Our day to leave the bustle of central Tokyo behind, and take a bullet train out into the countryside to visit Nikko and the mountains nearby.
Founded in the 8th century by the Buddhist priest Shodo, it is home of 103 historic buildings, including nine national treasures and 94 important cultural properties and several renowned shrines and temples, The park has been designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Whilst it had always been the place where the religious went to contemplate and find solitude, it wasn’t until the period after WWII that the hills and lakes outside Nikko became popular with the occupying US forces as a weekend retreat and R&R resort. Lodges were built, the lake was stocked with fish, and a good time was had by all in the cool of the mountains. Nowadays it draws large crowds over the weekends leading to long and frustrating traffic jams.
After breakfast at one of the Doutor stores, we caught the Shinkansen from our oft-visited Ueno station, and changed an hour out of the city onto a local (unreserved) train all the way out to Nikko. We bought a day pass at the Information Centre, and rode the tourist bus up the 23 switchbacks to Lake Chuzenji at the top of the ascent.
Our aim was to walk a section of the lake between two waterfalls – Ryuzu Falls and Kegon Falls, so we stayed on the bus as it wound its way further up the mountain. As it goes, neither of the waterfalls was what you would call spectacular. Better described as pretty, and with the leaves starting to turn into their Autumn colours it was lovely to wander through. Being in Queensland, I’d forgotten what masses of fallen autumn leaves smelt like.
Saw the famous Shinkyo Sacred Bridge which forms the grand entrance to the Nikko Futarasan-jinja Shrine and was designated a World Heritage site in 1999. Supposedly the emperor and his family were the only ones allowed to cross the bridge into the shrine. I guess that everybody else got wet feet.
Mid afternoon we caught the bus back down the mountain to Nikko, and reversed our trains to get home. Dinner at a local restaurant where you had to order your food at a machine at the front of the store, pay for it, and hand your receipt to the waiter who would see if there were any spare tables for you to eat it at. Not a great experience for the poor locals stuck in a queue at the machine behind two foreigners trying to translate everything into English. Nicest irony of the day was that Mandy thought she had ordered a tofu dish, but when it came if was a delicious meat dish. Serves her right!
Not a spectacular day, but a nice day of walking and sightseeing, so I could leave you with this poser. Just why did Japanese taxi drivers, who had always worn white gloves since the car was invented, ditch them en-masse during COVID, just as everybody was being implored to keep their hands clean?
Shinkyo Bridge
Ryuzu Falls
Lake Chuzenji Nature Trail
Lake Chuzenji