Nikko, town in Japan, on central Honshu Island, in northwestern Tochigi Prefecture. Situated north of Tokyo on the Daiya River at the entrance to Nikko National Park, the town is an important tourist center and place of pilgrimage. Among its chief landmarks are the Toshogu shrine (erected in 1636), containing the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa shogun, or general, Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the magnificent Gate of Sunlight; and the Daiyuin mausoleum of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu. These Tokugawa foundations are noted for their opulent, florid architecture, with considerable gilding and multicolored paintwork. The nearby park is known for its waterfalls, evergreen forests, hot springs, rugged scenery, and an extinct volcano, Mount Nantai (2484 m/8150 ft). Population (1999) 18,286.Microsoft® Encarta® Online Encyclopedia 2001
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