Nikko Japan was a very beautiful and calm place. Walking through this town on a perfect cloudy day was satisfying and relaxing. Nikko is not a huge tourist destination, although there were more people there than in more royal areas of Japan, it was pretty unpopulated. Nikko was a gorgeous place, I believe that in a couple of years Nikko will become a lot more popular with tourist.
Nikko reminded me of a quiet mountain town in Colorado, such as Breckenridge or Colorado Springs. The town was cute, small, no huge buildings, and was surrounded by nature.
The walk from the train station to the locations we were there to see was about 25 minutes. The walk was filled with the smell of street food, small antique shops, and gorgeous views.🌲
Shinkyo Bridge
This is the Shinkyo Bridge, also known as the Sacred Bridge. This is the bridge that leads to all of the shrines in Nikko, up the woods on the right of the street is the trail to the shrines. This was something I really wanted to see in Japan, I love old Japanese architecture and this bridge did not disappoint. Luckily, there was a wedding about to be held on the bridge, so my sister and I were able to take pictures and look at the bridge while nobody was on it. Truly a very special opportunity!
Toshogu Shrine
Toshogu Shrine is the resting place of Tokugawa Ieyasu. This shrine was unspeakably beautiful. The gold and white detail on the shrine made to so vibrant and appealing. This was definitely the most lavish and the busiest shrine I went to in all of Japan. This shrine was very large however and offered a lot of room to explore. One of the coolest parts about Toshogu Shrine is that my sister and I were actually able to go into the shrine for a ceremony. I really wish I could have understood the ceremony, but none the less it was very interesting to be a part of.
Something I was not expecting to see at this shrine was the grave of one of Japans greatest emperor, Tokugawa Ieyasu. This shrine is where he was buried and after taking a walk up around 200 steps we were able to see the grave. This was an amazing experience that I was not expecting. I love history and the fact that I was able to see the grave of such an important and old historical figure was amazing.
On our way back home from Nikko my sister and I decided to stop by Utsunomiya to try the Gyoza in the famous Gyoza city!🥟
A short trip to Utsunomiya for some Gyoza was completely worth it! We decided to try and find a Gyoza shop in the train station because it was so big. We found a place and ordered the sampler platter, consisting of 12 different flavor Gyoza and 6 boiled Gyoza. This was such a fun experience for us! Trying the Gyoza and having no idea what was inside was a little bit scary, but they were all good! I can say that the Gyoza in Utsunomiya is very delicious and a must try!🥢
One of the landmarks in Utsunomiya is the Gyoza statue! My sister and I tried to find this statue for so long, but it was worth it. Also we really just were looking at the wrong level, it’s literally right outside the train station we were just being dumb. Either way, we got to take a picture with a very funny and odd statue!
Our trip to Nikko and a stop in Utsunomiya was so fun and rewarding! Nikko is such a beautiful place with so many things to explore. The town isn’t filled with big buildings or busy streets which makes it a perfect place to get away from the busy life of Tokyo! The attractions that we went to in Nikko were fun, amazing, and very unique! On your way from Nikko make sure to stop by Utsunomiya to try those delicious Gyoza!🌲
If you liked this post and would like to see more please leave a like and follow! Let me know if any of you have been to Nikko and what you thought about it!
大好き 사랑해 love^^
Comments