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Nikko National Park Facts

Nikko National Park Facts
Nikko National Park is a 443.06 square mile park located on Japan's Honshu Island in the Kanto region. In 1911 the Diet of Japan established Nikko as an imperial park. In 1931 the National Parks Law was passed. In 1934 Nikko National Park was officially established. Throughout the 1900s Nikko was expanded, and Oze National Park, which was once part of Nikko, was separated and established as its own national park in 2007. Nikko National Park extends into four prefectures which include Niigata, Fukushima, Gunma, and Tochigi. Within the park are many historical Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines, which make it extremely popular with tourists. It is also considered one of Japan's most beautiful.
Interesting Nikko National Park Facts:
UNESCO designated Nikko National Park as a World Heritage Site for the "Shrines and Temples of Nikko."
Kegon Falls is one of the three highest waterfalls in Japan at 318 feet. It is considered to be the country's most spectacular, and there are 12 minor falls referred to as the Junitaki alongside Kegon Falls as well.
The two most notable temples and shrines in Nikko National Park are Nikkō Tōshō-gū (shrine) and Rinnō-ji (temple).
Mount Nikko-Shirane is a shield volcano in the park and it is 8,458 feet in height.
Mount Nantai is a stratovolcano in Nikko National Park and is 8,156 feet high.
Ryūzu Falls is a 200 foot tall set of waterfalls in Nikko National Park. It is a twin waterfall which means there are two waterfalls. These look like a dragon's head, which is why they are named 'Ryūzu' which means 'dragon's head.'
Nikko National Park has a 4.49 square mile lake called Lake Chūzenji.
Visitors to Nikko National Park can enjoy hiking, camping, golfing, skiing, and dips in the Onsen hot springs.
Nikko National Park can be divided into six areas including the Historic Area, Chuzenjiko Lake Area, Senjogahara Area, Yumoto Area, Nikko Kinugawa Onsen Area, and Kirifuri Area.
Within the Historic Area visitors will find the temples and shrines.
Within the Senjogahara Area there are hiking trails for visitors to explore.
Within the Yumoto Area is the popular winter resort region.
Within the Nikko Kinugawa Onsen Area is a hot spring resort region with amusement rides, Ninja shows, and other attractions.
Within the Kirifuri Area are the natural resort highlights such as waterfalls, camping sites, as well as skiing and golfing opportunities.
Nikko National Park is only 125km from Tokyo which makes it a popular tourist destination.
Within the park are waterfalls, rivers, mountains, volcanoes, lakes, forests, hot springs, plateaus, and many historical sites.
Japan's most lavish shrine is Toshogu, located in Nikko National Park. The park also has the statue of three wise monkeys, the Yomeri-mon gate, and the Hall od the Medicine Buddha.
The town of Nikko and Nikko National Park have a total of 103 historical buildings, 94 culturally important buildings, and 9 national treasures.
Famous people who have visited the area in the past include Eleanor Roosevelt, Charles Lindbergh, Helen Keller, Charlie Chaplin and many others.


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