Taking the Revaty Kegon Straight to Tobu-Nikko
Our trip began aboard the limited express Revaty Kegon, operated by Tobu Railway. We left Kita-Senju at 9:43 and pulled into Tobu-Nikko at 11:22 — about an hour and forty minutes on the rails.
The Revaty Aizu and the Revaty Kegon run coupled together as a single six-car train. At Shimo-Imaichi Station on the Nikko Line, the front three cars (Revaty Aizu) are uncoupled from the rear three (Revaty Kegon). For railway fans, this uncoupling is a sight not to be missed. One word of caution, though: the Revaty Aizu pulls out almost immediately after separating, so be careful not to find yourself on the wrong half. The Revaty Kegon waits until the Aizu has gone, which gives you two or three minutes of breathing room.
The cabin is comfortable, and every seat on the Revaty has a power outlet — but it sits right next to the recline button on the armrest, which makes it surprisingly easy to miss. We never spotted ours and spent the whole ride nursing our phone batteries. Check your armrest as soon as you sit down.
Nikko has two stations, by the way: Tobu-Nikko and JR Nikko. The handsome old station building in the photo is JR Nikko. Both have real character, and simply looking at them puts you in a traveling mood.
About Tobu Limited Express Tickets
SPACIA X, Kegon and Kinu, Revaty Kegon / Revaty Kinu / Revaty Aizu, Revaty Ryomo, Ryomo, Skytree Liner — “limited express” covers a lot of ground on Tobu. The mascots genuinely agonized over whether to take the Revaty Ryomo, the Revaty Kegon, or the SPACIA X.
You need both a base fare ticket and a limited express ticket, and the total changes quite a bit depending on which train you pick. It goes more smoothly if you decide which limited express you want on the Tobu Railway website before you book. Reservations open one month ahead, and at that point you still have your pick of trains.
Revaty Kegon limited express fare Ours came to ¥1,650 per adult for Kita-Senju to Tobu-Nikko (as of October 2024). That is the limited express charge only — a separate base fare ticket is also required.
A SPACIA X Welcome at Tobu-Nikko Station
We stepped off at Tobu-Nikko Station to find a SPACIA X sitting right there on the platform. We couldn’t resist lining up beside it for a photo. 📷
We snuck a look inside as well, and the interior was so beautiful that we wanted to board on the spot. But our SPACIA X reservation was for the return trip the following day, so we held ourselves back, switched gears, and set off for Nikko Toshogu.
The SPACIA X is Tobu Railway’s newest limited express, introduced in 2023. Its range of seating — the Cockpit Lounge and box seats among them — has made it enormously popular, and reservations can be hard to come by.
Leave the Big Bags at the Hotel
Hauling heavy luggage around Nikko Toshogu is no fun at all. Our hotel had an affiliated property right in front of JR Nikko Station, so we dropped our bags there first.
That turned out to be exactly the right call. Traveling light, we caught a bus from in front of JR Nikko Station and headed for the shrine.
Getting to Nikko Toshogu: Local buses run from both JR Nikko and Tobu-Nikko stations. The ones leaving from in front of Tobu-Nikko Station are more frequent and the more convenient option. The ride takes about 10 minutes, and since this is a major sightseeing area, you rarely wait long for the next bus.
Visiting Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Hands free at last, we made our way into Nikko Toshogu — where the ticket counter had a very long line. Tickets can be purchased online in advance, and next time we certainly will. There are two main options: shrine admission on its own, or a combined ticket that includes the Treasure Museum. Full details are on the Nikko Toshogu website.
Shrine-only ticket*: ¥1,600 for adults and high school students, ¥550 for elementary and junior high school students (includes the Yomeimon Gate and the Sleeping Cat)
Shrine + Treasure Museum ticket*: ¥2,400 for adults and high school students (covers shrine admission and entry to the Treasure Museum)
*As of July 2026
Ringed by centuries-old architecture and deep forest, the grounds reward you no matter how many times you visit.
Nikko Toshogu overwhelms visitors with solemn carvings and vividly colored buildings, but what made the mascots’ eyes light up most was the Sleeping Cat, a designated National Treasure. It is one of the most famous decorative carvings at this shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu — small, yet with tremendous presence. “There it is! The real thing!” they cried, and we couldn’t help laughing at the sight of them. In a space so heavy with history, it was that endearing little cat that captured them completely. The Three Wise Monkeys — “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” — were there too, but we walked straight past them. There is simply that much to take in, and the time disappeared.
The Sleeping Cat is far from the only highlight here. The Yomeimon Gate is also known as the Higurashi-no-mon, the “twilight gate,” because it is said you can stand and admire it until the sun goes down without noticing. The gilded, richly colored detail work is breathtaking, and after several centuries it has lost none of its brilliance.
The cedar avenue leading to the inner shrine includes many trees more than 400 years old, and the atmosphere along it is genuinely sacred. There is so much to see at Nikko Toshogu that you should set aside two to three hours if you want to take your time.
After our visit we took the bus back to Tobu-Nikko Station, picked up bento for dinner, and headed to our lodging for the night.
A Model Course for Nikko (Day 1)
| Time | What we did |
|---|---|
| Morning | Arrive at Tobu-Nikko Station on the Revaty Kegon |
| Morning | Drop luggage at the hotel in front of JR Nikko Station |
| Late morning–midday | Bus to Nikko Toshogu, visit the shrine |
| Evening | Pick up bento at Tobu-Nikko Station |
| Evening | Check in at the hotel |
Tomorrow, at last, we board the SPACIA X. You can read the rest of this trip in Enjoying the SL Taiju Futara and SPACIA X.
