If you make one trip from Tokyo, it should be to the pilgrim town of NIKKO , 128km north of the capital, with a World Heritage-listed shrine complex set amid splendid mountains and surrounded by outstanding hiking trails. The antithesis of the usually austere Shinto shrines - and often considered overbearingly gaudy - Tosho-gu , which, appropriately enough, means "sunlight", is the dazzling jewel of Nikko. Year round, masses of Japanese tourists tramp dutifully around Tosho-gu and the surrounding holy buildings, which include the Futarasan-jinja shrine and the Buddhist temple of Rinno-ji . After you've done the same, it's worth investigating the Nikko Tosho-gu Museum of Art , in the woods behind Tosho-gu, and then escaping the crowds by crossing the Daiya-gawa River to explore the dramatically named Ganman-ga-fuchi abyss , which is in fact a tranquil riverside walk.

If it's the great outdoors you're after, don't miss out on the most beautiful part of the Nikko National Park around Chuzenji-ko , some 17km from Nikko, or the quieter and less touristy resort of Yumoto , higher in the mountains.

Although with an early start it's possible to see both Tosho-gu and Chuzenji-ko in a long day-trip from Tokyo, you're far better off making an overnight stay in or around Nikko to get the most out of the area. Cramming both places into one day during the peak summer and autumn seasons is impossible - it's far better to concentrate on Nikko alone. A final tip: pack some warm clothes, since Nikko is cooler than lowland Tokyo, and in winter you can expect plenty of snow