Peter and Jill came to visit us in Japan. We all went to Nikko, north of Tokyo over a long weekend to escape the summer humidity. Nikko is up in the mountains and was much cooler than Kisarazu, Kyoto and Osaka at this time of year.

We all left Kisarazu after lunch for Nikko, taking the train to Tokyo, the subway to Asakusa and arrived at the Tobu line to buy our All Nikko Free Pass with one minute to spare before the 2.50 train. It took 2.5 hours to get to Nikko and then we caught the last bus at 6.04pm up the mountain along the 26 alphabet bends to Lake Chuzenji and to where our accommodation was. We had been recommended this place to stay in Nikko and we booked a bungalow for 4. However, when we got there we realised that it was basic camping. Our bungalow/cabin had tatami floors and futons with blankets, we had to lit fires to cook our dinner on and the was a public bath on site for washing. The western toilets seats were heated though, which was a nice bit of luxury.

When we arrived at the camp site it was already dark so we got some wood and started our dinner fire. We had tofu, eggplant and udon for dinner with Kyoto cinnamon and matcha biscuits with genmaicha for after dinner.

It was quite cold overnight and we needed 2 blankets each to stay warm – back home we were sleeping with the air-con all night so the 1200m above sea level altitude certainly made it cooler.

On the next day we had cereal and fruit for breakfast then caught the bus to Yumoto by Lake Yunoko, about 2000m above sea level. People were fly fishing and fishing from boats (perhaps for trout?) out on the lake. We went to Yumoto Onsen-ji (Onsen temple) and paid for a bath. We were the only people there at the temple so the hot baths were all for us. The water was really hot – 65-72 degrees- so lots of cold water was needed. The whole Yumoto area smelt sulfurous from the volcanic hot springs. The milky sulfur springs are meant to be good for muscle and joint pain.

We headed back down the hill to Chuzenji. We had lunch at a restaurant specialising in udon and yuba (tofu skin) which the whole region is famous for.

After lunch we visited Kegon Falls, a 97m high waterfall. Benno and Lara caught at elevator down 100m to the bottom of the falls so we could get a closer look.

Then we went for a stroll around Lake Chuzenji and looked at the clouds, mountains and paddle boats on the lake.

We walked up to Futarasan Shrine Chugushi then caught the bus a few stops north to our camp site again. Before dinner we walked up to the Dragon Falls, Ryuzu Falls. We looked through the souvenir shop and drank coffee and amezake (fermented sweetened hot rice drink). We had roast potatoes wrapped in foil and cooked in coals and pasta with rich tomato sauce for dinner. The other Japanese people were fascinated with our food (especially the potatoes) and were asking us how/what we were cooking. There were several scout groups and kid’s camping groups staying at the camp site so the kitchen area got busy. When it was dark they let of fireworks and sparklers that we got to watch. Some of the fireworks flew right up into the sky and exploded in multiple colours. It was fun to watch.

The next day we had a cooked breakfast of porridge cooked on the campfire. Then we caught the bus down the 26 alphabet bends to central Nikko. We looked at the Shinkyo sacred red bridge then walked up the hill to the temple and shrine complex of Nikko. A combination ticket for Y1000 gave us access to 5 temples and shrines. We saw Rinnoji Temple Sanbutsudo, Toshogu Shrine, Kitano Shrine, Futarasan Shrine and Taiyun temple. In Toshogu was a carving of the 3 monkeys- hear, see and speak no evil. The gates and buildings were intricately carved and painted. Benno went through to another section to see a carving of a sleeping cat (nemuri neko) that is meant to be very realistic, and up the hill to Ieyasu’s grave. Ieyasu was a famous samurai/warlord that ruled in Japan. In Kitano shrine a monk gave a talk about the 12 statues on display that represented the oriental zodiac, then demonstrated the amazing acoustics of the inner room. He tapped two wooden sticks together and the sound echoed through out the chamber for several seconds. In Taiyun we saw some treasures, but the explanation was in Japanese. Some of the trees were starting to turn autumn red- the temple complex would be lovely in autumn.

After the temples we went into central Nikko by the train station and had an Indian feast at Asian Garden. We had mango juice, potato curry, vegetable curry and dhal. They served up the largest naan we’ve ever seen.

We caught the bus back to the campsite and had salted rice crackers with fresh tomato and cucumber for dinner.

