Chapter 6
Day 6
Nikko, Tokyo, Akihabara, between Robots and Earthquakes – Second Part.
I’m sure that there are places where time flows differently than we’re used to know. It’s a matter of fact. Some scientist, wearing the typical worn-out white gown, a face with a far-too-many-coffees look, and a high-tech pocket watch should check it out. Sit in Greenwich and time flows in a certain way, perhaps based on the speed required to fill a pint of Ale, or by the rhythm of a Beatles song if the time flow is checked in Liverpool…. Sit in Sorrento (near Naples) and the time slows down to let the Sun to take his time to comfortably set in a clear evening sky over the gulf. Sit in New York, the time flows at the speed of a Broadway musical. In Japan? Far too fast. You need a high speed clock to check the time and see it in slow motion, and it’ll still appear too fast. I’m sure of it. I was there. I was in Japan for six days straight and I felt like I was just went outside of the Narita Airport. How did it happen? Japan is amazing, it keeps on surprising you, from the very first very moment up to the rest of your journey on the Land of the Rising Sun. And by this way, you keep on having that feeling of “I just arrived”. I had it all the journey long.
When I woke up in our sixth day of journey it was dawn. Some light was coming from the window at the feet of the bed. I don’t know which dreams I had, perhaps I was in a Onsen packed with Samurais eating fish and leeks, I don’t know, but I felt recharged. Thank to the Gods that our neighbor stopped snoring in the early night and I had plenty of hours of sleeping. Tonight there hadn’t been Earthquakes and for a moment I felt like being suspended in a soundless and motionless world. That was the moment that my alarm clock rung. It was as planned. It was too loud and too early, but we needed to get in motion as soon as we could. In fact, we planned to have a far trip to Nikko today. While we were getting up, outside of our window on the skyline of Asakusa, a pale sun was rising above a sky of reddish clouds that looked like a huge herd of flying nuclear sheeps. This is Japan. Oh, yes!
When I woke up in our sixth day of journey it was dawn. Some light was coming from the window at the feet of the bed. I don’t know which dreams I had, perhaps I was in a Onsen packed with Samurais eating fish and leeks, I don’t know, but I felt recharged. Thank to the Gods that our neighbor stopped snoring in the early night and I had plenty of hours of sleeping. Tonight there hadn’t been Earthquakes and for a moment I felt like being suspended in a soundless and motionless world. That was the moment that my alarm clock rung. It was as planned. It was too loud and too early, but we needed to get in motion as soon as we could. In fact, we planned to have a far trip to Nikko today. While we were getting up, outside of our window on the skyline of Asakusa, a pale sun was rising above a sky of reddish clouds that looked like a huge herd of flying nuclear sheeps. This is Japan. Oh, yes!
The way to Nikko
We packed our backpacks with our waterproofs and after a huge breakfast we went outside. We took a train of the Ginza line and from the Tokyo Central Station we took a Shinkansen. The journey on the bullet train lasted quite short and soon we arrived at the Utsunomiya Station. From this town we took a small train that took us, along with many other tourists, across the Japanese countryside to Nikko.
Shinkyo bridge
This town, Nikko, is quite famous for her temples. Actually they are so many, so big and all so near to each-other that they look like a “Temple Village” near the mountain town of Nikko. From the station, following the directions on our maps we went up a street toward the temples area. The way to the temple is quite straight, easy to follow and pleasant. Nikko for me, looks like a relaxed holiday town. Along the way houses with an uncared and old look alternated with modern condos of what could be apartments on rental for the holidays.
Along the street, which is named “Romantic Highway”, we arrived to a modern bridge. On the left hand side we met one of the first landmarks of our trip. It was the ancient Shinkyo bridge that crosses the Daiya River. The bridge is made of red-painted wood and with her elegant shape is the perfect photographic spot for most of the passing-by tourists. Here we met lots of people that were starting their trip in the temple area, among them, many large school kids groups. This bridge looked like taken straight from an ancient postcard and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Samurai or a Geisha crossing it under a cloud of falling Sakura (Cherry) blossoms.
From this point some people can take a stairway that, after a short climb, takes up to the Temple Area. Otherwise, most of the Guided Tours keep along the “Romantic Highway” with their Pullmans up to Yasukawacho where there is another entrance to the temple area as well as a Pullmans parking lot.
