Surprisingly, there are only 12 UNESCO World - Cultural - Heritage in Japan (
http://whc.unesco.org/en/statesparties/jp/) and 'Shrines and Temples of Nikko' (1999) is the one of them which is the nearest from Tokyo.
Nearly 100 miles north and about 2.5 hours drive from Tokyo, the city of Nikko has been a sacred site in the Japanese history.
Please learn the details in the following links:
★UNESCO World Heritage: Shrines and Temples of Nikko
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913/
★Japan Guide on Nikko:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3801.html
★NHK, Japan's national broadcaster's video of Nikko:
http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/913/video (*Highly recommended fine pictures of the Heritage)
It was a wet cold summer in Nikko, but the beautiful shines and temples are shining in misty fog in summer greenly trees. It is outstanding!
It is always the tourist site for both foreigners and Japanese. The architectures are colourful but not too vivid. Just right for the Japanese taste.
How many Japanese know the depth of its history but it is absolutely beautiful!
A rare picture without people. The site is always popular for tourists.
Even Japanese people look at a guidebook and pamphlet and lean the meaning of all the beautiful architecture. The colours of black, gold, red may have been faded its colours but it just right for it.
The famous 'Three Wise Monkeys' (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_wise_monkeys): 'Don't look, don't say, and don't listen' = 'See No Evil Hear No Evil Speak No Evil' was rather small for expectation. But it means everything.
Just don't forget to eat the local cuisine, 'yuba', on soba noodles. It is simple food but so different from ordinary to extraordinary 'soba' noodle in Nikko.
Love to come back in autumn season when the Shrines and Temples of Nikko are surrounded by gold and red autumn tree leaves.
Y★
