Introduction
In this issue, I will introduce one of Japan's world heritage sites, Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Nikko is a popular day trip destination as it is less than 2 hours away from Tokyo. You can get there for about 3,000 yen one way. There are also many old Japanese buildings preserved in the city. You should definitely visit there when you arrive in Japan.
Story
Hi, Iroha. We have the day off from school today, so can we go somewhere else?
All right. Why don't we go out Nikko?
Nikko? Where is it?
Nikko is in Tochigi Prefecture, just north of Tokyo.
Let's get away from it once in a while.
Sounds great. I'm looking forward to enjoying my vacation.
By the way, what's in Nikko?
Yes. Nikko is home to the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, which is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu. It's registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is a famous tourist attraction in Japan.
Who is Tokugawa Ieyasu?
Tokugawa Ieyasu is the man who unified Japan. He is very famous historically.
Wow. I didn't know his grave is there. Let's go there right away! But how do I get there?
You can go to Nikko from Asakusa in Tokyo by one line. It takes about one and a half hours. I think the fare is 2800 yen.
A round trip is 6000 yen. It is a little expensive.
But I think it's worth it to go beyond that.
Really? I believe you.
Well, let's get to it.
This is Nikko station.
We are in the countryside.
I feel so good!!
It is famous for its rich nature and historical architecture.
I see. Let's go to Nikko Toshogu Shrine right away!
It's only a 10-minute bus ride from here!
How much does Nikko Toshogu cost to get in?
Yeah. Adults are 1,300 yen. Kids are 450 yen.
Will they treat me as a child?
I think it's impossible
Ugh.
I'll pay 1300 yen.
It looks like this is the entrance.
It's pretty spacious inside.
All the buildings around here are registered as a world heritage site.
Hmmm. Look at that! It's a very tall building.
It's a five-story tower, built in 1650 and over 30 meters high.
Actually, it was burned down by lightning in 1815, and was rebuilt in 1818.
It has a very long history.
It's a good thing it didn't fall down for such a long time.
The five-story tower has a single core in it and is resistant to earthquakes.
I heard that its earthquake resistance technology is also used in Tokyo's Sky Tree.
That's amazing.
What is that thing? It's got a picture of a cat on it!
That's a sleeping cat.
Actually, it's not sleeping. It pretends to be asleep so that it can pounce on its enemies at any time, catching them off guard.
Eww! It is a sly one, isn't it?
Is that a monkey?
Yeah. That's three monkeys. See how they're all in different poses?
The left monkey is covering his ears. The monkey in the middle appears to have covered his mouth and the one on the right appears to have covered his eyes.
Yes, yes. In Japan, there is a lesson of "see no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil", which means to give only good things to young children. If they acquire good things, they will be able to make correct judgments and act against bad things. That's what this sculpture represents. That's what this sculpture represents.
There's an interesting lesson to be learned in Japan.
When I was walking, I noticed that there are many things on the street that look like they have history.
For example, these lanterns are very Japanese.
I think so. I'm glad you were pleased with the lanterns.
What else is there in Nikko besides Nikko Toshogu?
There's a lake nearby that's famous for camping.
I don't have a camping kit.
I have it at my home, so we'll go there next time!
