To go to Nikko from Tokyo Ueno took the shinkansen Yamabiko to Utsunomiya, where we caught the train from JR Nikko Line to Nikko JR station. The total trip took about 100 minutes. In Utsunomiya Station had a very friendly tourist grandpas that made Nikko volunteers, we were given a very useful plane and took photos showing us the work they did.
After leaving the JR Nikko station we headed to the railway private line Tobu Nikko, where the buses out to the temples. They were about two miles north, but prefer to keep the forces. Also, the day was cool and a light rain fell. The most practical to access the bus temples is the World Heritage Meguri Bus, as it leaves you in front of them (in line buses have to walk a while).
See Japan 4: Nikko in a larger map
Nikko has always been a holy place for Buddhist and Shinto religions. But only reached its peak on the death of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had built here a temple in his honor, the Tosho-gu, successive shoguns expanded to give the splendor it has today.
The World Heritage Bus Meguri cost us 270 yen each and dropped us right next to the first temple, the Vilnius-ji. It was founded in the eighth century and is one of the most important of Nikko. But we got a great disappointment to see that the whole temple was surrounded by a metal frame that we could not see. It will be under construction until March 2021! Still, we approach the ticket office and bought the combined ticket for the Vilnius-ji himself, the Tosho-gu and Futarasan for 1,000 yen (admission alone to Tosho-gu is already more expensive!).
Vilnius-ji works
Most importantly is the interior Sanbutsu-do, a room that houses three giant statues of Kannon 1,000 hands, the Buddha Amida and Kannon horse head. They were very spectacular, pity he could not take pictures. We paid a supplement of 400 yen to visit the restoration of the temple, hoping to see a little. But the truth is not worth anything worthwhile, there was a tour of platforms at different heights but rarely managed to see anything.
model of the Vilnius-ji
Near the exit of the temple, the road to visit passes through tiny but beautiful gardens (not to be confused with the Shoyo-en, we would see later). Outside the Vilnius-ji is a set of lesser temples, and one of them was holding a religious ceremony curious ... did not know it meant we would know or describe what they did!
Vilnius-ji garden
Nearby is the most important temple in Nikko, the Tosho-gu. It started as a small shrine in memory of Ieyasu Tokugawa, but later decided it was too small for such an important character, so it was extended for a year and a half to work through people and more than four million.
Until then we Nikko seemed a busy tourist site, the Tosho-gu Mecca should be: on all sides had hordes of visitors, many of them schoolchildren who were in packs. It also helped that it was Sabbath.
When you cross the entrance torii found a very colorful pagoda five floors, built in the nineteenth century. It was a very unique place, surrounded by tall cedars and typical stone lanterns. A little later we find the Sanjinko, the three sacred warehouses, guarding samurai costumes used in several annual processions. Opposite is the sacred Shinkyusha or barn, where several reliefs monkeys instructed in Buddhist teachings. The most famous, who gathered at dozens of tourists taking pictures, is depicting three monkeys "see no, hear no evil and say" the three pillars of Tendai Buddhism.
five-story pagoda, Tosho-gu
Sanjinko, Tosho-gu
Shinkyusha monkeys, Tosho-gu
Shinkyusha, Tosho-gu
Ascending the stairs we come to one of the most spectacular sites, Yomei-mon. It is a door with intricate reliefs of small figures and hundreds of characters, dragons and other fantastic animals. On the wall of the gate there were other decorations of flowers and very nice birds.
Tosho-gu, with the bottom-mon Yomei
Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
detail Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
view Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
Wall Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
Opposite Yomei-mon is another door, Kara-mon, finely decorated than the last. It is painted white and has reliefs of dragons and other figures very elaborate, a masterpiece. This door led to Haiden or prayer hall, where they could not take
After leaving the JR Nikko station we headed to the railway private line Tobu Nikko, where the buses out to the temples. They were about two miles north, but prefer to keep the forces. Also, the day was cool and a light rain fell. The most practical to access the bus temples is the World Heritage Meguri Bus, as it leaves you in front of them (in line buses have to walk a while).
See Japan 4: Nikko in a larger map
Nikko has always been a holy place for Buddhist and Shinto religions. But only reached its peak on the death of shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had built here a temple in his honor, the Tosho-gu, successive shoguns expanded to give the splendor it has today.
The World Heritage Bus Meguri cost us 270 yen each and dropped us right next to the first temple, the Vilnius-ji. It was founded in the eighth century and is one of the most important of Nikko. But we got a great disappointment to see that the whole temple was surrounded by a metal frame that we could not see. It will be under construction until March 2021! Still, we approach the ticket office and bought the combined ticket for the Vilnius-ji himself, the Tosho-gu and Futarasan for 1,000 yen (admission alone to Tosho-gu is already more expensive!).
Vilnius-ji works
Most importantly is the interior Sanbutsu-do, a room that houses three giant statues of Kannon 1,000 hands, the Buddha Amida and Kannon horse head. They were very spectacular, pity he could not take pictures. We paid a supplement of 400 yen to visit the restoration of the temple, hoping to see a little. But the truth is not worth anything worthwhile, there was a tour of platforms at different heights but rarely managed to see anything.
model of the Vilnius-ji
Near the exit of the temple, the road to visit passes through tiny but beautiful gardens (not to be confused with the Shoyo-en, we would see later). Outside the Vilnius-ji is a set of lesser temples, and one of them was holding a religious ceremony curious ... did not know it meant we would know or describe what they did!
Vilnius-ji garden
Nearby is the most important temple in Nikko, the Tosho-gu. It started as a small shrine in memory of Ieyasu Tokugawa, but later decided it was too small for such an important character, so it was extended for a year and a half to work through people and more than four million.
Until then we Nikko seemed a busy tourist site, the Tosho-gu Mecca should be: on all sides had hordes of visitors, many of them schoolchildren who were in packs. It also helped that it was Sabbath.
When you cross the entrance torii found a very colorful pagoda five floors, built in the nineteenth century. It was a very unique place, surrounded by tall cedars and typical stone lanterns. A little later we find the Sanjinko, the three sacred warehouses, guarding samurai costumes used in several annual processions. Opposite is the sacred Shinkyusha or barn, where several reliefs monkeys instructed in Buddhist teachings. The most famous, who gathered at dozens of tourists taking pictures, is depicting three monkeys "see no, hear no evil and say" the three pillars of Tendai Buddhism.
five-story pagoda, Tosho-gu
Sanjinko, Tosho-gu
Shinkyusha monkeys, Tosho-gu
Shinkyusha, Tosho-gu
Ascending the stairs we come to one of the most spectacular sites, Yomei-mon. It is a door with intricate reliefs of small figures and hundreds of characters, dragons and other fantastic animals. On the wall of the gate there were other decorations of flowers and very nice birds.
Tosho-gu, with the bottom-mon Yomei
Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
detail Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
view Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
Wall Yomei-mon, Tosho-gu
Opposite Yomei-mon is another door, Kara-mon, finely decorated than the last. It is painted white and has reliefs of dragons and other figures very elaborate, a masterpiece. This door led to Haiden or prayer hall, where they could not take
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