Along the street, which is named “Romantic Highway”, we arrived to a modern bridge. On the left hand side we met one of the first landmarks of our trip. It was the ancient Shinkyo bridge that crosses the Daiya River. The bridge is made of red-painted wood and with her elegant shape is the perfect photographic spot for most of the passing-by tourists. Here we met lots of people that were starting their trip in the temple area, among them, many large school kids groups. This bridge looked like taken straight from an ancient postcard and I wouldn’t be surprised to see a Samurai or a Geisha crossing it under a cloud of falling Sakura (Cherry) blossoms.
From this point some people can take a stairway that, after a short climb, takes up to the Temple Area. Otherwise, most of the Guided Tours keep along the “Romantic Highway” with their Pullmans up to Yasukawacho where there is another entrance to the temple area as well as a Pullmans parking lot.
Meeting the Priest Shoto and the Sambutsu-do Temple
The Temple Area is very huge and to have an accurate view it could even take two days. Anyway, a day is plenty to have a general look to the temples and maybe get a guided tour in a couple of them. All the temples around are awesome. Every building along the way, every decoration, every corner is rich in significance, soaked into the legend and sparkling of charm. Many information can be taken from the Nikko Tourist Information website www.nikko-jp.org/english.
On the top of the stairway we met the statue of the Priest Shoto, the man that civilized the area and designated the Nikko region as the Pure Land of the Goddess Kannon. The statue shows the Priest Shoto and a sort of a small dragon at his foot. The legend says that when he was approaching a river appeared huge snakes that became a bridge to let him cross the river.
Here begun our temple exploration. The first one was the massive Sambutsu-do Temple (it may appear also as “Rinnoji Temple” as Rinnoji is a generic name of Japanese Buddhist Temples, while “Sambutsu” may mean something like “Three Buddhas”). Just near the temple there is also a five story pagoda tower. We arrived at the Sambutsu-do Temple and we visited the insides. The temple enshrines three mighty statues of Bato Kannon (Wrathful Kannon), Amida Nyorai (the Enlighted Amida) and Senju Kannon (the 1000 Arms Kannon). The hall is quite small and most of the place is taken by the 8 metres tall statues. The statues are from the Edo Period, they are made of wood and covered in gold leaf. Unluckily it’s forbidden to take pictures inside the temple, but the statues are really amazing.
The following area is the Toshogu Shrine one. This area is absolutely huge as it’s made by a number of different buildings, all of them are masterpieces of ancient architecture. The Shrine is devoted as a mausoleum of the Seii-Taishogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (High General Ieyasu Tokugawa), one of the most important men in whole Japanese History. He was born in the Sengoku Period, also known as the Japanese Warring States Period. The Sengoku Period spreads from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century, a time of global uproar and continuous war. Ieyasu Tokugawa not just survived the period, but took Japan to the unification under the Tokugawa Shogunate of Edo, bringing a national stability. He kept on caring upon his nation even after he retired and just before his death, his final wishes were “Enshrine my dead body in Mt. Kuno (His hometown in Shizuoka prefecture) for the first year of the death. (…) And build a small shrine in Nikko and enshrine me as the God. I will be the guardian of Japan”. It’s interesting that he chosen Nikko. In fact, Nikko is at North of Edo (the modern Tokyo). North was the forbidden direction as it was said that the demons were all from the North. He chosen that place to be a guardian against evil forces and protect Edo and with her Japan too. In the following years the Shoguns were still so grateful and looking up to him that in spite the “small shrine” that he wished, they build this incredible holy place.
Along the magnificent buildings, there are also some “more touristic” attractions. First one is the hall of the holy white horses (Shinkyu-Sacred Stable). This beautiful animals are cared like superstars and people say that they bring good luck to those that see them. The second attraction, still on the stables walls, is the “Sansaru Three Monkeys”. The building shows on the four sides, like a circle, many scenes that, using monkeys instead of human figures, depict the stages of like. It start with the birth of a little monkey, the story goes through education, puberty, the marriage and the making up of a new family with the birth of a new baby monkey, and the circle starts again. The most famous scene, I should say “Worldwide Famous” is the “Three Monkeys” one. The scene is placed as a education one, and a monkey teaches to the young ones to “Talk no Evil, Hear no Evil, See no Evil”.
Among the building all around the Toshogu Shrine, another impressive one is the Crying Dragon Hall. All the external walls are covered with sculptured Dragon Heads. Inside of the hall there is an empty room with a beautiful Dragon painted on the cedar board ceiling. A guide was there telling the legend that if a person claps two pieces to wood, the Dragon answers the calling. So, he asked us to be silent and he clapped two wooden tiles. The noise was really strong and after few second we heard a far whistle from the ceiling. Was the Dragon answering the call? I never thought of hearing a Dragon!
