Toshogu shrine

Today we are going to Nikko. A town that had been a center of Shinto and Buddhist mountain worship for many centuries. Nikko is known to offer scenic, mountainous landscapes, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails. Sounds good isn’t. Also it’s not to far for Tokyo. Count about 2 hours train journey. But I was in Okuhida so a long journey was waiting for me.

From Okuhida (Hirayu onsen) you have a direct highway bus to Tokyo (5 hours). In Tokyo you have to find the Tobu line at Asakusa station. From there you can also get the “Nikko Pass All area” , a super usefull pass that allows you a roundtrip train journey from Tokyo , illimited buses in Nikko area and many more. It’s a great value for the money so make sure to buy it if you plan to stay in Nikko.
Japanese train station.

If you go for the Nikko All Pass option you’ll only be able to ride local trains. I had to change train 3 times to get to Nikko which may be challenging. I managed to get there but it tooked me 1-2 hours longer than the normal time. I had almost no information about which connection to take but it ended up working quite well at the end.

Say hello to Nikko , our new home for the next 3 days.

On the way to my lodge. Misty mountains and clear water.

Nikko is a small town surrounded by beautiful mountains. Most travellers will only do a day trip here but this area has more to offer I feel. If you have time better stay 2 / 3 nights. Slow travelling is becoming my “motto” (also because I have time).

For my first day i’m going to THE most famous spot in Nikko , the “Toshogu Shrine”. A place that attract waves of tourists every day. I slept in Nikko so I could beat the crowd by going fairly early. Let’s discover this unique site.

On the way to the Toshogu , marvellous autumn colors could still be seen.

World heritage UNESCO site. Just a little warning from what will come next.

Toshogu Shrine entrance door. It was around 9h15.

Before we get inside what it this place actually ?
This is a shrine complex which consists of more than a dozen buildings set in a beautiful forest. Countless wood carvings and large amounts of gold leaf were used to decorate the buildings in a way not seen elsewhere in Japan. This place is extravagant and has been builded by a rich Shogun back in the days ,  “Tokukawa Ieyasu”. A unique feature of this place is that it contains both Shinto and Buddhist elements. Let’s get in now.

In the middle you can spot the Yomeimon Gate.

The Yomeimon Gate , perhaps Japan’s most ornate structure.

The amount of details was incredible. This place was stunning. I cann’t think of a better word. The structures themselves were unique but also the nature all around was special. You are surrounded by very old trees in that mystical forest. This shogun really picked the perfect place to build the Shrine.

On the right of the main shrine a series of stairs are waiting for you. This is the path to the Tokugawa Ieyasu’s mausoleum.

The ascent takes about five minutes. I loved the nature all around.

Tokugawa Ieyasu’s mausoleum.

I stayed about 1h30 in the Toshogu. At first I thought that the entrance fee was a bit pricey (1300 yen , 11 euro) but afterward I realised that there is actually a lot to see. This is a magical place that every traveller should go to. When I left the Toshogu around 11h it was getting pretty crowded so I would advice travellers to go early , around 9 am seems good to me.

At the entrance of the Toshogu lies a 5 story pagoda.

You could also find a local “sweet” shop.

Mochi with a black sesame sweet paste inside. This was the best mochi I had in Japan. It had a aftertaste of chocolate ! Black sesame sweets are goodness.

Not far away from the main attraction of Nikko you can find a quiet yet stunning shrine. The Taiyuinbyo. This is the mausoleum of the third Tokugawa shogun, Iemitsu, the grandson of Ieyasu. Another incredible place to explore but this time without the crowd.

This was a very nice visit. It reminded me of the Toshogu somehow. It’s actually more enjoyable here because there is almost nobody inside. Most tourist will skip that one. You can actually really connect with the spirit of the site. This felt special.

It was time to get a lunch. On the way down you could still see autumn colors.

The color pick in Nikko is around early november but late november still had great colors.

Here I have also met two nice russian travellers. Apparently Russian people can only get a 2 weeks visa in Japan. This world is not fair. I feel lucky to be born in France where you get 3 month !

 

Shinkyo bridge.

I had lunch nearby the bridge at “Hippari Daiko”. A great value for the money that also have many vegetarian options. The waiter was the least polite Japanese I have ever seen. This guy maked me laught. He standed out a lot with the average Japanese people which are extremely polite. We all have different backgrounds and stories so there is no room for judgements 🙂

Back to my adventures with more energy now. My attention got distracted (again) by what looked like a good dessert option.

Matcha cream burger from Soppo shop.

This was so yummy , not to sweet or heavy either. Inside the matcha cream you could find a red bean paste filling. One of my favorite sweet discovery in Japan.

With a matcha tea kindly offered by the waitress.

Next destination , the scenic Kanmagafuchi Abyss trail. To get there from the Shinkyo bridge you have to walk about 20 min.

Slightly away from town you’ll reach quiet natural settings.

Many Jizo statues along the trail.

Each of them really had singular facial expression. They felt so real to me. I’m always amazed by human devotion toward spirituality.

Content.

Focus.

I was feeling a bit sick today (and over the previous days) so I went back home slowly. On the way I experienced a Japanese supermarket. If you travel on a budget theses places will become your best friends. It’s my last week in Japan and my bank account is reaching the zero. I indulged Japan like a King but i’m not longer a King therefore I cann’t afford eating all my left meals in restaurants. I’m realizing now that supermakets in Japan gives you great eating options like Bento boxes for cheap prices.

Nikko’s food specialy is Yuba or Tofu skin.

Boiled Yuba at the supermarket. It’s apparently yummy so I baught some for my evening homemade Ramen soup. Yuba comes from boiled soymilk. The residue or skin that accumulates as the soymilk boils is skimmed off, and dried…and there you have it…yuba.

Nikko is a stunning place. From the extragant shrines to the mystical nature around it and the nice food options. One full day is a good entry to Nikko but another day could be spend here as there is a few more sites to discover.

Tomorrow I will take a bus to reach the nearby Okunikko area. A mountainous region of Nikko that lies at a higher elevation, deeper into the mountains.

With love from Nikko