June 11, 2026

Venturing Beyond Tokyo, Part 2 — Nikko

[Text and photos by Program Director Luke Strosnider]

Just a few days after visiting Kamakura, our group took to the road again to journey even further from Tokyo. Nikkō is roughly three hours drive north of the city, and is an historic mountain town famous for its UNESCO World Heritage shrines and hot springs.

A large group sitting at multiple tables gathers for a group meal with a lake and mountains in the distance.

Before our cruise on Lake Chūzenji, we shared a traditional group meal.

Upon arrival, we gathered for a traditional Japanese lunch overlooking Lake Chūzenji, its misty mountains as our backdrop.

The view from the top deck of a small ferry-size cruise ship. People are looking at clouds, mountains and water.

We were joined by an energetic group of Japanese school children on our gentle pleasure cruise around Lake Chūzenji.

From there, we took to the water, cruising the lake alongside a group of Japanese schoolchildren equally captivated by the cloud-draped peaks.

A group poses for a photo in front of an elaborate Buddhist shrine building.

Our group spent a morning in Nikko exploring the sprawling and magnificent Tōshōgū Shrine.

At Tōshōgū Shrine, we stood before some of the most ornate architecture in Japan — gilded, carved, and layered with centuries of craft.

A grid of four photos featuring various scenes of people using wood carving tools.

Students — and professors! — learned the Nikko-style of wood carving first hand by carving images on hand mirrors, photo frames, and more.

That same spirit of making carried into the afternoon, when we learned the focused patience that woodcarving demands by inscribing images of flowers, dragons, and more. It's one thing to admire craftsmanship with your eyes, quite another another to feel it in your hands.