forests open to visitors in Japan.

Visit Wakayama Farm and enjoy the picturesque scenery, drink matcha green tea in a bamboo cup (you can take the cup home), and take in the peaceful atmosphere around you.

Book in advance to hire kimono.

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15:45~16:45
Oya History Museum (Stone Museum)

Visit Oya History Museum, where you can explore a stone mine and see how Oya stone was once mined here.

On the ground floor, there is a display room that features tools used to dig the mine. And 60m underground is an impressive vast area that was dug mostly by hand!

Oya stone is famous for being used by American architect Frank Lloyd Wright for his design of the Imperial Hotel.

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17:30~19:30

Sake Dinner at Otowa Restaurant

A special treat for food and sake lovers.

Enjoy a special sake dinner created by L’Ordre du Mérite Agricole Chevalier-awarded chef Kazunori Otowa. Visit Otowa Restaurant to experience a beautiful marriage of French cuisine, deeply rooted in Japanese culinary culture, and premium quality handcrafted sake from four local breweries.

No doubt a world-class sake pairing experience!

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21:30
Arrive back in Tokyo

OTHER OPTIONS

~Activity~

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Murakami Toyohachi Shoten (Wood Craft)

Book a traditional Nikkobori wood craft experience at Murakami Toyohachi Shoten.

Nikko2Nature Planet

Nature Planet (Canoeing, Trekking, SUP, Snowshoes and more )

This popular outdoor activity company in Nikko offers a wide range of activities such as canoeing, trekking, SUP and snowshoes activities in the colder winter season.

~Breakfast~

UWASAWA UMETARO SHOTEN

Inkyo Uwasawa (Uezawa Umetaro Shoten)

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. This Tsukemono (Japanese pickles) shop converted a traditional farm house into a unique restaurant which specializes in simple but delicious Japanese breakfast!

~Lunch~

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Uotoku (Charcoal Grilled Eel)

Uotoku uses only the best Japanese eel and highest grade binchotan charcoal to grill their delicious eel.

Myougetsugbo

Myogetsubo (Wagyu Steak)

A popular Wagyu Steak restaurant near Tochogu shrine in Nikko

~Lunch~

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Sake Brewery Dinner

Enjoy a dinner in Watanabesahei Brewery. Contact the brewery for more info.

OTHER TRIPS

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Visit the cave brewery as well as traditional paper craft workshops.
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Visit Nikko and a small brewery that still uses a rare traditional pressing method.
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Visit a family-run brewery in Mashiko and learn about the famous pottery culture.