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Nikko is a small mountainous town located in the north of Tochigi Prefecture. In Japanese, the literal meaning of Nikko is sunlight. The town is located 125 km north of Tokyo, the capital city of Japan. It lies 35 km away from west of Utsunomiya, which is the capital of Tochigi Prefecture.
The total area of the town is around 1,449.87 square kilometres, which is inhabited by 92,181 individuals. It was founded in the 8th century by Buddhist priest Shodo Shonin, near the entrance of Nikko National Park. In 766 AD, he established the temple of Rinno-ji.
Soon in 784 AD, he established the temple of Chuzenji and the village of Nikko started developing around these temples. Nikko Toshogu, the most popular shrine of the town developed in 1617. The popularity and historical significance of Nikko Toshogu, Futarasan Shrine and Rinnoji made them the UNESCO World Heritage Site Shrines and Temples.
Nikko was popular as a mountain resort during the Meiji period. It was incorporated as a town in 1889. After this, the Japanese National Railways service began in Nikko in 1890 and Tobu Railway in 1929. Owing to this development, Nikko became a city in 1954 after merging with Okorogawa.
In March, 2006 Nikko overtook the city of Imaichi and the municipality of Ashio from Kamitsuga District. It also absorbed the town of Fujihara and the village of Kuriyama from Shioya District to form the official new city of Nikko.
The best time to visit Nikko is during autumn that extends from September to November. Many tourists also plan their visit to this city in the winter months, from December to February.
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