Japan 05

March 27

Today saw an even earlier start to catch the Tohoku Shinkansen to Utsinomiya and then a local train to Nikko. (The others went in a similar direction to Matsushima Bay, just North of Sendai)
Although it was dry when we arrived, by the time we'd walked up through the town to Shinkyo Bridge it had started to rain. We bought our tickets and headed in to the renovation building that now shrouds Rinnoji Temple. The restoration of this temple alone is planned to take at least eight years and is indicative of the massive rolling programme that covers all the Shinto Shrines and Buddhist Temples across Japan. We continued the tour around Toshogu and Futarasan shrines and Iemitsu Mausoleum admiring the incredible decoration and literally soaking up the atmosphere. By now we were fairly wet through so we had decided to have some ramen in a local cafe and then headed back home.