Japan: Part Three of Four
Tokyo 2011: Nikko Shrines & Temples, Shinkyo Bridge & Kegon Falls – Part One
Recommended by a friend of mine who regularly visits Tokyo and seemingly praised by every guidebook on the city, I booked this trip to Nikko Shrines & Temples World Heritage Site a few days in advance and set off for the early start of 7am for a full days trip. Situated in the mountains two hours away from central Tokyo, Nikko is quite literary a breath of fresh air from the city, and upon arrival your see & feel (pretty chilly) that your 543 meters above sea level. Being up in the mountains in the month of November has it’s advantages, all those awesome warm colours you get to see when walking through the shrines makes the whole visit even more spectacular! After wandering through the two shrines, Tosho-gu & Taiyuin-byo, I headed back into the small village of Nikko to see Shinkyo Bridge where legend has it was made from two giant snakes that rolled off the arm of a 10 foot god named Jinja-Daiou! Then I jumped on a bus to visit Kegon Falls, one of Japan’s three highest waterfalls and even though it was getting pretty cold by by that time (only having a summer coat was not the best idea..) it was well worth a look! This whole day trip was another highlight of my trip to Japan and I too would recommend this as a definite place to check out if your visiting Tokyo!