Last night Tetsu and I went up to the Nikko shrines and temples for the city's light festival. Last year Tetsu had taken me to a small park to see the lights against the autumn leaves but this year he suggested we go up to the historical part of Nikko. It was certainly worth the trip!
"Wow, this is a lot more stupendous than last year's park."
"I should think so. Nikko's shrines and temples are registered as a World Heritage site."
There are so many temples and shrines up in Nikko that I can't keep the names straight and in some cases have trouble telling the difference between which is the shrine and which is the temple. No matter. They are all beautiful and the grounds are surrounded by towering ceder trees and cobbled roads. Last night it was slightly drizzling but not enough to use an umbrella and the mist made the area seem all the more ethereal. My small digital camera doesn't do any of the scenery justice but maybe you'll get an idea of the beauty of the place.
Some of the colors may look confusing but if you look carefully you can see the reflection of trees and stone pagodas in the temple pond.
"Wow, this is a lot more stupendous than last year's park."
"I should think so. Nikko's shrines and temples are registered as a World Heritage site."
There are so many temples and shrines up in Nikko that I can't keep the names straight and in some cases have trouble telling the difference between which is the shrine and which is the temple. No matter. They are all beautiful and the grounds are surrounded by towering ceder trees and cobbled roads. Last night it was slightly drizzling but not enough to use an umbrella and the mist made the area seem all the more ethereal. My small digital camera doesn't do any of the scenery justice but maybe you'll get an idea of the beauty of the place.
Some of the colors may look confusing but if you look carefully you can see the reflection of trees and stone pagodas in the temple pond.
Nikko is one of the more famous places in Japan and most children will have a school trip to Nikko once in their lifetime. Sometimes you can hardly see the grounds because of all of the kids and their chattering and excitement takes away a bit from the spiritual atmosphere. Last night was a quiet way to enjoy the natural and man-made beauty of Nikko.
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