On the top of the stairway we met the statue of the Priest Shoto, the man that civilized the area and designated the Nikko region as the Pure Land of the Goddess Kannon. The statue shows the Priest Shoto and a sort of a small dragon at his foot. The legend says that when he was approaching a river appeared huge snakes that became a bridge to let him cross the river.
Here begun our temple exploration. The first one was the massive Sambutsu-do Temple (it may appear also as “Rinnoji Temple” as Rinnoji is a generic name of Japanese Buddhist Temples, while “Sambutsu” may mean something like “Three Buddhas”). Just near the temple there is also a five story pagoda tower. We arrived at the Sambutsu-do Temple and we visited the insides. The temple enshrines three mighty statues of Bato Kannon (Wrathful Kannon), Amida Nyorai (the Enlighted Amida) and Senju Kannon (the 1000 Arms Kannon). The hall is quite small and most of the place is taken by the 8 metres tall statues. The statues are from the Edo Period, they are made of wood and covered in gold leaf. Unluckily it’s forbidden to take pictures inside the temple, but the statues are really amazing.
The following area is the Toshogu Shrine one. This area is absolutely huge as it’s made by a number of different buildings, all of them are masterpieces of ancient architecture. The Shrine is devoted as a mausoleum of the Seii-Taishogun Ieyasu Tokugawa (High General Ieyasu Tokugawa), one of the most important men in whole Japanese History. He was born in the Sengoku Period, also known as the Japanese Warring States Period. The Sengoku Period spreads from the middle of the 15th century to the beginning of the 17th century, a time of global uproar and continuous war. Ieyasu Tokugawa not just survived the period, but took Japan to the unification under the Tokugawa Shogunate of Edo, bringing a national stability. He kept on caring upon his nation even after he retired and just before his death, his final wishes were “Enshrine my dead body in Mt. Kuno (His hometown in Shizuoka prefecture) for the first year of the death. (…) And build a small shrine in Nikko and enshrine me as the God. I will be the guardian of Japan”. It’s interesting that he chosen Nikko. In fact, Nikko is at North of Edo (the modern Tokyo). North was the forbidden direction as it was said that the demons were all from the North. He chosen that place to be a guardian against evil forces and protect Edo and with her Japan too. In the following years the Shoguns were still so grateful and looking up to him that in spite the “small shrine” that he wished, they build this incredible holy place.
Along the magnificent buildings, there are also some “more touristic” attractions. First one is the hall of the holy white horses (Shinkyu-Sacred Stable). This beautiful animals are cared like superstars and people say that they bring good luck to those that see them. The second attraction, still on the stables walls, is the “Sansaru Three Monkeys”. The building shows on the four sides, like a circle, many scenes that, using monkeys instead of human figures, depict the stages of like. It start with the birth of a little monkey, the story goes through education, puberty, the marriage and the making up of a new family with the birth of a new baby monkey, and the circle starts again. The most famous scene, I should say “Worldwide Famous” is the “Three Monkeys” one. The scene is placed as a education one, and a monkey teaches to the young ones to “Talk no Evil, Hear no Evil, See no Evil”.
Among the building all around the Toshogu Shrine, another impressive one is the Crying Dragon Hall. All the external walls are covered with sculptured Dragon Heads. Inside of the hall there is an empty room with a beautiful Dragon painted on the cedar board ceiling. A guide was there telling the legend that if a person claps two pieces to wood, the Dragon answers the calling. So, he asked us to be silent and he clapped two wooden tiles. The noise was really strong and after few second we heard a far whistle from the ceiling. Was the Dragon answering the call? I never thought of hearing a Dragon!
Futarasan Shrine
We kept on visiting the Temples and then we arrived in an area with very tall trees, here was the Futarasan Shrine. This area includes many buildings like Temples and Shrines. We visited this temple complex and we liked very much the rooms of those buildings.
Taiyuin-Byo Temple
Following the river nearby we reached the long stairway that leads to the wonderful Taiyuin-Byo Temple. We arrived at the foot of the stairway that the weather was turning from cloudy to misty and we could barely see the top of the stairway. We started climbing, but the steps were a little slippery. When we arrived on the top while few tourists were leaving and we found ourselves alone in this large mausoleum. In fact, the Temple itself is the mausoleum of the Shogun Iemitsu Tokugawa that had a very deep respect for the Seii-Taishogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. His devotion was so great that his final wish was to be buried nearby Seii-Taishogun Ieyasu Tokugawa and said “I will serve for Ieyasu even after I die”.
