Where shoguns lie. Nikko.

Although I'm sure there's plenty of stuff to see and do in Tokyo to keep us fully occupied, I'm thinking of squeezing in a side trip or two. When I did a search on "side trips from Tokyo", Nikko kept popping up.

Located just 125 km and short train ride north of Tokyo, Nikko is a small town nestled in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture in Japan. Nikko is situated among Japans' most spectacular lakes, hot springs, waterfalls and mountain scenery.

Strolling through a serene forest will be a welcome break from pounding the concrete pavement in Tokyo. Some peace and quiet. Tranquility. In fact, Nikko is home to Cedar Avenue which is a 35km long road lined with with approximately 13,000 cryptomeria (cedar) trees, known as Sugi, the national tree of Japan. Cedar Avenue has the distinctio of being listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the longest tree-lined avenue in the world. It is also the only cultural property designated by the Japanese Government as both a Special Historic Site and a Special Natural Monument. And you thought it was just an ordinary tree lined road :-)

The cedar trees were planted approximately 400 years ago by Matsudaira Masatsuna, a feudal lord serving Tokugawa Ieyasu, who donated them to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū. This monumental project was begun around 1625 and required about 20 years to be completed. It is estimated that some 200,000 cedars were planted at this time

But more historically important, Nikko is most famous for the mausoleums of the Tokugawa shoguns, which are on the UNESCO World Heritage List and has been considered to be a sacred place since the 8th century, when a Buddhist hermitage was established here.

The Toshogu Shrine is the main attraction of Nikko.  It is a Shinto shrine that is the burial place of Tokugawa Ieyasu who founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, a military dynasty that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867.

Tokugawa Hidetada built Toshogu in 1617 to enshrine his father Tokugawa Ieyasu, in accordance with instructions in his will. Later, Iemitsu, the grandson of Ieyasu, carried out extensive renovation work on the shrine to give it its present form. The shrine took 2 years to complete with the efforts of 15,000 workers

The Shinto shrines in Nikko are reputed to be gaudiest shrines in all of Tokyo and I think Toshogu tops the list.  It has been described as a riot of color, gold, and carvings, with birds and flowers, dancing maidens, and sages encricling the building.

The most famous symbol of Toshogu is the Yomeimon Gate otherwise known as the Gate of Sunlight.  Yomeimon, which is an incredibly ornately carved gate with over 400 carvings squeezed in, is considered by many people as the most beautiful gate in Japan.  Yomeimon is designated an Important Cultural Property by the Japanese government and a World Cultural and Natural Heritage site by UNESCO.

Another of the  famous elements of Toshogu is the Sacred Stable, where a white imperial horse is kept (a gift of New Zealand). The stable's fame derives from the original carving depicting the three wise monkeys, "Hear no evil, Speak no evil, See no evil.".  Apparently, the carving of the monkeys has become so popular that it overshadows other more historically signficant elements of the shrine.  They are kind of cute though I never thought the saying was Japanese in origin.  Who knew?

Other famous carvings at Toshogu include a sleeping cat and an odd rendering of an elephant by an artist who had apparently never seen one.   I have to find the sleeping cat and take a picture of it for my friend Lei who is a cat lover.

Located nearby to Toshogu is Futarasan Shrine. Futarasan Shrine was founded in 782 by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko and who also founded nearby Rinnoji Temple.

Futarasan Shrine is dedicated to the kami ("Shinto gods") of Nikko's three most sacred mountains Mt. Nantai, Mt. Nyoho and Mt. Taro. Futarsan is the oldest Shinto shrine in Nikko.

Rinnoji is a complex of 15 Buddhist temple buildings located stone's throw from Futarasan.  Rinnoji is Nikko's most important temple. It was founded by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko in the 8th century. A statue in his honor graces the temple park. In its heyday, Rinnoji was a popular retreat for ascetic monks to meditate in the mountains, and it increased in importance until at one time it had 500 subtemples under its rule.
 
The temple's main building, the Sanbutsudo, houses large, gold lacquered, wooden statues of Amida, Senju-Kannon ("Kannon with a thousand arms") and Bato-Kannon ("Kannon with a horse head"). The three deities are regarded as Buddhist manifestations of Nikko's three mountain kami ("Shinto gods") enshrined at Futarasan.
 

Nearby Sanbutsudo is an extensive and beautiful Japanese meditation garden, Shoyoen Garden, which of course would be a must-see for us.

For ¥1000, we can buy a ticket that covers admission to Toshogu, Futarasan and Rinnoji.  Entry to Shoyoen Garden is an exra ¥300.  Not a bad price to pay for the opportunity of seeing three UNESCO World Heritage sites.


Okay, after having read up on Nikko, I've decided that spending a day in Nikko is a must so I'll now have to figure out how to work in a side trip from Tokyo!