Nikko Cedar Avenue

The Nikko Cedar Avenue stretches roughly 37 kilometers along three historic highways: the Nikko Kaido, the Reiheishi Kaido, and the Aizu Nishi Kaido (all dating back to the Edo period). Of this, 35.41 kilometers is recognized by the Guinness World Records as the “World’s Longest Avenue of Trees.” Planting began under Matsudaira Masatsuna, a loyal retainer of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, and roughly 50,000 cedars once formed this monumental avenue. Completed around 1648, on the 33rd anniversary of Ieyasu’s death, the planting was dedicated as an offering to Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine, the mausoleum of the shogun himself.
Today, around 12,000 cedars remain, rising skyward to create a verdant and mystical tunnel. Included are numerous distinct cedar trees that reflect nature’s power, and the most striking ones feature hollow bases that can fit four adults. Walking or bicycling along the avenue, you can still sense the grandeur once experienced by feudal lords and travelers making their way to Nikko during the Edo period. The avenue is the only one in Japan that holds the unique distinction of being both a National Special Historic Site and a Special Natural Monument, and in 2025, the Nikko Cedar Avenue marked the 400th anniversary of its planting.