An overnight trip to Nikko - a designated world heritage site on account of its shrines and temples - marked our first foray away from the capital. Nikko can be reached by the Tobu line from Asakusa station and the journey - on the Rapid train, which is somehow slower than the Limited Express - takes 2 and a half hours. Becaase Nikko is such a hugely popular destination amongst Japanese and Gaijin alike, the train company does special two or three-day special deals, including train fare, admission to shrines and bus trips into Nikko's National Park.
The Tokyo Sky Tree under construction, viewed from Asakusa
It was well over an hour before we had put Tokyo's suburbs and coastal plain behind us and by the time we reached Nikko, at 568 metres, it was much cooler as well. Mind you, for mid-July, the day had a misty late autumn feel to it and rain was definitely in the air.
Despite being a major tourist trap and all the kitsch that goes with it, Nikko does retain an esoteric appeal with its wooded slopes, moss-covered walls and hidden corners. The 1000 yen ticket grants you access to five of the major shrines (Shinto) and temples (Buddhist) scattered around the hillside. One afternoon is sufficient to see all the religious sites, but - since you are shepherded round a waymarked route to each of these with everyone else - it can make the experience seem as if you're wandering around a themed shopping mall.
Five-storey pagoda at Toshu-Gu
The showpiece is probably Tosho-Gu a Shinto shrine whose original medieval design was completely rebuilt by an army of 15,000 artisans on the commission of Tokugawa Iemitsu, grandson of Tokugawa Ieyesu, the warlord who took control of Japan and established the shogunate that rules the country for more than 250 years. Taiyuin-Byo is the mausoleum that enshrines Iemitsu and is perhaps the most atmospheric, the steps rising steeply to the main temple in the middle of the forest.
The three monkeys: Hear no evil, Speak no evil, See no evil
We walked back into town and down the hill to view the famous Shin Kyo bridge that crosses the raging torrent below. It soon started to rain and we huddled under a shop awning to stay dry. By now it was becoming obvious why the Japanese carry umbrellas around with them (why didn't anyone tell us it was the rainy season?), but nevertheless we were surprised when a car drew up and a man appeared bearing umbrellas. From what we could tell (or should I say from what Raph could tell), the fellow was saying, "take these and leave them at the station ('eki') where we'll pick them up". All very odd, but we managed to explain (hands on temples), that we were sleeping in Nikko tonight. After some afterthought, he decided that instead of us getting wet, he would take us in his Honda to our place of abode. Eventually (even with his satnav) he got lost and had to phone the hotel (with the aid of my guide book). After backing up and negotiating narrow lanes, we found our destination and left our rain saviour with much bowing and scraping.
The Shin-Kyo bridge: the darkness says it all
The woman on reception told us that her husband had had to go to Tokyo, so no dinner would be served in the hotel, instead she recommended a Japanese noodle place back up the hill. So, after some brief downtime, we braved the elements (by now it was raining even more heavily) and headed up to try out noodles.
It was like walking into someone's back parlour, there were just three tables and the place was just so cluttered, if it weren't for the condiments on the table there was nothing to suggest it was an eatery. We were met by two old biddies who beckoned us in with the lure of "home-made" noodles, pointing to the photograph of the menu they had in mind for us. When food was eventually served (don't forget, the noodles were home-made), the presentation was impeccable and the food was equally good. However, one of the old girls, who - don't get me wrong - could have been taken straight out of the Nikko old age people's home, insisted on watching us eat and standing over the table. Not good when you've only been in Japan 3 days and you're still learning the chopsticks. Good meal all in all, but we were quite glad to leave after paying our 2400 yen.
Waiting for noodles
The heavens had truly opened when we made our way back at 7.30 and even though we had umbrellas from the hotel, we were still fairly soaked. Time for an onsen. Now an onsen is a hot water bath, which is normally geo-thermal in origin, but most hotels now incorporate a hot-water bath as part of their service. 15 minutes in a hot tub followed by an Asahi Dry after a long day's adventure takes some beating.
*thanks to Lonely Planet for additional information
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