Reg & Haris' Visit - Part III

The following Sunday, we drove up north about an 1.5 hours to Nikko, one of the great escapes from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo. As we expected, there was snow - a lot of it. What a big difference in atmosphere from our last visit in the autumn of 2006, which is the most popular time of year to visit Nikko for the beautiful foliage that encompasses the city.

This time around, the streets were bare, with very little traffic. Most shops appeared to be closed for the season. Other people around seemed to be tourists, like us, catching views of the famous falls in the area. Most people probably would care less to be out in the snowy cold to see the sights, however, we were still very happy to take our guests to the popular spot for some winter views. First we headed to the Ryuzu Falls, which weren't the most appealing of sights. Most of the grounds were frozen, which seemed to slow the rate of the falls. However, our second stop at the Yudaki Falls were amazing! The most picturesque winter sights my eyes have ever seen.

Yudaki Falls

The white scene was most gorgeous everywhere you turned. When we arrived in the area, the parking lot was snowed in. We plowed our stepwagon over mounds of snow to find a parking spot. A few people equipped with snowshoes were hiking the area. We were amazed by the falls running rapidly into the river below. Amidst the bustling of falling water, you can hear the crackling of ice crystals. Simply nature showing off it's beauty!

It's so funny, when I look at these photos, the background appears so unreal...like a backdrop from a portrait studio. The cold didn't seem to bother Markus, he really enjoyed watching the falls.

If you look closely in the center of the picture, you can see Markus and Rodney amidst all the snow.

Stopping for a bowl of hot soup at the local Japanese diner. Markus took over the camera and snapped these two shots.

Toshogu Shrine

The Toshogu Shrine is knowns as the main attraction of Nikko. The Shinto Shrine is dedicated to the kami (spirit) of Ieyasu, who founded the Tokugawa Shogunate, a military dynasty that ruled Japan from 1603 to 1867. This would be my second visit to the shrine; Rodney's third. I find part of the beauty of this shine is it's remote location set deep in the forest of tall cedar trees. There are about a dozen Shinto and Buddhist buildings located within the enclosure of the shrine.


Kaziridaru are sake barrels used as decoration at Shinto shrines.

The statue of Ieyasu

Quite possibly the most lavishly ornate shrines you'll see in all Japan. Even in the gloomiest of days, the spectrum of colours appear radiant.

You could spend hours just admiring the carvings. In fact, the infamous adage "Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" originated with the three wise monkey carvings in this very shrine, in the 17th century.

Taking a nature walk and admiring the views of the tall cedar trees

As the sun was setting, Rodney captured this amazing photo of the Shinkyo Bridge (Sacred Bridge). The red lacquer spans beautifully over the Daiyo River. Legend has it that the hermit who settled Nikko was carried across the river here by two serpents. In feudal times, the sacred bridge could be used only by the emperor.