Nikko is an amazing place. We stayed here for two nights, to allow a full day of sightseeing and to rest up for the days of climbing in the Alps just ahead of us. The world heritage site is a campus of several major, incredibly ornate temples and shrines. It's a very famous site rife with wonderful gilded or painted wood statuary and architecture, and is almost too much to take in at one time - we spent much of the day walking from one completely amazing and beautiful spot to the next. We were surprised, a few weeks later, to find a complete, miniaturized replica of Nikko in a museum in Takayama. It's a reflection of how important and revered this site is that trouble had been taken to create this intricate replica over the course of about a decade.
Rachael staring at the walls of Hippari Tako. This tiny eatery is amazing - every inch was taken up with calling cards and notes left by guests from around the world.
There's more to Nikko than its shrines and temples. Its red-laquered Shinkyo Bridge, built in the 15th century, is revered as one of the three finest bridges in Japan.
