Nikkō

Nikkō
日光市
City
From top, left to right: Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Kegon Falls, Kinugawa Onsen, Lake Chūzenji and Mount Nantai, and Ashio Copper Mine
The location of Nikkō in Tochigi Prefecture
Nikkō
 
Coordinates: 36°43′11.4″N 139°41′53.4″E / 36.719833°N 139.698167°E / 36.719833; 139.698167
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureTochigi
First official recorded766 AD
City SettledFebruary 11, 1954
Government
 • MayorTetsuo Setaka (from May 2025)
Area
 • Total
1,449.83 km2 (559.78 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2021)
 • Total
76,452
 • Density53/km2 (140/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+9 (Japan Standard Time)
Phone number0288-22-1111
Address1 Imaichi Honchō, Nikkō-shi, Tochigi-ken 321–1292
ClimateDfb
WebsiteOfficial website
Symbols
BirdCettia diphone, Alcedo atthis
FlowerRhododendron, Hemerocallidoideae
TreeBetula platyphylla, Autumn leaf color

Nikkō (日光市, Nikkō-shi; IPA: [ɲikkoꜜːɕi]) is a city in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. As of 2 December 2020, the city's population was 80,239, in 36,531 households. The population density was 55 persons per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 1,449.83 square kilometres (559.78 sq mi).

Nikkō is a popular destination for Japanese and international tourists. Attractions include the mausoleum of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu at the Nikkō Tōshō-gū shrine, and that of his grandson Tokugawa Iemitsu (Iemitsu-byō Taiyū-in), along with Futarasan shrine, which dates to the year 767. There are many famous onsen (hot springs) in the area. Elevations range from 200 to 2,000 meters.[2]

The Japanese saying "Never say kekkō until you've seen Nikkō" (日光を見ずして結構と言うなかれ)" – with kekkō (結構) meaning splendid, magnificent, or satisfied – is a reflection of the beauty and sites in Nikkō.[3][4]

  1. ^ "Nikkō City official statistics" (in Japanese). Nikkō City. 2 December 2020. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  2. ^ "Nikko City/Location, Topography & History of Nikko City". Nikko City. Archived from the original on 2007-05-27. Retrieved 23 April 2008.
  3. ^ Lohn, Steve (11 September 1983). "Shrine of the Shogun". The New York Times.
  4. ^ "Nikko/Aizu - Challenging". okatours.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-09. Retrieved 2019-07-09.