Nikko, Here We Come

We boarded a bus headed for Tokyo at 5:26 p.m. last Friday, ready for our first big adventure here in Japan. We were on the bus two hours, then transferred trains a couple of times before stopping in Ueno, Tokyo where we stayed the night in the cheapest hostel in Tokyo (so we were told). Greg and I shared a 10’x 6’ tatami room with a futon mat, blanket and two pillows. There were communal showers and bathrooms in the hall that you could tell were cleaned, but used often. It wasn’t the worst experience, but I didn’t feel the cleanest after sleeping there.

In the morning we again transferred several trains before arriving at our final destination about 2.5 hours away from Tokyo: Nikko. Nikko is famous for its fall colors, waterfalls and temples, and is a major tourist destination for even local residents. When we arrived we went straight to see the World Heritage Shrines and Temples of Nikko. They are a collection of Buddhist shrines and Shinto temples that are in easy walking distance of each other.

The temples are run by Buddhist priests and I am amazed at their entrepreneurial spirit. Everything costs money. You have to buy a ticket to get in the temple grounds, then you have to buy a ticket to go into some of the temples, then you can buy things inside the temple like incense, your fortune or pictures of inside the temple, because you’re not allowed to take pictures inside the temples.

The only money-making scheme I bought into was a temple stamp book you can buy. Each temple has its own stamp and you can buy one book and then collect all the stamps from any temple you visit in the country. A priest will also inscribe the name of the temple in calligraphy over the stamp, which turns out to be quite beautiful.

We had to walk a ways in order to get to the Kanmangafuchi Abyss. In the abyss, there is a row of 100 Jizo, or guardians, built by a priest. They are slowly eroding over the years so many of them are missing heads or are gone completely. Those that can be seen are dressed up in red hats and bibs - I have no idea why. They say that the Jizo switch places and that if you look for the same one twice you won’t be able to find it.

After a full day of temples (and walking) we eventually found the second hostel we were staying at which was right in Nikko. At this one Greg and I shared bunk beds and were in a room with our friend Jason, whom we were traveling with, and a Korean girl who was leaving Japan in the morning. Our room had its own bathroom and shower and overall the accommodations were nicer, but more expensive.

Staying at the same hostel was an American woman who is also teaching English in Japan, but only for three months. She and a younger French woman actually spent the following day sightseeing with us. Our second day in Nikko we went to see the famous Kegon waterfall. It is way up in the mountains and feeds out of Chuzenji Lake. It was a beautiful day and many tourists were out and about. We were able to see a clear view of Mt. Nantai, the tallest mountain (volcano) in the area. We were not able to spend the whole day in Nikko because we had to get all the way back the Minami Alps.

So we spent an hour waiting for the bus to take us down the mountain to the train station. While we were waiting in line, we saw a woman drop here purse as she was running to catch up with someone. Everyone else in line saw here drop it as well, and you could tell people wanted to help, but we had all been waiting in line for so long, so no one wanted to risk getting out of line. Well, Greg being the kind soul that he is, ran over to the purse, picked it up and ran after the girl. As soon as he picked up the purse the crowed waiting in line started to murmur. They were talking in Japanese, of course, but I could understand that they were getting excited. A couple people whistled, trying to get the girl’s attention, I heard some ooing and awing, as they were all waiting to see if this gaijin (foreigner) was going to be able to catch up to her. So he got to a point where we couldn’t see him anymore and the crowd became silent - we waited. Then from behind a shrub Greg came casually walking back with his head held high. As soon as the crowd saw that he was not carrying the purse the applause started, people were cheering, and yelling like Greg was a hero. It was really like a seen right out of a movie.

Unfortunately, after we got off that bus we had to sprint to catch the train to Tokyo as it was leaving, then stand on the train for 2.5 hours because there were no more seats left. The only good thing about that train ride was that we met a Japanese man you spoke very little English, but who was extremely happy he had the chance to talk with us. Before we left Tokyo I made sure to buy some omiyage for my co-workers at school. It is customary that when you travel you bring something back to give to the people at your workplace. The Japanese are very big on gift giving. Usually it is something to eat, just a small treat, but elaborately wrapped and sometimes expensive.

From Tokyo we took an express train to Kofu that took about 2.5 hours, and then finally we took a taxi to Minami-Alps City Hall, where we had left our bikes at the bus stop. It was about midnight by the time we got home. It was a long three days, but a fantastic adventure in Japan!

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