We woke up
late that day. We were supposed to leave at seven in the morning but all of us
were perfectly molded on our snuggly bed, the 10-degree weather was pampering
our lazy bones too much. The four of us were excited as we rushed to the train
station going to Nikko in spite of the stormy weather. It wasn’t our best day
in Japan so far, but we could always turn a setback into a blessed opportunity.
It was our
third day in Tokyo and our short jaunt to Japan coincided with a super typhoon.
Our overcoats were always wet and our boots soaked, it wasn’t the perfect
weather that we were expecting.
Earlier this
year, I went into an adventure as I embarked on my first ever solo and winter
trip in Seoul. It sparked an interest in me to visit other countries in East
Asia because of their unique culture.
Getting used
to the cold and wet weather, we intentionally got lost on Tokyo’s famous spots and did a quick day trip in Hakone during our first two days. Originally, I
wanted to just relax on our last remaining days but I was captivated by the
early autumn photos of Nikko as I was browsing Klook app on my smartphone. I
was checking the options for our five-day trip and was amazed on the great
deals they offer.
Autumn foliage
Nikko,
located in Tochigi Prefecture, is the home of the UNESCO Heritage Site of the
Shrines and Temples of Nikko. The complex is composed of 103 religious
buildings within two Shinto shrines and one Buddhist temple in a natural
setting covering a 50.8-hectare property. Nikko has religious and historical
significance and is one of the famous spots for stunning autumn foliage so we
included it in our itinerary.
Nikko town
Me and my
buddy were having our morning coffee at Wired Hotel Asakusa when our two other
buddies showed up. They overslept that morning that our original plan of
leaving at 7:00 am didn’t come about. To cut it short, we were at Tokyo Metro’s
Asakusa Station at 9:00 am.
Asakusa
Station was our jump-off point. We exchanged our Klook voucher (together with
our passports) at TOBU Sightseeing Service Center for Nikko Travel Pass tickets.
Drizzle. Rain. Wet. Cold.
The 2 or
4-Day Nikko all-you-can-ride pass is a must-have if you want to visit Nikko as
this will allow you to have a one roundtrip train ride between Asakusa and
Shimo-imaichi Stations and unlimited bus and train rides in Nikko and Kinugawa
areas. Take note that entrance fees to the Shrines and Temples of Nikko are not
included.
We arrived at
Shimo-imaichi Station in Nikko around noontime. It was raining incessantly and
we were given a guide at the Sightseeing Service Center on the itineraries we
could take. We opted to visit the UNESCO World Heritage Site of “The Shrines and
Temples of Nikko” (inscribed in 1999).
UNESCO World Heritage Site of "The Shrines and Temples of Nikko"
While my
friends were busy checking the map, I went outside and noticed that it was
raining incessantly. Not the kind of all-day drizzle for two straight days in
Tokyo but a typhoon-kind of rain. They devised a simple route that would allow
us to wander around the heritage sites given our limited time.
Futarasan shrine
Armed with
our transparent rain umbrellas, we queued on the dedicated bus stop and waited
for our shuttle to arrive.
Just by
flashing our Nikko Travel Pass to the driver, we inched our way inside the bus
and off we went to our first destination. The pass saved us tons of money as
the fare is at JPY310 (USD2.73) each way for bus.
Futarasan shrine
It was still
raining when we got off the bus. I didn’t have any clue on where we were going
so I followed their lead.
We hiked a
bit on a muddy stony path that was lined with century-old trees. The rain
doesn’t seem to tire at that time. Our coats were drenched and our boots were
soaked in rainwater but our spirits are high. We pushed through with our
exploration in spite the stormy weather.
There are 103 religious structures around this beautiful natural setting in Nikko
We wandered
around Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan Shrine, and Shinkyo Bridge for almost four
hours. The sacred shrines were filled with both tourists and devotees amidst
the rain. Typical Japanese umbrellas covered the frontage of the temples and
queues were longer than those of Tokyo’s subway during rush hour.
There are entrance fees on some of the shrines
The
exorbitant fees (entrance fees range from JPY 200 to JPY1,300 (USD1.76 to
USD11.45) and the long queue prevented us to get inside the sacred shrines of
Nikko. We chose to have a leisurely rainy stroll along the old paths that lead
to nowhere, literally.
Incessant rains
Our saunter
led us to a parking lot where the autumn foliage was starting to get noticed. We
were like kids who were trying to search for that perfect autumn leaf which we
usually just see on movies. Tropical creatures who were used to two seasons
were frolicking under the cold and rainy milieu.
Wet. Cold. Happy.
We had to
surrender our Nikko Travel Pass when we got back to Tokyo Metro’s Asakusa
Station. A friend brought home with him some leaves in shades orange, yellow
and red. I asked him what he’d do with those and he didn’t give me an exact
answer. He just shrugged and told me that he just wanted to take it home with
him to the Philippines for whatever reason.
Shinkyo Bridge
From another
man’s point-of-view, it may be a disaster day trip—having been soaked all day
and not having the chance to get inside even one out of a hundred shrines in
Nikko. But if you’re with the company of great friends, you’d value the moment
of being together on a strange place rather than sulking on what could’ve beens. It may not be the
perfect day trip but we still had fun. Check here for discounted accommodations in Nikko.
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