On Monday we woke up early and packed up our cabin. We caught the 7.40am bus from the camp site into central Nikko, the 8.56 Tobu train back to Asakusa and then went to Harajuku for lunch. We went to Brown Rice Cafe and ate the lunch set that included pumpkin gnocchi, chili con can, tofu, miso soup and brown rice or wholemeal bread.

Somehow it was 3 pm by the time we finished lunch so we caught the Yamanote line back to Tokyo. Benno wanted to find the shop New York City Doughnut Plant as they advertised vegan doughnuts on their website. It took us 25 minutes of wandering around the station, asking at information, reading signs and maps and finally we found the shop. We bought 6 soymilk doughnuts that were glazed and sprinkled with sesame seeds and took the train back to Kisarazu where we enjoyed okonmiyaki for dinner.

Toshogu

After going to Rinnoji, it’s a short walk up a hill to reach Toshogu. Toshogu is the main attraction in Nikko. It is a large, fantastic, complex with intricate designs throughout. Upon entering the temple grounds, you’ll be greeted by the typical torii gate, but also a large pagoda. Rinnoji is a fairly traditional Japanese temple, simple. Toshogu is the polar opposite. The main pagoda has been likened to Chinese and Korean style temples. Lots of colour and various statues of animals adorn the rafters. This creates a very interesting style where people either love it or hate it. Many people have hated this because it isn’t “Japanese”, but that is a completely different argument altogether. However, upon entering the paid area of Toshogu, you’ll see a huge crowd of people gathering around a plain wooden building. It is very small compared to the surrounding buildings and it looks somewhat out of place. This is the famous Three Wise Monkeys (Hear no evil, Speak no evil, See no evil) building. It is the most famous image of Nikko. Three Wise Monkeys are three monkeys, one covering his ears, one covering his mouth, and one covering his eyes. There are other carvings around the building featuring monkeys in other situations, but by far, the Three Wise Monkeys are the most popular. From here, you will see a few black and gold structures along with several carvings of various exotic animals.

Three Wise Monkeys

There are several carvings of peacocks and some of elephants. Unfortunately, the elephants look nothing like an elephant, and several sculptures looked scary. Towards the back of the complex, you will see pretty much the same. There is a second area featuring the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, for which Toshogu was built. The cost to enter is expensive, so I never bothered to enter. There is another famous carving of a sleeping cat, but I didn’t feel it was worth the extra 800 Yen. The last place to visit within the shrine is Yakushido Hall. It is a small building which can have lots of people lining up to enter. Within the main room, there is a painting of a dragon on the ceiling. One of the priests/monks will give an explanation about the hall and how banging two sticks of wood in the right place will allow you to hear the dragon’s cry. He will demonstrate that if you away from the centre, the two sticks will sound like normal. However, when he bangs the sticks in the right location within the room, it will echo and resonate to sound like a dragon’s cry. It was a very interesting demonstration, but pictures and video aren’t allowed.

Taiyuinbyo

After visiting Toshogu, you can head over to Futarasan and Taiyuinbyo.  Taiyuinbyo is another mausoleum, but this time it was built for Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandson.  It is smaller in scale, and it isn’t as busy as Toshogu.  It isn’t as spectacular, but just as intricate.  There are more Shinto gods guarding the area, and it’s location at the base of a mountain makes it very picturesque.  I personally enjoyed this shrine more than Toshogu, but I was let down a little as many things were undergoing renovations.  After visiting Toshogu, however, there isn’t much to say about these two shrines.  They are typical shrines without anything extremely new or interesting to talk about.

Irohazaka

I would highly recommend that you rent a car when you go to Nikko. It is the easiest way to get to the distant locations, and you’ll have the freedom to head up to Lake Chuzenji. However, there are buses that head up and down the mountain to Lake Chuzenji, but you’ll be limited to when you can go. The road up to Lake Chuzenji is called Irohazaka. This road is famous among driving enthusiasts and street racers as it was featured in the anime/manga Initial D. The name is derived from the 48 hairpin corners that made up the original road. Iroha is the name of the 48 letters of the Japanese alphabet. Currently, there are two roads going to Lake Chuzenji. Both are one way. One heads up, the other down. Going up this road, there are two lanes. You’ll be able to see a few exotic cars and some motorcycles as they race uphill. Going downhill, there is only one lane, but you’ll see the same cars, only they’ll be going much slower than before. This road is also extremely famous in the autumn season as the leaves turn a bright red, orange, and yellow. It’s not uncommon for this road to be backed up, taking three or four times longer to travel than other season.

