Nikko

Nikko's autumn foliage was as beautiful as we imagined. We rented a van for a day and took to the road on October 20th. After driving for about 2.5 hours along side the mountains, we made our first stop to the Ryuzu Waterfalls, which we viewed upclose from within a souvenir shop and cafe deck. Markus was just happy to finally get out of the car seat and run free (lately what he loves to do best).

Our next stop were the dramatic Yudaki and Kegon Falls followed by the Chuzenji-ko Lake. We had such spectacular views as you can see in the photos.

Some History of Nikko:

Nikko means "sunlight". This is defined by how the sun's rays play upon Toshogu Shrine's wood and gold leaf design. This specific shrine was completed in 1617 in honour of the first shogun in Nikko, Tokugawa Ieyasu (see photo on left). There are over a dozen Buddhist and Shinto buildings within the Toshogu Shrine located within 200,000 acres of sacred land. Majestic cedar trees surround the land known as Nikko National Park. Looking up close you can see such intricate detail in the construction. It amazes me how these structures can withstand all sorts of weathering, yet still look as beautiful and sacred as they do. Imagine how they must have looked brand new.










After spending a whole day of walking, we soaked our tired feet at a natural footbath onsen (hotsprings)- the perfect way to end our day trip.