Transportation

We originally planned to rent a car, but considering that getting around in Nikko will require driving through serpentine mountainous roads, we opted to take public transportation instead (a wise choice). From Utsunomiya, we took the JR to Nikko station and hopped on the bus to Lake Chūzenji. The bus dropped us off right in front of The Ritz-Carlton, Nikko, very convenient and affordable.

Hotel

The one and only Ritz-Carlton with natural onsen, flowing down from the popular onsen town Yumoto. Our room faces Lake Chūzenji, to the right is Mount Nantai, quite a serene scene. The hotel design is chic minimalist, not a lot of presumptuous superfluous decorations, and not too many empty spaces that birth excessive lines and angles. There’s a level of comfort and a sense of coming home as you sit in the lobby (if only my house is this beautiful!). Most impressionable is our host Ms. Inoue, who greeted us and helped us check in. We chatted briefly about the purpose of our trip and why we chose Nikko, and that same night when we returned to our room after dinner, Ms. Inoue and hotel staff surprised us with a “Welcome Baby” balloon and towel cake on our bed!

飯店住宿

第一家提供日式溫泉的Ritz-Carlton，溫泉水源從上次來日光時有去的湯元（非常有名的溫泉聖地）。房間面向中禪寺湖，右邊俯瞰男體山，環境清幽。飯店設計走的是我很愛的簡潔路線，沒有多餘擺設或是過於極簡產生太多線條感，整體非常舒適輕鬆，有種回到家的感覺（只希望我家也這麼美）。最讓我們印象深刻的是我們和幫我們check-in的Inoue San閒聊，我們隨意提到這次來日光的目的和我們有多愛這地方。沒想到晚餐後回到房間，Inoue San和工作人員們竟然準備了Welcome Baby的氣球和毛巾蛋糕，真是太大的驚喜了！

All of our friends who have visited Nikko rave about its mild climate and serenity. With mountains for hiking, lakes for fishing and swimming, waterfalls for admiring, Nikko is ideal for a quick getaway from Tokyo or for retirement. On the way to Nikko, we made a pit stop at Utsunomiya, aka Dumpling Town, to see what the dumpling hype is all about. The streets at Utsunomiya are lined with symbols of dumplings everywhere, you can even find dumplings on the manholes.

Day One

Utsunomiya is about two hours drive from Tokyo. Of all the dumpling restaurants there, the two that have received top reviews are Minmin and Gyotendo, so off to those two places we go!

Utsunomiya Minmin: Without a doubt, definitely a must-try! Delicious and offers free parking (always a plus)! Similar in taste and texture to Taiwanese dumplings and those that you can find in Chinatown in the United States. We couldn’t help but order for seconds. We gave this place a solid 5/5!
Gyotendo: Our foodie friends A&W described it perfectly: the dumpling skin is too thick! The dumpling filling tastes rather bland and dry. Their line was actually longer than at Minmin. On their door they even have a sign that says they are the No.1 dumpling place! After a careful research audit, we learned that this restaurant is the top result that returns when you search for “dumpling restaurant” near Utsunomiya JR Station, not the No.1 by reviews (lol!!!!!)

Day Two

Lake Chuzenji: In the morning the lake is covered by a thick layer of mist, and the air is cool and refreshing. After breakfast, we took a stroll by the lake, and it was very relaxing. You would really love this place if you are a morning person! (Tech free might be a good idea!)
Toshogu: Glad that our friends A&W suggested that we bring comfortable shoes, as Toshogu covers a large area and can take a whole day to visit on foot. There aren’t many food options around either, so make sure you bring some snacks or come on a full stomach.

Day Three & Day Four

The highlight of Nikko for me is no doubt Lake Chuzenji. After breakfast, we took a leisurely stroll along the lake, and even in the midst of summer, it didn’t feel hot here. We took another walk by the lake before dinner and marveled at the pink and purple sky reflected in the expansive surface of the lake.

On our way to Yumoto, we stopped by this ancient battlefield for a short hike. Occasionally you would see other hikers here, very easy for beginners. But it was just my luck to see my nemesis: a snake! Because of the sighting, I abandoned our hike halfway and power walked back to our rental car. We stayed a night in Yumoto Itaya, the summertime weather here is very pleasant, definitely not too hot for soaking in a hot spring.

Kegon Falls: The second highest waterfall in Japan! Wanna take a guess where the tallest waterfall is? That’s right! It’s in Wakayama where my friends and I visited before!

Nikko is hands down a great place to escape the heat of summer! The weather and the sights are unparalleled. I hope you will enjoy Nikko as much as we did!

去過日光的朋友們都對這地稱讚不已，直呼天氣涼爽又寧靜，有山有水絕對是許多人夢寐以求的退休場景。那天往日光的路上，我們也特別在宇都宮停下，品嚐當地兩家有名的餃子店。宇都宮有著餃子城著稱，路上滿滿餃子圖案，連下水道蓋都有餃子圖案，吃貨朋友A&W卻對這裡的餃子大失望。UN和我實在是太想知道到底有多難吃，決定親自來宇都宮試一下！

第一天

從東京出發約兩小時車程就會到宇都宮，網上很多人推薦宇都宮Minmin和餃天堂，當然我們得試一下這兩家！

宇都宮Minmin：千萬別猶豫，就來這家，好吃又能免費停車！鮮嫩皮薄味道好，和我們在台灣或美國中國城吃到的水餃味道類似，吃完後續點更多餃子。這家我們都給了高分評價！
餃天堂：吃貨朋友A&W形容得太好了，這皮也太厚了吧！餃子餡像是絞肉忘了加料，口感偏乾，但隊伍竟然比Minmin久。門口還標榜是當地第一名的餃子，結果認真一看發現是日本餐廳搜尋網站Tabelog以地區搜尋時第一家出現的餃子店，不是評分最高分得第一名！