Woke up early and checked out of my room. I caught a train at 7:10 from Tokyo heading out of the city. After about 2 hours I made it to Nikko.
I dropped off my backpack at the hostel I’m staying at. The staff were so helpful they provided a highlighted map and explained the best places to go. I took a nearby trail to the Nikko Woodcarving Center, then to a traditional Japanese farmhouse where an old lady served tea. I met up with three Filipino people there and continued on. Then it was on to the main shrine and temple area that this place is famous for. First was Rinno-ji Temple. Then farther up the hill was the main attraction, Toshogu Shrine, the mausoleum of one of the most famous people in Japanese history, Tokugawa Ieyasu. There were especially a lot of people around there. I learned later it was a national holiday. By then I split up with the three Filipinos and continued on my own. Then I went on to some others: Futarasan Shrine, and Taiyuinbyo.
After the main places, I hiked up a long stone staircase in the middle of the woods to Takino Shrine. Here you’re supposed to throw three rocks through a small circle in the Torii gate and if one goes through you’re wish comes true. I didn’t get any through in my three tries. Then I hiked down the mountain to the river flowing below the entire complex and saw the Sacred Bridge, Shinkyo. Then I walked along the river to the Bake-jizou, which is a line of statues along the river. They say if you count them one way and then again the other way, you will always get a different number. I counted 74 one way, turned around and counted 75 on my return trip. There is a interesting cemetery just above where the statues are which I visited too.
The atmosphere is really great in Nikko with its old large trees, mountain streams everywhere, moss covering stone walls and stone lanterns, and areas where you’re practically alone. After that long day off walking I had a fancy Japanese "zen" dinner at the place I’m staying. It was a really healthy vegan dinner with brown rice, potatoes, mushrooms, soup, salad, and dofu. I shared my room with two other Americans from Minnesota.