Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa

Most of what Nikko offers belongs to the age of the shoguns, which makes the Tamozawa Imperial Villa a refreshing change of subject. This was a summer retreat for the imperial family, started in the late nineteenth century and enlarged in the years that followed, and it blends buildings from the late Edo, Meiji and Taisho eras into one sprawling wooden complex. Part of it was brought from an older mansion elsewhere, and part was built new, which gives the villa its unusual patchwork character. It is large, with a great many rooms linked by long polished corridors, and it was used by members of the imperial family including the future Emperor Taisho. It is now a memorial park, with the main buildings open to walk through in socks or slippers, and gardens around them. It is protected as a nationally important cultural property and counted among the finest surviving examples of imperial villa architecture in Japan.

What makes the villa special is the sense of lived-in grandeur. Rooms were designed for use rather than display: audience rooms with decorated ceilings and sliding doors, private quarters, bathrooms, kitchens, and servants' wings, all linked by corridors that wind around small courtyard gardens. Many of the details are beautiful in a restrained, refined way, in contrast to the gilded excess of the shrines.

Look for the lacquered and coffered ceilings, the carved transoms above the doors, the long views through open sliding screens into the gardens, and the mix of Western touches, such as glass and furniture, with traditional Japanese carpentry.

The experience is slow by design. You follow a one-way route through the rooms, often with short explanatory signs in English, and you will spend a good hour or more if you read them and stop at the garden verandas. The gardens change dramatically with the seasons: fresh green in late spring, deep shade in summer, maple colour in autumn, and a hush under snow in winter.

Because the route is largely indoors, it is a good choice in rain or cold weather when the mountain sights are less appealing, and it is rarely crowded. A tea room or rest area is usually available, but check on the day.

Getting there is straightforward. A bus toward Chuzenji Onsen or the other upper-valley destinations leaves from both Nikko stations and takes about ten minutes to the Tamozawa stop, which is named for the villa, so it also works as a stop on the way up or down the mountain. Wear socks, because shoes come off at the entrance, and expect the floors to be cold in winter. The villa closes one weekday each week, and its hours are shorter in the cold months, so check before you plan around it.

Who is it for? Anyone curious about how Japan's modern imperial family lived, anyone who enjoys wooden architecture and garden views, and anyone who wants a quiet counterpoint to the shrine day. Younger children may find the long corridors dull, but a short visit with a rest stop in the garden works well. Together with Shinkyo Bridge and the riverside walk, it makes an easy half-day that avoids the busiest shrine crowds.