Blogs from Nikko, Tochigi, Japan, Asia
Nikko and UNESCO World Heritage Shrines and Temples
Published: May 12th 2012Asia » Japan » Tochigi » Nikko
May 11th 2012
I met a friend in Tokyo, Hiro, and we traveled together to the mountain town of Nikko, about 2.5 hours north of Tokyo. Nikko is known for its UNESCO World Heritage Sites, including Toshu-gu, Rinno-ji, and Futarasan Shrines. Declared a world heritage site in 1999, and founded in the 800s AD, the area is also known for its hot springs (onsen). We took the train together and transferred once, arriving in Nikko and checking in to our hotel, then proceeding to check out the main temple complex. With a combination entry ticket for all three major shrines, we explored the gardens of Rinnoji, complete with stone lanterns, water features, and beautiful landscape. Rinnoji itself is under renovation, so the front is covered by a fascade, and the building itself dates to the 1600s. Inside no pictures ... read more
March 17th 2012
Saturday, March 17, 2012 Today is St, Patrick’s day in the US. We have not been home for St. Patty’s day in years, always been traveling. We are scheduled to visit Nikko today. This is about a two hour train ride. Cindy and Jenny slept in today, almost 8:00 am before they woke up. I got Michael up because he wanted to work out. Today was the only rainy day of our trip. It was light, but annoying and very cold. After a very quick breakfast (not as good as the Osaka Hilton), we reserved a train to Nikko. We had to take two trains, a JR rail and then a local train. This city is a fairly small and easy to walk around. We did not arrive until 1:30 pm, the site we ... read more
April 10th 2011
We’re sitting in the windowed gallery of the dining room, waiting for our cooked breakfast to come. I’m fascinated by all the tableware. Each piece of chinaware has on it the hotel’s emblem, a pattern with leaves. The cutlery is silver plated, as is the milk jug, and every item has the hotel emblem engraved on it, including the little butter knives. It’s a genteel traditional elegant western style, and as far as I can remember, the only other hotel I’ve ever stayed in with the same feel was the Imperial Hotel in Delhi. Yesterday we’d looked at all the memorabilia in the corridors and rooms - photos from bygone days with westerners in Edwardian dress, a row of seven or eight early twentieth century hotel buses, ballroom dancing in the banquet hall. There are entries ... read more
April 9th 2011
I’m on the Skyliner, the express train between Ueno Station in Tokyo and Narita airport. Mika was an angel yesterday and found out for me which trains were running as they are not running a full timetable yet after the earthquake. The train isn’t very full at all – normally there are lots of foreigners on it. I look out the window and see pink cherry blossom everywhere like candy floss floating on the solid burnt black branches. I’m looking at the Daily Yomiuri, the only English newspaper I could find at Nippori Station, to find out more about the earthquake on Thursday. It says it was strongest in Miyagi Prefecture. I look out my Lonely Planet book and check the kanji, and realise that I’d mistaken the kanji for Miyagi for Fukushima. Miyagi is the ... read more
August 6th 2010
Nikko is just 2hrs away from Tokyo, which makes it a good short getaway from the hustle and bustle of city life. We set off from Tokyo early in the morning so that we can reach Nikko early and have more time to explore, afterall we will be leaving for Sendai next day noon time. When we reached Nikko it was only 10plus in the morning but we spent an hour looking for our accomodation as it wasn't near the train station. We weren't too upset with this though cos the weather was good and the town is pretty. This is what I like best about free and easy travel. You get to explore the place at your own pace and can discover much more than just its major attractions. Accomodation is a cosy lodge hidden ... read more
December 10th 2009
from asakusa station to nikko by train about 1.30 h. one of the highlight of our trip to japan. the forested landscape and mountains are wonderful amd the gilded shrines spectacular. from nikko station we caught a bus to the shrine area. first we saw the gracious japanese bridge and then walking uphill we visited dozens of fantastically decorated temples and shrines. a thin layer of snow covered the magic japanese lanterns and temples roofs.... read more
December 4th 2009
"You have to go to Nikko", "You'll LOVE Nikko!", they say. Hearing this over and over again has a huge tendency to over hype a place and then when you get there, expecting it to be the most beautiful place on Earth, you land flat on your face because, obviously, your imagination ran unsupervised behind your eyes. Though I will say that that same imagination is what can make you fall in love with a place and what can disappoint you. Nikko didn't even touch my imagination. It exceeded it. Now that I have tick marks next to most if not all of the day trips around Sendai, I have to move further north or south to get more tick marks applied before I go home. Since Nikko is only 2 hours away from Tokyo, that ... read more
November 1st 2009
Let’s go..Nikko !! Leaving the buzz of Tokyo we travelled two hours North of Tokyo to Nikko. Using my flash JR pass (Japanese Rail pass) for the first time, we boarded the super fast bullet train. I have been on trains, fast ones, in Europe. But I have never been on a bullet train. Like all train tickets, the carriage number is printed on it, but unlike most places the carriage number is also clearly labelled on the ground. The platform even has a box so you can line up, so when it comes you can hop on the train without the hassle of wandering aimlessly up and down looking for your carriage. Inside was really spacious, with lots of leg room, a table and even a ‘in train shop magazine’ just like the duty shopping ... read more
April 25th 2009
. Today saw us take our first Shinkansen train north to Nikko. We waited on our allocated triangle on the platform, and two minutes before departure time, the 16 car Shinkansen train pulled up precisely in front of us. I discovered that my Hong Kong bargain wristwatch was running 20 seconds fast as we pulled out of the station. I can’t believe that it was due to depart at 10:27 and 20 seconds. But then again… The first half of the trip was through Tokyo metro, up on an elevated rail, and it didn’t feel terribly fast to us. Then after we left the next station, we could feel the driver had pushed the loud pedal further, and we were off. In no time at all we were at Utsonomiya, where we had to board a ... read more
