Monday, December 30, 2013

Nikko

If I remember right (I don't have my notes on me right now, I will update and fix when I get home :D) on the third day with my new host family, one of the club members and his 2 daughters and grandson took me to Nikko, this place is well known for the shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu was laid to rest. We took the train to get there and the view was incredible. You don't see views like this in Australia. We walked up to the shrine complex from the station (taxied back after). The main shrine area is where the well known 
"See no, Hear no, Speak no, evil" monkeys are pictured. (Picture below.)
The main shrine complex is an array of bright colours greens golds and reds, and parts were under reconstruction to keep them in tip top shape, so unfortunately we couldn't see the whole of it.
For me the best part was past the sleeping cat (one walks under for good luck) up a ton of stairs above the complex, and to his gravesite. Buried in the Shinto style, it is simple and elegant, and lacks the gaudy extravagance of the lower shrines but it was beautiful, and peaceful. If given the chance go up those stairs, or you'll miss the best part. I didn't take any photos of this spot, my apologies, but the view itself is seared into my mind.
























On the evening of the 23rd my host lions club had a welcome party, I was privileged to watch students of nihon buoy perform for us. They were brilliant!




I wasn't overly hungry and spent most of my time chatting, but he feast was brilliant, hats of to the chef




Monday the 23rd dec,
We toured my city, there are lots of beautiful old houses left over from the Edo era here, and we spent some time on a guided tour, my city is well known for making the name stamps most Japanese use at the end of their sighnatures for important documents.



This stump was massive and had been used and a table