Nikko

On Wednesday I went to Nikko, Japan. Nikko is the home of the Tosho-gu, a shrine that is the last resting place of Ieyasu Tokugawa, the Shogun who united Japan in the early 1600s. He is the same daimyo who James Clavell wrote about in his book Shogun (think Toronaga). I took the subway to Yurakucho, then the Yamanote train from Yurakucho to Tokyo station. Then I took the shinkansen to Utsunomiya, from which I took the Nikko local train to Nikko. At Nikko, I walked to the Shinkyo and then to Tosho-gu. Tosho-gu is quite impressive. The use of gold leaf and the very Chinese dominated architecture makes it unique. It clearly cost a great deal of money to build, but Ieyasu could afford it. His personal fief was in excess of 2.5 million koku, maybe as much as 1/3 of the entire empire’s wealth. I’d say it is more impressive than anything at Kamakura and maybe even better than the Daibutsu at Nara. The weather was beautiful, a clear sunny day with temperatures hovering around 70F. Wandering through the cedars, examining Tosho-gu with the iPod playing classical music was a transcendental experience. If you are in or going to visit Japan, Nikko is a must visit. Photos are up here.