Murakami's, "the trees brilliant with crimson leaves" before, "Winter readies to lay siege" as the legendary Japanese writer says in his 1985 novel, 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World' prose puts it perfectly. Fall through Nikko this Autumn and you will see Japan like you never have before...even if you've been here a year. This has the makings of a lifetime like an experience just like that, just this once. The perfect country to city, shrine to neon alternative to Tokyo, Osaka, or Yokohama. Just a short train trip (and a vintage locomotive chugging along too) through beautiful scenery that you wish it was longer from the Kansai or Kanagawa region. Nikko is Kyoto beautiful with Hakone peace and Nara individual tradition. Although it's not deer that roam Nikko, but red leaves. Sixties, Los Angeles collective the Mamas and the Papas once sang, "all the leaves are brown" on their iconic classic, 'California Dreaming'. You'll find some that way here, but not a single grey sky right now. Forget about if you were in LA, you'll be Nikko dreaming once you leave this place. As the golden sunlight honey shines through all the red and brown. Just like reflections through a glass jar half full of maple syrup. Running slowly like caramel off a spoon, right through your day.
An old Japanese proverb says, "think nothing splendid, until you've seen Nikko". And oh how you should treat this as gospel. Wonderful waterfalls cascade down the cracks in the mountains of Tochigi Prefecture that as an unofficial wonder of the world, but an official World Heritage Site, is without fault. All the way down to the shallows of the hot springs that you will hotel soothe and bathe in until your heart is as content as your calmness. The water is so pure here this really is tranquility for your meditation in this country of Buddhism and polite people. Enshrined here are the remains of a God. Ieyasu. The founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate declared holy at his 1616 passing by the imperial court, Ieyasu was also known as the Tosho Daigongen, AKA, 'The Great Incarnation That Illuminates The East'...and oh how he does in all of Nikko's vibrancy. That's history, the rest is your story as you begin to see in this text message world that the 'hear no evil, see no evil and speak no evil' monkeys are actually legend and not just another emoji for your emotionless pickle jar. Monkey see, monkey tweet.
Sacred bridges are about as stranger to Japan as convenience stores and vending machines, but the Shinkyo Bridge is about as hallowed as Shinjuku is electric. So much so you have to pay a toll to walk across. Now that's one selfie that isn't free. What more could you expect when Buddhist priest Shodo crossed the river in 766 on the back of two huge serpents to find the temple Rinnoji? A temple were you'll be greeted by a Buddah of paradise, a Goddess of mercy and a protector of animals, complete with a horses head like 'The Godfather'. Snakes people...two large snakes. What's a couple of hundred yen? An offer you can't refuse? The bridge itself that has survived being washed away is only a five minute bus ride from Tobu Nikko Station to the right, or a quarter of an hour walk of you get to stepping. Surrounded by statues and yellow and red leaves, all the brown and grey is pastel to your water colours for your sketchbooks or artist minds impressions. As no photo you take could give this place justice...and I'm not just saying that because my mobile phone ran out of battery like I didn't plug it in the night before. Stone steps cut through this land and take you to the heritage of more sublime shrines and the white horse entrance of those three cheeky little monkeys. Shine through to the 'Gate Of Sunlight' and the Yomeimon Gate in all it's bronze beauty, gold and Gatsby gaudy is unlike any other shrine you'll see in this country. These lions, tigers and dragons oh my that rise like a phoenix are a National Treasure after all. Come walk and see for yourself. Don't leave here before you enter the Chinese gate of the Karamon too, or the Gate Of The Sleeping Cat that purs like neighbors called Totoro and all the waterfalls you'll chase as these rivers and lakes you'll never get use to. The tender loving care this place is made from and will make for you is just the R and R you've been waiting for. Especially in the most stressful year when we can finally travel again. Enjoy it too in season whilst you still can, as like Haruki Murakami also says in 'Hard-Boiled Wonderland', "in due time, Autumn too vanishes". Nikko is like no other. When it comes to this type of leaf, you'll never want to leave. Splendid! TIM DAVID HARVEY.
