I decided that instead of making the trip home straight through from Asahikawa to Baltimore, I would stop in Tokyo for a few days and visit some sights I hadn't seen yet. I made my way through some of the areas of Tokyo I hadn't really been to yet, like Shinagawa, Ikebukuro, and Akihabara, as well as Nikko.
Highest on my itinerary was Nikko. Nikko, located about 2 hours north of Tokyo by train, is a historic area of Japan receiving countless visitors to its shrines and temples. I have recently read a book on the history of the Tokugawa period of Japan. Since Nikko is where some of the Tokugawa shogun are enshrined, I thought it appropriate that I visit Nikko if I had the chance.
The following is a very brief history of Nikko gathered from various sources:      Temples located in Nikko were founded in 766 during the Nara period by the high Buddha priest Shodo-shonin. Various important people in Japanese history visited and added to the temples of Nikko, including warriors, priests, and Japanese royalty. During the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate (from about 1600-1860), Nikko enjoyed great prosperity due to the close relationship between Tokugawa Ieyasu (the first Tokugawa Shogun) and Jigen-daishi, the Abbot of the Nikko temples. After Ieyasu's death, his ashes were brought to Nikko and Toshogu Shrine was built as a mausoleum to him. The ashes of Ieyasu's grandson, Iemitsu, was also later brought here and placed in another mausoleum.     I was talking to a nice elderly man in Nikko who told me that there is a Japanese saying that says, "One doesn't have a full life until they've been to Nikko."
A Protector Statue	People waft the smoke that comes out of this incense burner into themselves and their clothes
A view of the main walk up to the Toshogu shrine	This says Toshogu
This 5-storied pagoda is a National Cultural Property	Cute!
The See, Hear, and Speak no Evil monkeys are derived from the three major principles of the Tendai sect.	These monkeys are carved on the stable that houses the horse in the next picture.
This horse is a gift from the New Zealand Government as a token of goodwill. It's name is Koha which means "gift" in the Maori language.	The colors in Nikko were very bright.
Nikko is part of Nikko National Park, so naturally there was a lot of foliage as well	A bell
This looks like stone, but's actually just painted wood	This could be a statue of one of the Tokugawas, but I'm not sure
The Nemuri neko, or "Sleeping Cat" sculpture was created by a famous sculpture named Hidari Jingoro.	This looks familiar...
Another guardian statue	The building in the background is the stable.
This door leads to the central area where Tokugawa Ieyasu is intered.	This is the central area behind the door.
I'm not quite sure why this bridge is here.	If you are able to get three rings over the poles, you will get good luck.
All in all, I really enjoyed Nikko. As a historic site, it was completely different from the atmosphere of Kyoto or Nara. The shrines are brightly colored and are often so closely linked to temples that it's difficult to tell if you are in a temple or shrine. However, I think it was definitely worth the time to get there and I was glad I went.