Some photos of Nikko

Nikko is a certified “world historic” site, therefore a major tourist destination. But the vast majority of the tourists are Japanese in search of their past. Not far away is an amusement park called Edo Wonderland, which is sort of an Old West town but instead of cowboys and Indians, you get samurai, geishas, etc. – all the artifacts of pre-Meiji (pre-Western) Japan. Sheryl, Madeleine and I visited this afternoon and were virtually the only Caucasians in sight.

This is the view from our hotel room at dawn.

Everyone, of course, is taking pictures. One of the key spots is the Sinkyo Bridge. Here a Japanese family and Madeleine are being photographed simultaneously.

A side angle of the bridge…

The Nikko National Park is the home of that gilded shrine Tosho-gu, which has the famous carving of the “see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil” monkeys. These young students are looking at it.

The shrines here are Tokugawa Period. Some think they are too gaudy. I understand their point, but I like them anyway. Besides they are built in magnificent cedar groves that seem majestic even to this Californian used to sequoias and redwoods.