So, we went up a skytree, rode uphill, wandered into the woods, gazed up a mighty waterfall, visited temples with sacred horses, plucked apples, wore the yukata kimono, met some ninjas and ronins along the way, and took a trip to a place called “Angry Demon River” (Ki-Nu-Gawa). All in the cusp of an orange and gold Japanese autumn. The vibe similar to one of those Japanese fairy tales involving spring lovers, autumn lovers, and the fairest of the fair — well, only if the God of Autumn were a tad more cheerful.
Jaded travelers might think that Japan is all bullet trains, vendo machines, robotic humanoids, gothic lolitas, vampire cafés, mad crossings and city lights that never go out. But if they took a trip up to Nikko in rural northwestern Tochigi (an hour away from Tokyo via the Shinkansen), they would discover an idyllic Japan that is bubbling with hot springs, cold sake and warm surprises.
The Japan National Tourism Organization or JNTO (represented by AAB Philippines) and Japan Airlines recently invited The STAR on a fam tour of Nikko, billed as one of the most livable cities in the world. The plan was to drop off one’s hulking luggage at Tokyo’s Shinagawa Prince Hotel in the evening, get a bowl of spicy ramen and some shut-eye, and then head north.
“More than 10 million people come to Nikko every year because of so many tourist attractions — such as cultural heritage sites as well as onsen (hot springs),” explains our guide Toshihiro Kamba. Nikko is nestled 538 meters above sea level, he adds. “That’s why people here enjoy cool, comfortable summers.”
The place is so beautiful — with its Kegon Falls and Mount Nantai — that the foreign embassies of France, Belgium, Italy and England set up their own villas by the Lake Chuzenji. Heck, the Japanese even hold viewing parties in this neck of the woods during the week of the haiku-like appearance of the sakura, even at the onset of autumn which is mid-October.
With a Suntory Premium beer in hand and koto music in the background while watching God’s own Netflix of nature as entertainment — isn’t that Zen?
Blade runners
We — meaning Pinoy travel agents, Toshi our guide, Yuki Kinjo of the JNTO, and this lone journalist — arrive on Day Two at Kinugawa mainly to, well, “travel back in time.”
The Edo Wonderland Nikko Edo-Mura (village) is a theme park that is a recreation of the architecture, fashion, and way of life during the Edo period (roughly from 1603 to 1867, which began when Shogun Tokugawa was the top dog).
The park staff-members wear Edo-era kimonos. They walk around in character just like Japanese method actors. Visitors can rent traditional costumes, in the process becoming a samurai, a samurai’s daughter, a high-ranking geisha called Oiran, or a lord (the most expensive one at almost $100). Believe it or not, some local Japanese tourists choose to be farmers. The park offers wigs as well.
“You’re actually treated as the character you’ve become,” informs Michael No of Edo Wonderland’s project planning & development department. “If you dress up like a lord, people are going to bow down. It enhances the experience.”
No (who hails from Melbourne, Australia) started working for the Nikko theme park after visiting his brother who was employed as an actor-stuntman in Japan. That was two years ago. The place holds such magic, Michael would tell you that.
So what are the essential to-do things here?
Well, there is the shuriken-throwing star training hall for visitors who want to be ninjas for a day. Or they can go for kazaguruma darts instead. (I try my hand at the Yaba Archery Range and find out I am Legolas-in-reverse: the arrow nearly hitting me.) The Wakamatsu-ya show featuring the lovely Oiran is another must. People get to watch the ultimate geisha try to serve and entertain an unknowing “lord” plucked from the audience; hilarity ensues. And at the Grand Ninja Theater for the Spirit of Shadow-Black Illusion show, ninjas perform fantastic feats of acrobatics and recite long, dramatic speeches. In Japanese. Well, you don’t need subtitles for the fight scenes.
Our day culminates with the Oiran Dochu Parade, watching the most distinguished courtesan go on a parade with her posse — with a brocade obi belt in place, feet elevated by high-platform geta shoes, and a Queen Amidala-like hairstyle going on. At first, we thought we would be late for the ceremony.
“Don’t worry,” assures Michael. “She walks so slowly — it’s like one step forward, two steps back (laughs).”
We all shrine on
“Completion is the start of collapse.”
