Nikko

In the National Park, 2 hours by train north-west of Tokyo, is the temple area of Nikko with the Tosho-gu Shrine. The buildings date back to the Edo period between 1603 and 1868 when Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa (Shogun dynasty) and today it is a world cultural heritage. It is really special that you can find Japanese Shinto shrines next to Buddhist temples (Buddhism has come to Japan via China) at the same place.

Apparently we arrived in Mariazell of Japan-  even today (it’s a Tuesday) it’s really crowded here. In addition to the tourists, several school classes are rushing around … not too much peace and devotion in the air (the children are just about to take their class photo).

But that does not really matter: the temples themselves are playful and decorated with colors and gold. You can see the representation of the 3 monkeys who “hear nothing”, “see nothing” and “say nothing”. These carvings, among other motifs, are attached to the horse stables of the ruler, and are designed to show the children the rules of a good life.

Meanwhile, the fine drizzle has turned into real rain and the crowds disappear. In the steaming forest, surrounded by the huge cedar trees, alone with the temples – you can feel a mystical vibe.

We continue to walk around a bit and then start searching for Yuba and Kakigori:
Yuba = soya milk skin, which is produced during tofu production
Kakigori = watery coffee (either served as ice cream or jelly) with sweet soy milk

One comment

  1. Hallöchen Dagmar, hab erst heute wieder in den blog reingeschaut, wahnsinnig tolle Aufnahmen. Muss ein tolles Erlebnis sein, freue mich schon auf weitere Fotos. So kann man sich die Welt relaxt anschauen 🤗🤗😉 wünsche euch noch einen schönen Urlaub. Bussi

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