Day 2 of Winter Travel in Nikko ~Mt. Nikko Rinno-ji and Nikko Toshogu Shrine~
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What Is World Heritage Site “Shrines and Temples of Nikko”?
“The Shrines and Temples of Nikko” is a collective term referring to “Nisha Ichiji,” the grouping of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Rinno-ji, and Nikko Futarasan Jinja. In 1999, 103 buildings in the area (9 national treasures, 94 Important Cultural Properties), called “Kenzobutsu-gun,” and their surrounding “historical ruins (Cultural Landscapes)” were registered as World Heritage Sites.
Out of those buildings and areas, I visited Shinkyo Bridge, Mt. Nikko Rinno-ji, Nikko Toshogu Shrine, Nikko Futarasan Jinja, and Nikko Sanrinnoji Taiyuin, in that order.
Wandering Around “Shinkyo Bridge”
First up was walking around at “Shinkyo Bridge,” located at the entrance to Mt. Nikko.
The bridge belongs to Futarasan Jinja, said to house the spirits of Futara-san (Mt. Nantai), and it is a beautiful wooden bridge painted a stunning vermillion.
It measures 28 meters long, 7 meters wide, and is 11 meters above the water’s surface.
Alongside Kai Saruhashi in Yamanashi Prefecture and Kintai Bridge in Yamaguchi Prefecture, it is considered one of Japan’s three major bridges.
It costs 300 yen to cross the bridge. I decided to go ahead and pay the fee to cross since I had come all the way out here.
I just walked to the bridge and back, but this is what the view from on top looks like.
Author
Birth place: Tokyo
Kosu
While living outside of Japan for a while, I began appreciating what Japan has to offer.