There was silence. The sun came out in a pale but blinding silvery light. We wandered among the housing and it looked like a ghost city or a rich village just fled by its inhabitants. We sat on a stair and listened at the sounds. There was wind, he was whistling between the tall tree tops. I could feel the fresh air caressing my cheeks. One droplets from the roof tiles splashed in a puddle leaving a small bubble that reflected a distorted view of the temple, then it popped leaving concentric waves dancing in the puddle. A creaking noise from the tree branches. A bird was singing far, then I heard another, it was closer, among the trees. Another droplet, it was from the leaves of a tree nearby. The smell of wood, the smell of humidity after a rainy night, the smell of pine resin where blending together. Finally I found the Japanese Zen that I was looking for. I found it in the topmost temple of Nikko.
From this Temple we made all the way back and we went out of the Temple Area from the gate in Yasukawacho.
There was silence. The sun came out in a pale but blinding silvery light. We wandered among the housing and it looked like a ghost city or a rich village just fled by its inhabitants. We sat on a stair and listened at the sounds. There was wind, he was whistling between the tall tree tops. I could feel the fresh air caressing my cheeks. One droplets from the roof tiles splashed in a puddle leaving a small bubble that reflected a distorted view of the temple, then it popped leaving concentric waves dancing in the puddle. A creaking noise from the tree branches. A bird was singing far, then I heard another, it was closer, among the trees. Another droplet, it was from the leaves of a tree nearby. The smell of wood, the smell of humidity after a rainy night, the smell of pine resin where blending together. Finally I found the Japanese Zen that I was looking for. I found it in the topmost temple of Nikko.
From this Temple we made all the way back and we went out of the Temple Area from the gate in Yasukawacho.
Chuzenji Onsen Lake
We waited quite long at the bus stop and then we took a coach to go up the mountain to the Chuzenji Onsen Lake, expecting, as the name says, that there would be an Onsen up there.
We arrived in the place and the driver shown us where to get off the bus. We were in the middle of nowhere. A village sunken into the thick mist. All the sounds were muffled and there were moments in which we could barely see across the road. The temperature was fallen down and we had to take our jackets from our backpacks. We searched for a short while and in the end we found a Tourist Information point where we asked for the Onsen. As we expected, first, the Japanese Tourist Information could barely speak English, and this matched with my own English, turned into a total Babylon. Secondary, a place called Onsen doesn’t mean that has a natural Onsen. We were suggested to go to a Hotel and use the a public bath where Onsen water was brought with trucks. A few minutes earlier I was daydreaming to lay in a river of natural hot water with a small towel folded on my forehead, like I did the day before in Tokyo. Now we were in the cold mist. What we could do before the next coach to Nikko? First thing, the Chuzenji Lake. We went to the lake and we went down a short part of the banks made of concrete and round stones. We walked a little in the cold water and then, seen that we could see only 4-5 metres far from us, we decided to come back to the village. We crossed the village in all its length and we reached the famous Kegon Waterfalls. In a normal day, they should be a wonder, but in that day, the Waterfalls were hidden by the mist. We could hear clearly their roar as they sounded very near, but we still couldn’t see them across the deep, seemingly endless in the mist, chasm.
We went back at the village and we found shelter into one of the few open bars. Here we ordered two very hot and steaming chocolates. The nice ladies, which spoke only Japanese, were smiling all the time and helped us in any way they could with our ordination. Later, when we were feeling hot again, we went back into the mist and took the couch back to Nikko. On the way back we discovered that in the seat next to us we had two ghosts. Yes, you read it well. Two freaking ghosts. They looked like a young Japanese couple. They were, if possible, paler than the other Japanese people, like blenched rice paper covered in white chalk. Their long expressionless eyes were hidden under a heavy layer of dark shades of black and purple. Hair were stuck at their foreheads and cheeks while silvery rings were piercing their eyebrows, ears, noses and lips. Their heads were waving at the unison. By that time Lula was looking outside of the window and I got closer to her and sounding like the kid in the movie “The Sixth Sense” I told her “I see dead people!”. She jumped and almost screamed, and in less than a second she started beating me using her Lonely Planet as a weapon. The ghosts turned around to see what was going on and for a moment they even smiled… They were really scary.
We left the coach at the bus stop were we took it outside of the temples and we made the way back to Nikko. Now it was a little more hot and people were lively. I needed a jolt of positiveness! We went back to the station where we took a train to Utsunomiya. Then we took another Shinkansen and in the evening we arrived in Tokyo.
