Nikko, Japan

Not knowing how to begin my post on Nikko, I decided to research what others had to say about it. To my relief, there isn't much out there, and the little there is is repeated in different ways. So why did I waste my time reading tautologies? To use a new word I just learned of course! Now to add mine to the mix, the shrines at Nikko are sumptuous amongst a sumptuous landscape. 

My research this time around wasn't as trying as it can be. When writing is as dry as cottonmouth, I tend to konk out like our friends here, but give me a sardonic sentence or two and I'm as giddy as a kid on a field trip. WikiTravel's guide on Nikko notes, "However, for all the grandeur the shoguns could muster, they're now overshadowed in the eyes of many visitors by a trio of small wooden carvings on a stable wall: the three wise monkeys." Pretty ironic because the same article mentioned that Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu's final wish was to be enshrined in Nikko "as the God". Karma, karma, karma.

Lonely Planet* has this to say about Nikko, "Scattered among hilly woodlands, Nikko is one of Japan's major attractions. The drawback is that plenty of other people have discovered it too; high-season and weekends can be extremely crowded where the spirituality of the area can feel a little lost."

Between these two reviews you're probably wondering if Nikko is worth the visit. Well, like I tell my teenage siblings, "Some places are more touristy than others for a reason". What's wrong with making peace with tourists and realizing you're sharing something in common with a stranger? (My meditation habit is finally paying off, I'm starting to sound like Bhudda -- oh snap.)

* As much as people harp about the Lonely Planet franchise, what continually lures me back to their guidebooks even after all the sell-outs, vertical marketing, and their ubiquitous seal of approval is their writing. It's actually pretty funny and forthright. And no, they aren't paying me to say this!

Length of Stay

One day

Docking Index 

    

Four anchors. Frankly, I don't understand it myself. A gorgeous city that doesn't feel like a city only an hour away from one that definitely does, Tokyo. For some reason though, I can't imagine living here. Just like I can't imagine living in Rapid City, South Dakota, home to these fellas.