Day 3: Nikko

Today, I journeyed to Nikko for the day. Nikko is a small town that hosts a large number of very ornate shrines. It was about 2 hours north of Tokyo, so I got to navigate the train system alone. Well, mostly alone. I'd heard that one of the best things about traveling alone was the people you meet as there is no buffer of a companion to stop you from introducing yourself. That was very much true today.

While getting my JR Rail Pass, I stood in line behind a trio from LA. We parted and then met up again later on the final train to Nikko. First, though, was my first bullet train where I was assisted by a retired English teacher. She not only confirmed that I was on the right train, but also led me to the gate of my next one when we departed.

At last, I landed in Nikko! And here I had a choice, I could either take a bus up into the mountain to the shrines, or I could walk through the town. As Robert Frost said, "Two paths diverged in the woods". The LA trio took the bus, while I took the road less travelled. It was hot, it was up hill and the road went on forever. It is the journey, I reminded myself grumpily, not the destination.

First, was the Shinkyo bridge, bright red and spanning the river, it used to be only for the Shogun's use, and even today pedestrians are blocked unless they paid a fee. I preferred to admire it from a far. Across from the bridge was an opportunity to off-road it up some moss covered stone stairs and into a wooded area. Take that Bus Riders! You probably won't even know this is there. I climbed and was rewarded with a deserted shrine that was simply gorgeous. And up again I went to the main shrine: Toshogu.

Toshogu Shrine holds the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu, a warlord, chose it for his shrine, starting a family tradition of building shrine-mausoleums here. Ornate to the point of gaudiness, this shrine was also home to something I had not been aware of: the wise monkeys (See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil) carved into the stables.

Next was the Futara-san Shrine, dedicated to 3 local mountains. This was much simpler and had more altars to pray at and... fair games? Around one corner were three rope rings to be flung at pegs. A brief internet search has not provided an answer to the reasons of its existence.

My last stop was truly a schlep. Kanmangafuchi Abyss is not easy to find and I found myself wandering through residential streets alone. I had a map and some brief instructions and faith. It's not the destination, it's the journey... screw it, it felt pretty damn good to see the sign for the abyss. Rapids to the right of me and a string of jizo statues to the left.

Jizo are child-like statues usually wearing red bibs and they are guardians of a sort. Legend has it no one knows how many statues are in this line as the numbers always change. I'm sure the bus riders would have loved to see it, if they weren't too busy propping their soft feet and enjoying dry t-shirts.

My trip back to the station had me stopping at Hippari Dako, a hole in the wall place that specializes in Yakitori (grilled chicken on a stick). It is a restaurant immortalized in Lonely Planet and indeed the other diners were all Lonely Planet book holders, one from Germany and two from Spain. The walls were covered in notes from previous diners and the food was delicious. Yakitori, rice and noodles. Good thing there's no such thing as calories in Japan!

Alas, my trip had come to an end and so I returned to the train station and ended up traveling with the Spanish duo. They were finishing their journey just as I am starting mine. They'd even been to the Ghibli Museum! We exchanged favorite titles and helped each other navigate the train system. Then, as always, we parted ways with a quick "happy travels!"

Now, with beer in hand, I prepare for tomorrow and my trip to Hakone. Oh yes, I've taken the road less traveled and that has make all the difference.