First stop was a place called Edomura. It's an amusement-type of park sort of like Knotts Berry Farm except that it was set in the Edo times in Japan. The Edo period was from 1603 to 1868 and was ruled by the Tokugawa Shogunate. So Edomura was a re-creation of a village during that time with people dressed up in period costumes. But it was really geared towards kids (of which there were quite a few there on field trips I guess) so the shows were hokey with kid humor, the food was kid-friendly, and the exhibits were very fake looking after I've seen the real thing in Kyoto. I was thinking it would be like a Renaissance Fair experience but it wasn't. It was just expensive and a waste of time. Chie agreed. The guys liked it a little more -- they thought the ninja show was pretty entertaining. The best thing about it for me were the mochi balls on a stick!
We had to hire an expensive taxi driver to drive us around for half a day because the free shuttle bus wasn't running to Edomura on Wednesdays. He took us to a scenic bridge called Shinkyo built in 1636. It was originally used only for the Emperor or the Shogun. We had to pay to walk across it (rip-off #2).
On the ride to Shinkyo Bridge, we drove along a country road, through farm country. These were small-ish fields, growing mostly rice but also what looked like radish. There were wooded hills all around. Dennis saw a red-faced monkey standing by the side of the road. I wanted the taxi driver to stop at the next monkey sighting. The driver said, through translation, that the monkeys are wild and relatively common(?) for the area. We missed the monkeys on Mt. Misen (Miyajima), now Nikko... sigh.
Then we went to the Toshogu Shrine for Ieyasu Tokugawa. I believe one guide book calls this either the most guady or most beautiful shrine, depending our your point of view... According to Dennis (my Japanese history tour guide), Ieyasu is one of the most prominent Japanese figures in Japanese history (Dennis calls him the "Big Cheese"). And this is the national shrine to honor him. Built in ?? (by his grandson, Iemitsu).
Unfortunately, there were hoards of people there. Tour groups, people wandering around, people standing in the middle of everything to take a photo. It ruined it for me. I couldn't look at anything because I had to move out of the way for someone.
And I was frustrated that we spent a good deal of money (1300 yen) to enter -- which was one of the most expensive entrance fees we encountered -- only to get a little map in English of the Shrine's main buildings. Lots of other shrines and temples have had wonderfully informative brochures in English so I could understand the site I was visiting. Or at least some of the signage was translated. I would have thought that a national shrine with lots of international visitors would have wanted people to know what they were looking at. Do the Lincoln and Jefferson Memorials have some bilingual signage?
Dennis tried to cheer me up by taking me on a walk to the river. That was pretty but we were right at the edge of the Nikko National Park so it was so tempting to want to go into it and explore but we didn't have the time or the transportation.
Best thing of the day was a little garden that we got to see in the back of a Nikko museum. It had beautifully coiffed grounds -- a pond, water features, benches, and gorgeous red maples!
On the way home, Donald and Chie wanted to take the train for our last leg of the journey instead of just paying for a taxi. And we ended up being on a train that had an accident (Dennis says the train going in the opposite direction actually hit somebody on the tracks), so we all had to de-board the train, maneuver through the crowds, and catch a taxi after all!
I think we were all pretty disappointed and exhausted by the time we got back to the hotel at 9 pm (Dennis says that the day "didn't live up to expectations"). Whew. Good thing there's only been one bad day in the trip.
2 comments:
Edomura, I was about to say something but can't argue with Dennis so late in the game plan back in October. I knew what it is, saw a special on it on TV back in Hawaii last year.
Dennis is your history guide? That is rich!!!
Nikko Toshogu is one of the premier sites of Japan. Too bad about the hordes but they are like a bully, if you give in to them, they will run you over.
There are many American sights where foreign languages are totally absent - outside of Spanish. I would put that estimate to be around 90%. Beside, Japanese park officials kind of expect you to have a guide book of your own and know something about it if you are going to visit it. American park service think the same as well.
I read that Shinkyo Bridge just finished being repaired and upgraded so you are probably paying for it. I guess park services all over the world are the same in this case.
Yeah, Kathleen..these monkeys are not tame but they act like they are entitled. They can be rather dangerous. You don't want to end your Japan trip getting shots and snitches since I read that these monkeys do attack people from time to time, even if they are inside a car. The driver probably didn't want his car scratch.
Sounded like a power vacation day. You guys should have avoided Edomura and gone straight to Nikko Toshogu in the early morning to avoid the main hordes!! But hindsight is 20/20, too bad about the bad day.
Dear Kathleen,
Because I was in Illinois celebrating my aunt's 100th, and when I returned I was doing a retreat with the students at San Jose State until this Thurs. pm, I only read all of your blog this morning (Nov. 9). Sooo interesting!
Wow! What an experience you've had!
I will be eager to see pictures and hear more.
I am not sure when you are coming back.
Love and blessings,
Rosemary
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