Continuing through Nikko, here are sites visited over 20 years ago during an “Ekikara Hiking”, hiking from a station. Hiking from a station events are sponsored by various rail lines to promote ridership. In the past, more required preregistering as participants received various gifts and promotional items for free. As one would expect, these were usually given only to those who completed the hike, but some were given out along the way, the corners of the provided map being the vouchers for them. Merchants along the route often offer special deals for hikers, again through a voucher or coupon. These include special meal sets, bento (package meal) or discounts. Museums allow hikers in at reduced price and often for free. Local produce is/was also given as gifts. We have received bags of newly harvested rice, tea, vegetables, pickles and when hiking through a town with a long tradition of pottery manufacture, we each got s pottery sake cup. But the best part of these is always the local specialities and the historical/cultural sites we never otherwise would have found or even known about. Participation is free and most now no longer require preregistration and though this means that the freebies are fewer, the coupons are still given out and getting out and discovering hidden wonders is the real reason to go on an ekikara hike.
Here is the map we were given. It roughly translates to the “400th anniversary of the founding of the Edo Era walk. Part 2, walk around Nikko and the first Tokugawa Shogun’s Mausoleum.“
We hiked this course before the digital age when the cost of film and processing required a more judicious choice of subjects to shoot. Thus, I neglected to photograph the station (I have later learned was designed by Frank Lloyd Wright BUT I am not sure if it is THIS station in Nikko nor if the one he designed still stands.) and the bridge listed to the left of my numbering in red of (1). The first actual point of interest on the hike is the red lacquer sacred bridge that I have already shown in another post. It was in a greatly dilapidated state during this hike and supported by steel scaffolding to prevent its collapse. Not very photogenic at that time. All photos are my own, all rights reserved.
並び地蒧 Narabi Jizo is the “Lined Jizo” as google translates it. Accurate but does the site a poetic disservice. A Jizo is a stone guardian of children and travelers. They can be found all over the place, from off a neglected, ancient paths in the middle of the woods, in a rice paddy to seemingly shoehorned between to brand new modern building. In reality, the Jizo was there possibly for centuries before the builds that were built up next to it. Here are a few views to give the idea of its ambiance.
憾満ヶ淵 Kanimangafuchi Abyss. This river flows along the path with the stone Jizo shown above.
大日橋Dainichi Bashi/ Dainichi Bridge.
A. 日光八幡神社 Nikko Hachiman Jinjya. This was not a listed point of interest but is listed on the map. I designated it on the map above in red as “A”.
殉死の墓 Junshi no Hakka. These are the tombs of 5 retainers to the third Tokugawa Shogun, he who built the Nikko Mausoleum for his grandfather who was the first Shogun of this dynasty, who committed ritual seppuku to follow their lord in death after his passing in April 1651. I believe these were the last to carry out this ancient tradition as the successor Shogun forbade it.
田母沢御用邸 Tamozawa Imperial Villa
This is a former villa for the Emperor of Japan. The contrast between the decor of this home and the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa Shogun is nothing short of striking. Here we see the aesthetic that Japan is famous for, either elegant simplicity of simple elegance; I have long struggled between these two descriptions. Far from crude, the workmanship and craftsmanship of even the least decorated parts is what one would expect for an imperial home, it lacks the decor usually assumed to grace the living spaces of royalty.
The big guy’s chair and table.
It’s good to be the king.
B.粎迦堂 Awado.
This too was not a listed point of interest but is listed on the map. I designated it in red as “B”.
日光真光教会 Nikko Mahikari Kyokai.
This is the Toshogu Mausoleum complex for some of the Tokugawa Shuguns. See my earlier post on Nikko for pics of this area.
8. 二荒山神社 Nikko Futarasan Shrine
Below, seen around town.
Nikko also has excellent restaurants. My wife found a nice one specializing in local cuisine with a lovely little garden viewable from the room.
Leave time to enjoy a slow meal at one of Nikko’s many fine offerings.
Beautiful photography of a beautiful area! Thanks for sharing these!
Is it a trick of the reel or are those riverside rocks as smoothed as they look?
Love the tiling on the villa and how each room has a unique style to it, from floor to roof, yet it all still feels cohesive somehow.
Surprising to see a church¹ in the middle of it all, somewhat blending elegant Japanese architecture with the heavy and rough styles expected from typical medieval Europe. The inside also has that Japanese white panelling.
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On a slight sidetrack, is "地蒧" an older way of writing it, another bodhisattva, or maybe the IME playing tricks?
I'm asking as "蒧" isn't available as a character on my system, however, based on image search, the character is similar to the "蔵" of "地蔵" as in "Kṣitigarbha Jizō Bodhisattva of children, travellers and the underworld". On a side note, watching over the road and river like that fits as a metaphor for all three roles.
1: By the by, this post is the first result on Bing, DDG, and Qwant when searching for the name in English: Nikko Mahikari Kyokai
Gorgeous pics, thanks for taking us along!
I did a search and Wright's train station is lovely, and is JR East's oldest wooden structure.
https://en.japantravel.com/tochigi/nikko-station-tochigi/6968