Kengon Falls

Lake Chuzenji itself isn’t that spectacular. Near the end of the uphill portion of Irohazaka, you can pay to take the gondola up to a lookout point. From here, you will be given beautiful views of Nikko, Lake Chuzenji, and Kegon Falls. Around the lake, you can do all of the normal things you would do at any lake. Swimming and taking a “swan boat” onto the water is popular. There are also many shops in the area that let you try Nikko’s famous food, tofo “skin”. Beware that during the winter months, most of the shops are closed due to the lack of visitors. The main attraction would have to be Kengon Falls. Standing at 98 metres tall, this waterfall is one of the tallest in Japan. Taking the elevator to the base of the waterfall is recommended as you may be able to see some Japanese mountain goats and you can have a better view of the falls. Note that in the winter months, it’s extremely cold, so dress warmly.

Lake Chuzenji

If you decide to spend a day or two in Nikko, hiking around Lake Chuzenji is very famous, and there are various hot springs in the area. Kinugawa is a famous hot spring resort town that is a short drive from Nikko. You may also be able to see a few monkeys running around. Beware that the monkeys can be aggressive, so keep a little distance and be aware of them if they are coming towards you.

Note:  This is part II of a II part series.  For part I, please see last weeks post.

このblogは英語のblog。もし私の英語は難しい、日本語のquestionは大丈夫。

マンツーマン英会話が1時間2000円! 格安 英会話レッスンはIHCWAYで決まり!

Efter den sena ankomsten dagen innan fick vi sova ändå till åtta när det var dags för japansk frukost. Lite konstigt med ris och fisk på morgonen, men det slank ner utan några större problem ändå. Däremot nöjde jag mig med att äa en tredjedel eller så av natton (bönor i gegga som smakar lite lustigt).
När vi hade ätit och tvättat oss, jag använde det finfina badet en gång till (även kvällen innan), och var pigga, rena och mätta gav vi oss ut för att traska en bit runt sjön Chuzenji. Det var rätt dimmigt, men man hade ändå fin utsikt över sjön och de delvis höstfärgade bergen runt omkring. Vi gick någon kilometer innan det var dags för kaffestopp, det blir ett par sådana när man reser med mamma, på ett litet café vid stranden. När vi gav oss ut igen började det ganska snart att regna lite lätt och vi bestämde oss för att ta bussen upp till ett av vattenfallen. Så här i efterhand var det en bra idé, även om vi aldrig fick se just det fallet som vi tänkte gå till, men ändå. Vattenfallet vi såg var faktiskt inte så spektakulärt, det rann nerför en klippslänt och såg mer ut som en lång fors. Däremot promenerade vi en bit längs en stor mosse som heter Senjogahara och som ser rätt märklig ut i sin platthet emellan alla berg. Det var regnigt och lite tradigt, men ändå skönt att få promenera ute i den friska luften.
Innan nerfärden till staden Nikko skulle vi såklart se det stora vattenfallet, Kegon Falls, som mäter 96 meter och ser ut som en riktigt vattenfall skall göra; vattnet faller rakt ner. Vi kom det och det lät mäktigt redan på avstånd, men mycket mer än så blev det inte. Det var helt enklet dimmigt; mycket dimmigt. Man såg ett par meter från utsiktplatsen där man normalt har jttefin sikt över fallet. Vi konfererade lite kort och kom fram till att det kändes lite fånigt att spendera resten av eftermiddagen med att sitta någonstans och hoppas att dimman kanske skulle lätta, så vi tog bussen ner till Nikko istället. Jag fick alltså inte se fallet denna gången heller, och kanske innebär det att jag blir tvungen att besöka Nikko igen. Inte för att det skulle vara så hemskt… men ändå.

Jag har lagt lite bilder här.

Minggu lalu ada minggu libur nasional di jepang, namanya golden week. jadi masyarakat jepang libur full seminggu (tapi kalo kantor, tergantung kantornya, ada yang libur full seminggu, ada yang cuma 3 hari, dll). krn bingung mau kemana, akhirnya gw sama temen2 indonesia bikin plan aja untuk pergi ke nikko, walaupun sebelumnya gw udah pernah pergi ke nikko (walaupun cuma mampir ke edo wonderland doang, baca post-nya disini). pasti udah sering denger dong nama nikko? inget hotel nikko ga yang ada di daerah bunderan HI-thamrin? nah nama itu asalnya dari tempat yang mau gw tuju ini.