Nikko

          The wide avenue slopes gently uphill towards the shrine of Toshogu. It is dimly lit and in places shrouded in complete darkness. Great sugi, or cryptomeria, trees soar above ancient-looking stone walls on either side of the broad path, and crystalline mountain water flows lazily downhill through narrow channels at their feet. 

          The silence is profound, the only sounds coming from the resounding crunch of my feet on the carpet of tiny stones and the soft lapping of the water on its stony beds. Except for me, the approach to what may be Japan’s greatest sight is utterly deserted. 

          I arrive at a set of shallow steps, then a torii gate. Beyond, the entrance to the shrine is shut. As I stand in the pitch blackness, I imagine I’m hundreds of steps above, in front of the two grinning, hellish hounds with blazing eyes: the guardians of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s seventeenth century tomb. The mere thought of it is spine-tingling. 

          For I have been to Nikko before. Four years ago, on a morning of almost unbearable humidity, I saw the wondrous gold-leafed Yomeimon Gate, the storehouses adorned with three monkeys and gold-tusked elephants, and finally Ieyasu’s understated mausoleum. But I didn’t get the chance to wander its empty paths after sundown. 

          Narrow paths fork off to the left and right of the entrance, flanking the borders of the shrine complex. I turn left and espy a seemingly limitless row of tall and antiquated stone lanterns that extend along the outer wall. In the darkness they look alarmingly human. 

          More immense cryptomeria trees stand upon the inner side of the wall, rising far above the weather-beaten stone parapet and the newer vermilion fence. The eaves of an ornate hall just inside the compound almost overhang the boundary, its vibrant colours and cylindrical roof tiles hidden by the night. 

          I walk back down the great avenue to the Daiya River, where the water crashes into huge rocks on the riverbed and soon arrive at my hotel, the Turtle Inn. I feel a tinge of sadness, for I know that this may be the last time I ever experience the electrifying atmosphere of Nikko at night. 

          Tomorrow morning I will return to the shrine but I know the magic will have departed. Swarms of tourists, mostly Japanese but also many gaikoku-jin, or foreigners, will have assumed temporary control of the spellbinding approach to Toshogu.

13 Travel Tips For Visitors to Japan

1.    Skip Tokyo     

Japan’s capital is gigantic, heaving with people, stressful and ugly. The high points (Meiji-jingu, Hama-rikyu Gardens, Imperial Palace Park) are very

attractive, but you can easily find their equal, or better, in Kyoto. A journey on the Chuo or Sobu line in the morning would have made Gandhi lose his cool. Humans were not meant to live in a place like this.  

2.    Stay overnight in Nikko     

Words can hardly capture the magic of Nikko by night. The wide uphill avenue towards Tosho-gu, one of Japan’s most famous shrines, is deserted and only dimly lit. Massive cedar trees tower above you on both sides and you hear water running downhill in stone channels. You can’t enter the shrine complex but you can walk along its edge, where the atmosphere is electric. The stone lanterns resemble humans in the darkness, and the eaves of old buildings overhang the wall. It’s a spine-tingling walk.  

3.    Base yourself in Kyoto     

In Japan, Kyoto is peerless. It has an abundance of

superb sights: the gardens at Saiho-ji and Murin-an, the wooden platform and thatched roof of Kiyomizu-dera, the stone canals near the river, and the narrow alley of Pontocho at night. Kyoto is also very close to Nara, one of the few cities in Japan that is truly unmissable.  

4.    Do not visit in June and July      

A trip to Japan in the rainy season might mean days without seeing the sun. Worse, you might experience a biblical downpour that lasts forty hours. And when it’s over, the humidity is intolerable.  

5.    Stay near train stations     

This takes the pain out of looking for somewhere to have dinner. Large stations often have food courts in the basement, where you’ll find really good restaurants. The streets around stations usually feature a number of fast food restaurants, like Matsuya, Mos Burger, and McDonald's. Accommodation is plentiful and inexpensive too, even in Tokyo.   

6.    Don’t bother taking local trains     

Travelling by futsuu densha might seem like a good idea (you can save money and see the landscape), but it’s not. This is largely because there is very little of interest to see, just rice fields, unsightly buildings, and rivers with concrete banks. Better to get to your destination as fast as possible.   

7.    Fly to Kansai International Airport     

This puts you an hour and a half from Kyoto, and saves you having to pass through Tokyo, which you’ll have to do from Narita Airport. 

8.    Beware of the hype     

My guidebook contained the startling assertion that beauty in Japan could be found round every corner. In many cities you’ll be lucky to find it round any corner. The Japanese are very conceited when it comes to food, but, like me, you may find you have difficulty keeping the likes of unagi (eel) down.   

9.    Consider hitching     

This is probably not a good idea if you’re female. For men, though, it’s a pretty good option, and you may not even have to stick your thumb out to get a lift. Stand near a bus stop on a main road in the less touristed parts of the country and there’s a strong chance someone will pull over within minutes.  

10.    Visit Kamakura     

Kamakura, a short train journey south west from Tokyo, is one of the most interesting places in Japan. The bronze Daibutsu (Great Buddha) dates to 1252 and sits on a pedestal in the open air, the hall in which it was housed having been destroyed by a tsunami five hundred years ago. There are temples and beautiful gardens aplenty, the best of which (Zuisen-ji, for instance) are located in the east of the city, where many tourists do not venture. Hiking trails lead through the shady, wooded hills that surround Kamakura on three sides. It even boasts a beach, though the sea looks far from clean here.  

11.    Eat tonkatsu     

Not keen on raw fish, cold noodles or miso soup? Me neither. Try tonkatsu, a pork cutlet coated in breadcrumbs and deep fried. You grind up some sesame seeds using a pestle and mortar, add some dark tonkatsu sauce and then dip the pork in it. It’s served with rice, cabbage and – wait for it – miso soup.  

12.    Look out for local beers     

Japan’s oligopoly of beer producers make some fairly good brews, but you may find yourself yearning for something different. A good option is Hub Ale, found in the British pub chain of the same name, which has branches in large cities. Even better are the beers produced by micro-breweries in Takayama, Hakodate and Gotemba, but you’ve got to go out of your way to find these. 

13. Take a night bus

This is a cheap way of getting around, though you may feel out of place if you are over 20. You can reserve tickets online with Willer Express. Buses are surprisingly comfortable and are hermetically sealed against intruding lights, natural or otherwise. A sort of blackout curtain divides driver and passengers. The only drawback is arriving at the crack of dawn, when everything's shut except McDonald's.