Part 4. Nikko

Nikko is a small town north from Tokyo. On a nearby hill, numerous Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines are scattered in a forest of giant Cryptomeria trees. Visiting Nikko in winter is a good idea, because it can be terribly overcrowded at any other time of the year.

Shin-kyo, an old bridge between Nikko town and the sacred hill.

Rinno-ji, Nikko.

Garden near Rinno-ji.

The main Buddhist temple at Nikko is Rinno-ji, founded in the 8th century. Nearby are a treasure hall (Homotsu-den), a nice garden, and a bell tower. Inside the temple are three really impressive gold- lacquered statues.

Garden near Rinno-ji.

Temple doors, Rinno-ji.

Inside Rinno-ji, Nikko.

Ringing the bell, Rinno-ji.

The temple bell of Rinno- ji has a very beautiful sound. It was a bit funny to see the monk use his wristwatch to measure the intervals between strikes.

Checking the watch, Rinno-ji.

Interior detail, Nikko.

Rinno-ji.

Interior detail, Nikko.

Granite torii, Nikko.

Above Rinno- ji, large torii gates lead to wonderfully ornate Shinto shrines, built mostly in the 17th century, in the first few decades of Tokugawa shogunate.

Bronze torii, Nikko.

Gate, Nikko.

Tosho-gu, Nikko.

The largest shrine is Tosho-gu. The richness of its decoration is unique in the Japanese art. To avoid provoking gods' envy, its builders intentionally made it imperfect by installing one column upside down.

Tosho-gu, Nikko.

Tosho-gu, Nikko.

Tosho-gu, Nikko.

You can easily spend a whole day exploring just this single shrine - its paintings, sculptures, wood carvings, drums, doors, ornate roofs, weird acoustics of its halls, secret passages, and hidden treasures.

Tosho-gu, Nikko.

Nemuri-Neko, the famous carved cat, Tosho-gu.

Wooden carving, Tosho-gu.

Hare relief, Tosho-gu.

Elephants, Tosho-gu, Nikko (larger photo in the next page).

The funniest images are those of animals the artist never had a chance to see, such as elephants.

Dragon (?), Nikko.

Shrine detail, Tosho-gu, Nikko.

Lion, Nikko.

Of all the thousands of wood carvings in Nikko, my personal favorites are these two little lions, guarding the entrance to one of the smaller shrines.

Lion, Nikko.

Roof detail, Tosho-gu, Nikko.

Part 5: Nikko (continued)

Back to Part 3

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