Page 277 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide: Japan

NIKK O  275

VISITORS’ CHECKLIST
Practical Information
Tel (0288) 53-1567. &
Open 8am–5pm daily (to 4pm
Nov–Mar).

Bell Tower This structure forms a
pair with the drum tower. They
are no longer used, but the drum
signifies positive/birth, while the
bell is negative/death.
A monkey by the roadside, Nikko
. Nitenmon Gate Four guardian National Park
statues occupy the niches
here. At the front are 2 Nikko
the gods
Komoku National Park
and Jikoku, Nikko National Park
while at the
back are
the green Tochigi, Fukushima, and Gunma
god of prefectures. @ from Nikko stations.
wind and n 3-4 Namiki-cho, Nikko-shi (0288)
the red god 22-1525. ∑ nikko-travel.jp/english
of thunder.
The magnificent national park
that includes Tosho-gu and its
environs is largely a mountain-
ous volcanic plateau, studded
with lakes, waterfalls, hot springs,
and swamplands. For a taste of
Oku-Nikko, the mountainous
interior, take the bus west from
Nikko to Lake Chuzen-ji. The
hairpin curves of Irohazaka,
along the old ascent to the
sacred Mount Nantai, start at
Umagaeshi (horse return), where
pilgrims had to give up their
Granite Fountain horses and walk. Halfway up, at
On the ceiling above the Akechidaira, there is an excellent
basin is a dragon painting view of Mount Nantai, which
by Kano Yasunobu, which dominates the lake. At the east
is sometimes reflected end of the lake, the Kegon Falls,
in the water below. named for the Buddhist principle
of uni versal unity, cascade 96 m
(315 ft) to the Daiya River below.
KEY An elevator through the cliff
runs to an observation deck
1 The Honden (usually closed at the base of the falls.
to the public) holds a gilded
Buddhist altar with a wooden At the nearby temple of
statue of Iemitsu. Chuzen-ji, the main image is the
Tachiki Kannon, a 1,000-armed
2 The Ai No Ma is a richly Kannon said to have been carved
decorated connecting chamber.
from a live tree by Shodo Shoin,
3 The Karamon gate is adorned Nikko’s founder. On July 31
with delicate carvings, such as a hundreds of pilgrims make an
pair of cranes. overnight climb of Mount Nantai,
4 Drum Tower reach ing the top by sunrise.
5 Stone lanterns were Yumoto, a lakeside onsen town,
donated over the years by linked by bus to Nikko station
daimyo (feudal lords). and Lake Chuzen-ji, is one of
several spas in the park.

274-275_EW_Japan.indd 275 08/08/16 3:08 pm