muikabochi 208 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Yesterday we went for a day trip to Nikko in Tochigi. Nikko is about 150km from where I live, going down south to Numata in Gunma and then east through Katashina (past Marunuma Kogen) and into Tochigi on Route 120. Soon after getting into Tochigi, we stopped off at Chuzenjiko Lake and the rather impressive 97m Kegon waterfalls, coming down from the southern part of the lake. You go down 100m or so to the viewing platform via an elevator. A few km away you can also take a Ropeway up to another viewing point where you can see the waterfall with the lake behind it and mountains further in the background. (Photos later in this thread). Then it was on to the temples of Nikko. There's a lot of them and they are mostly in the same big area that you can walk around just outside the main town area of Nikko. I've been before, but still very much enjoyed taking some time to walk round. It's a feast for the eyes and most definitely worth a visit. After a sunny blue sky start to the day it soon turned into one of those silver/grey skied hazy ones, hot and humid. A fine tonkatsu set meal in Numata on the way home finished off a great day. Hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil (in that order!) Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 The temple people seem to like sake too A scary dude Snack Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 28, 2009 Author Share Posted June 28, 2009 Link to post Share on other sites
TochigiTim 0 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Great photos! A fine place indeed. Link to post Share on other sites
RobBright 35 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 nice pics - did you do the walk from the snake bridge, behind a few inns and pensions, up to the last bus stop before the hairpin turns? Link to post Share on other sites
Jynxx 4 Posted June 28, 2009 Share Posted June 28, 2009 Nice one !! Link to post Share on other sites
2pints-mate 0 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Fab! Looks like a really interesting place. Link to post Share on other sites
Ezorisu 0 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Great pictures as usual, Muika! Did you see that "haunted brazier" at the shrine with all the sword cuts marks on it? It was nice seeing your waterfall pics - I've been to Nikko twice, but haven't seen the falls or been up to the lake (never made it past the temple precinct!). Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Thanks. Rob and Ezorisu - no, didn't do or see those things. That walk Rob, is that on the other side of the river on the other side of the road from the temples? Kegon is really good actually Ezorisu. We went there really early it was still before 9am so hardly anyone around. When we were leaving about an hour later it was getting much busier I can imagine it being VERY busy during peak hols. Link to post Share on other sites
veronica 2 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Lovely photos as ever muikabochi. I like your style! It looks like it is really worth a visit, I have heard quite a lot of good things about Nikko. For someone who has been to both, how does it compare with Kyoto? Link to post Share on other sites
SantaCruz 0 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Awesome photos. I visited Nikko in 06 and loved it. I missed out on the waterfalls as well! Link to post Share on other sites
TochigiTim 0 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 I just wish the town fit in more with the brilliant temple area. The town (city) of Nikko is the usual Japanese mess and looks like so many others - there's even the run of run-down buildings on the way in. It really spoils it I think and it would be great if Nikko town could be redone in a style fitting the history and atmosphere of the main attractions. I know it's a typical problem in Japan but... Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Fabtastic. I want to go there too. Perhaps we can stick it in the plans 2pints? Link to post Share on other sites
lin 0 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Nice. I have been to both - quite briefly - and while I enjoyed both, I preferred Nikko. Kyotos places to see are more spread around where Nikko has them all in the same area. I really liked the atmosphere of Nikko, it was a fine place. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Cracking Chuzenjiko snaps there muika. Looks like you hit it good weather before it clouded over. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 oh very nice. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 I agree, Nikko town is very disappointing. (Any towns that aren't?) Nice weather while we were at Kegon but it quickly clouded over after then, though it stayed hazy sunny. You might notice not many pics of the temples have the sky in them. I was trying my best to avoid the sky (and the ones that did have the sky in them didn't turn out too good). Damn that silvery grey haze. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 nice bokeh on demand from the new lens. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Here's me being embarrassing again - what do you mean there thursday? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 the sharp foreground with a blurry backgroud = bokeh. It's great for bringing focus to an object. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted June 29, 2009 Author Share Posted June 29, 2009 Ah right, ok I get you now. Yes I like that as well. I only used 2 lenses acually on Saturday - the 18-200 and the 12-24, I would say more than 90% were with the 18-200. Just love all those pillar/lantern things as well - there are tons of them in Nikko lined up all over the place. Link to post Share on other sites
Amos in Utsunomia 0 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Great set of photos there. I've been around those temples probably close to 10 times now and don't get bored of them. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 What are those pillar things anyway? Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 they are lanterns you Click to reveal.. philistine. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted June 29, 2009 Share Posted June 29, 2009 Got to admit, some of them don't look like lanterns. Right? Quietly skulking away from this thread. Link to post Share on other sites
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