We arrived in the place and the driver shown us where to get off the bus. We were in the middle of nowhere. A village sunken into the thick mist. All the sounds were muffled and there were moments in which we could barely see across the road. The temperature was fallen down and we had to take our jackets from our backpacks. We searched for a short while and in the end we found a Tourist Information point where we asked for the Onsen. As we expected, first, the Japanese Tourist Information could barely speak English, and this matched with my own English, turned into a total Babylon. Secondary, a place called Onsen doesn’t mean that has a natural Onsen. We were suggested to go to a Hotel and use the a public bath where Onsen water was brought with trucks. A few minutes earlier I was daydreaming to lay in a river of natural hot water with a small towel folded on my forehead, like I did the day before in Tokyo. Now we were in the cold mist. What we could do before the next coach to Nikko? First thing, the Chuzenji Lake. We went to the lake and we went down a short part of the banks made of concrete and round stones. We walked a little in the cold water and then, seen that we could see only 4-5 metres far from us, we decided to come back to the village. We crossed the village in all its length and we reached the famous Kegon Waterfalls. In a normal day, they should be a wonder, but in that day, the Waterfalls were hidden by the mist. We could hear clearly their roar as they sounded very near, but we still couldn’t see them across the deep, seemingly endless in the mist, chasm.
We went back at the village and we found shelter into one of the few open bars. Here we ordered two very hot and steaming chocolates. The nice ladies, which spoke only Japanese, were smiling all the time and helped us in any way they could with our ordination. Later, when we were feeling hot again, we went back into the mist and took the couch back to Nikko. On the way back we discovered that in the seat next to us we had two ghosts. Yes, you read it well. Two freaking ghosts. They looked like a young Japanese couple. They were, if possible, paler than the other Japanese people, like blenched rice paper covered in white chalk. Their long expressionless eyes were hidden under a heavy layer of dark shades of black and purple. Hair were stuck at their foreheads and cheeks while silvery rings were piercing their eyebrows, ears, noses and lips. Their heads were waving at the unison. By that time Lula was looking outside of the window and I got closer to her and sounding like the kid in the movie “The Sixth Sense” I told her “I see dead people!”. She jumped and almost screamed, and in less than a second she started beating me using her Lonely Planet as a weapon. The ghosts turned around to see what was going on and for a moment they even smiled… They were really scary.
We left the coach at the bus stop were we took it outside of the temples and we made the way back to Nikko. Now it was a little more hot and people were lively. I needed a jolt of positiveness! We went back to the station where we took a train to Utsunomiya. Then we took another Shinkansen and in the evening we arrived in Tokyo.
Tokyo - Ginza and Akihabara
We spent the evening between Ginza and Akihabara where we dined into a restaurant of a mall. This time we were served Steamed Vegetables, Steamed Rice and Tofu Soup. All this food was definitely tasteless and not enough cooked. Then we went back to the streets.
By night Akihabara shows her best. All the buildings are sparkling with lights, there is music and along the streets you can see many trucks that advertise some cartoon, videogame or comic. More advertisement are all around and somebody that loves these things can get lost.
We went back to our hotel in Asakusa and while we were packing our luggage for the next day journey, everything started to rock and creak again. I looked at Lula and I said “No, it’s not my fault” and then we went for shelter under the door. In those moments, when all was swinging so hard, we heard the voices of our neighbours that were screaming. The Earthquake lasted what felt like eternity, and slowly went away. The next day we discovered that it was 6,5 Richter Scale strong and it lasted 35 seconds. It was really scary.
We decided to get out of the hotel again and we went around Asakusa for a long while again. We came back at the hotel that was deep night, knowing that we should get up early the next day as we were heading to Kyoto.
Good Night Dear Asakusa!
By night Akihabara shows her best. All the buildings are sparkling with lights, there is music and along the streets you can see many trucks that advertise some cartoon, videogame or comic. More advertisement are all around and somebody that loves these things can get lost.
We went back to our hotel in Asakusa and while we were packing our luggage for the next day journey, everything started to rock and creak again. I looked at Lula and I said “No, it’s not my fault” and then we went for shelter under the door. In those moments, when all was swinging so hard, we heard the voices of our neighbours that were screaming. The Earthquake lasted what felt like eternity, and slowly went away. The next day we discovered that it was 6,5 Richter Scale strong and it lasted 35 seconds. It was really scary.
We decided to get out of the hotel again and we went around Asakusa for a long while again. We came back at the hotel that was deep night, knowing that we should get up early the next day as we were heading to Kyoto.
Good Night Dear Asakusa!