It’s just after a breakfast of yuba (a local delicacy; comes from soymilk) at the hilly area of Nikko itself, but we get served with a choice Buddhist tenet about… well, you’ll find out once we get to the five-story pagoda.
We set out first for the Rinnoji Buddhist Temple complex with 15 temple-buildings in all. The Rinnoji was built by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko in the 8th century. Undergoing a massive renovation is the Sanbutsudo or the Three Buddha Hall. Our guide Toshi tells us that in Japan, Buddhism and Shinto co-exist harmoniously, thus the three principal Buddhist images correspond to three Shinto mountain deities as well.
The complex features a temple dedicated to the five Immovable Wisdom Kings (Goma-do or Holy Fire Hall) as well as the Sorinto erected by the saint priest Tekai in 1643 and which stores 1,000 sets of Buddhist scriptures.
The Futarasan Shinto Shrine was also founded by Shodo in honor of the gods of the three holy mountains: ?kuninushi, Tagorihime, and Ajisukitakahikone.
“This is an interesting monument,” says Toshi, calling our attention to the Bake Lantern. “See the many sword cuts? During nighttime, the villagers would pour sesame oil to light it up. But the lamp would show suspiciously strange images, so the samurai on guard would hit it with his sword. Thus, they called it the Haunted Bronze Lantern. (Although in reality) it was just wild animals that strayed into the area to take a sip of the oil. ”
Visitors should also take a sip from the Futara Sacred Water spring. If it’s good enough to be used in brewing sake, it’s darn good enough for you and me.
Next is the Toshogu Shinto Shrine complex composed of 55 shrine-buildings. Here are some choice areas to visit:
There is the Sanjin-Ko, three sacred warehouses for costumes, armors, harness and horse-collars. Interesting here are the fantastic carvings of elephants by an artisan who had never seen elephants. Toshi points out, “Look at that one: it has fur just like a mammoth. The other one has three tails.”
The Shinkytu-Sha horse stable is decorated with monkey carvings that are emblematic of the cycles of life, how things go full circle. Monkey do, Monkey did.
The Yomeimon, which faces the direction of Edo (the old name of Tokyo), is one of the iconic structures in all of Toshogu. It is called the “sunset gate” because, Toshi tells us, “you’ll never get bored looking at it from sunrise to sunset.” I tell you, you also won’t get tired of looking at the ceiling-paintings of dancing heavenly nymphs jamming with dragons.
The Sakashitamon is the gate leading to the Okusha or tomb of Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa. It is a must-visit. Just be prepared to climb hundreds of stone steps leading up to the mausoleum and to be outpaced by Japanese school-kids on a field trip. Good luck to that female tourist in stilettos. May the corns be with you.
A curious thing. One of the first sites you will see at the Shinto shrine complex is a five-story Buddhist pagoda. Er, come again? Toshi says that it only reinforces what he told us about the intermingling of the Shinto and Buddhist religions.
“Call it a merger,” he adds with a smile. “And you’ll notice how in this pagoda, the first four roofs were completed while the fifth was not. They intended to make it incomplete because…”
Yeah, completion is the start of collapse.
Once a thing is done, the next phase is disintegration. Or something like it.
But I get to thinking: once I complete this Nikko tour, I will collapse upon my hotel bed in a Shinagawa hotel in Tokyo; fly back to Manila the next day; and wonder, just wonder, when will I get back to the wondrous city of Nikko to do what the Buddhists do.
Do it all over again.
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For information on Nikko, visit the Japan Tourism Agency website (http://www.mlit.go.jp/kankocho/en/) and the JNTO website (https://www.jnto.go.jp). For details on tour packages, call International Journeys Inc. at 525-8618 and 523-4850 or email internationaljourneys@gmail.com; Jeron Travel & Tours Corporation at 851-8991 and 854-1813 or visit www.jerontravel.com; Rakso Travel at 353-4809 or 353-2707 or email mnlsales@raksotravel.com; Multi Destinations Inc. at 526-8451 to 55 or email dreamholidays@multidestinationstravel.com; or Sparkle Holidays & Travel Corp. at 328-3700 to 05 or email info@amazing-vacation.com. Photos by IGAN D’BAYAN