After a good yuba lunch, our guide Ikuko brought us to the former imperial village in Nikko. Initially, it looked relatively simplistic for its status, but I now understand how it was used and in balance with its surroundings. It is remarkable for not only its many rooms, but also for the quality of the craftsmanship. I don't think metal nails were used in the joinery. After many centuries, the structure looks sound even with hundreds of visitors each day. We were served matcha tea and a sweet. The hostess kindly offered us a chair since we didn't want to sit on the tatami floor.

The Imperial Villa in Nikko was a surprising attraction. It wasn't high on my list but ended up being a highlight. The history was interesting, the villa itself was impressive, and the gardens were beautiful. I came right when they opened and had the place to myself. Many of the rooms were very basic. You need at least an hour here.

We considered cutting this out of our day in Nikko, but we decided to go and it was definitely worth it. The staff were so friendly and welcoming, they seemed so genuinely happy to help. The structure itself it very big so we did go round fairly quickly. There are a lot of empty rooms, much the same as a lot of these types of buildings, but this one had more interesting exhibits and displays. There were even some craftspeople selling handmade crafts (and making them there) as well as a lovely garden around the back. It was a nice break from temples, not as spectacular as other sights in Nikko but we enjoyed it.