I've traveled through Japan in the past 5 years, but can you believe I had never been to Nikko before?? Riding on the chance of visiting Tokyo, I bought a special discount ticket by Tobu Railway to visit Nikko alone on a rainy weekday. (For more information on Tobu tickets, check out Tobu Website: only available to foreigners).
I woke up REALLY late that morning and departed Tokyo a few hours later than expected. This trip was planned as an overnight trip with the first day in Nikko - Kinugawa Onsen area and the second up to Fukushima Prefecture. But since I already lost a few hours on the first day, I had to rearranged the plan as I go.
Reaching Nikko a little after noon time, I stuffed my luggage in the locker and caught a bus to Toshogu Shrine. The shrine is only a few minutes walk from Omote-sando bus stop. It was sprinkling and snowing lightly when I arrived. It was just like walking in the dream with that foggy atmosphere. ;-)
Toshogu Shrine is a mausoleum (burial chamber) of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of Tokugawa Shokunate. It was built beautifully in the forest with simple architecture. However Ieyasu's grandson extended the structure into a more complex architecture as seen presently.
The shrine is famous for the three monkeys carving: Hear no evil - Speak no evil - See no evil. There were actually a series of these monkeys portraying important teaching of how to live a life.
Around Toshogu Shrine: there was much of a Chinese influence in the architecture.
Out and around Nikko Town
After leaving Nikko, I headed directly to Kinugawa Onsen using the same Tobu pass. It didn't get me there any earlier than 5.30 p.m. The ryokan I stayed was the cheapest I could find and it really looked cheap (T_T). Good thing it had quite a good onsen and nice view from the hotel room.
2 comments:
Beautiful photos! It was also snowing when I was there in 2005. Would like to go back again T_T
keep up posting naka, i'll also keep up reading ka:)
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