Winter Trip to Nikko Part 5: World Heritage "Shrines and Temples of Nikko" (1) Shinkyo Bridge and Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple

[Introduction]

I traveled to Nikko (日光) for three days and two nights in the middle of February for the first time in five years. Visiting Nikko in winter would be a good choice, since there are less tourists compared to other seasons (summer and autumn) and visitors are able to enjoy snow scenery. In this article, I will write about Shinkyo Bridge and Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple as part of Day 2.

[Visit Places (series of articles)]
* Day 1: Nikko Station
* Day 1: SL Taiju
* Day 1: Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji
* Day 1-2: Nikko Station (Light-up) and Nikko Station Hotel Classic
* Day 2: Shinkyo Bridge and Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple [This article]
* Day 2: Nikko Toshogu Shrine
* Day 2: Futarasan-Jinja Shrine, Taiyuin Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple and Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
* Day 2-3: Nikko Kanaya Hotel
* Day 3: Kosugi Hoan Museum of Art and Matsuyashiki

[Travel Date]
2018.02.18-20

[Main Part]

Snap Photos around Nikko Station

After I checked out Nikko Station Hotel Classic, I walked around Nikko Kaido Road.

There was a fire station.

Ambulances and fire trucks were in line.

You can see range of mountains over there.

Although I took many photos yesterday, I will take a photo of Tobu Nikko station as this may be the last chance.

I also took a photo of JR Nikko station.

Then, I rode on “World Heritage sightseeing bus” to move to the world heritage area.

This is Nikko Kanaya Hotel where I will stay tonight. It was too early to check in, so I put some of my stuff.

World Heritage “Shrines and Temples of Nikko”

On the second day of the Nikko trip, I will walk around the World Heritage “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” area.

The World Heritage “Shrines and Temples of Nikko”, which was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage in 1999, consists of two shrines and one temple: the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple and Nikko Futarasan-jinja Shrine. It encompasses 103 buildings or structures and the natural setting around them. I will visit the following places: (1) Shinkyo Bridge (2) Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple (3) Nikko Toshogu Shrine (4) Futarasan-Jinja Shrine (5) Taiyuin, Nikkosan Rinno-Ji.

Shinkyo Bridge

To begin with, I will start to walk around the World Heritage “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” area from “Shinkyo Bridge”.

“Shinkyo Bridge”is a beautiful, wooden and vermilion-lacquered bridge that is hung on the entrance to the holy Nikko mountains. It belongs to the Nikko Futarasan-jinja Shrine.

Here is the best angle as far as I see around here.

With Japanese pampas grass.

From the opposite side.

I will cross the bridge though it was a paid area.

View from the bridge.

Another cut.

Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple

After I left “Shinkyo Bridge”, I headed for “Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple”.

I climbed up the slope.

I arrived at “Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple”. The statue was Shodo Shonin (Saint Shodo), who firstly served as the head priest of Nikko and founded the temple.

In the temple.

As the name suggests, this is “Black Gate”.

The most attractive building was “Sanbutsudo Hall”, which is the largest wooden building in eastern Japan, although it has been under a major repair.

It houses Buddhist statues of the holy three mountains in Nikko and visitors are able to see them in the hall, but unfortunately taking photos is not allowed.

I also visited the temple’s treasure house and Shoyoen garden.

Photographing is prohibited in the temple’s treasure house, so here are snap photos of Shoyoen garden, a Japanese-style garden that features a path around a pond.

Meiji-No-Yakata

Before I moved to the next destination, Nikko Toshogu Shrine, I visited “Meiji-No-Yakata” for lunch.

“Meiji-no-Yakata” is a restaurant originally built as a Western style cottage for American trading merchant, F.W. Horn, who introduced the first electric gramophone (Chikuonki) to Japan.

I oreded Rice Omelet and croquettes.

Then, I will go to Nikko Toshogu Shrine, the most famous site among the World Heritage “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” area.

[Closing]

That’s it for the article about Shinkyo Bridge and Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple as part of Day 2 of my Nikko trip.

“Shinkyo Bridge” is my favorite spot in Nikko and known as one of the finest three bridges (Kintaikyo Bridge in Yamaguchi prefecture, Saruhashi Bridge in Yamanashi pref.) in Japan. I have been to Kintaikyo Bridge before and if you are interested in it, please see the following article.

“Going to Kintaikyo Bridge in Iwakuni” (2015.12)

In addition, here are my past articles related to bridges.

“Kurushima Kaikyo Bridge on the Shimanami Kaido” (2015.07)

“New York Short trip Part 4: Walking across Brooklyn Bridge” (2016.06)

In the next article, I will write about Nikko Toshogu Shrine as part of Day 2.

[Map]

1 Nikko Fire Station
2 Tobu Nikko Station
3 JR Nikko Station
4 Nikko Kanaya Hotel
5 Shinkyo Bridge
6 Nikkosan Rinno-Ji Temple
7 Meiji-No-Yakata