JR East Nikko Station (日光駅), situated in Tochigi Prefecture, is a serene station surrounded by country style structures, vibrant scenery and sacred sites. As you step outside of the quaint wooden building, your eyes will will be caught by the massive, misty mountain. It is in this general area that you will find many of Nikko's finest treasures. The station is the last stop of the Nikko train line and is a very quiet station, only servicing around 815 passengers a day since 2011. The station is equipped with everything you need: a ticket gate, a ticket booth and two platforms.
Nikko station, being designed by the famous American architect Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959), was built 1st of August 1890, thus making it JR East’s oldest wooden building still under operation. In fact, apart from America, Japan is the only other country where Frank Lloyd Wright ever worked and lived; so if you're a fan of his work, why not pay a visit? If you’re lucky, the guestroom next to the stationmaster’s office may be open, where you can see the original chandelier, carpet, stove and marble stone used by the Emperor of the Taisho period when he visited the Imperial Villa in Tamozawa. To this day, the room has remained the same as it was many years ago. The guestroom is usually opened during peak holiday seasons such as Golden Week. If it’s closed however, I'm sure that if you ask the station master politely he might let you take a peek inside!
Apart from the station, there are many buses nearby. There are world heritage tour shuttles and Yumoto Hot Spring buses to name a few. There is the sacred bridge Shinkyo (神橋) up the road, the famous Toshogu Shrine (東照宮), the breathtaking lake Chuzenji (中禅寺湖) and plenty of trails to guide you to many scenic spots, shrines and statues. With being only two hours away from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, Nikko station allows you to dive straight into Japanese history and be one with Japan's nature, thus making it an ideal day trip for any day of the week.
