October 5, 2026
Another very long day with an early start. Up at 5:30 to allow time for breakfast and to be ready for a 7:00 pickup. We had arranged a private driver to take us to Nikko. It was almost a three hour drive to get there, but well worth it.
Nikko’s famous waterfall is Kegon Falls, also called Kegon no Taki. It is nice to see from the top, but I definitely recommend spending the small fee to take the elevator down to the viewing station.
It plunges 318 feet down a rocky cliff, fed by nearby Lake Chūzenji. It is one of Japan’s three great waterfalls and is renowned for its beauty.
Lake Chūzenji is also called “Sea of Happiness”. It was created 20,000 years ago when Mount Nantai erupted and blocked the river.
Visiting the Shrines and Temples of Nikko was one of those special days where you want to slow down and just try to take it all in, which is of course impossible. First of all, there is way too much to see and a limited amount on time. Then, the immense details and intricate artistry is breathtaking. So much history and grandeur! It is easy to understand why this entire complex is designated an UNESCO World Heritage Site.
No photos were allowed inside
Japanese Gardens
GRATITUDE MOMENT: Today I’m grateful that although we lost our blue skies, that the small amount of rain we got did not put a damper on an otherwise wonderful day. How fortunate we are to visit another World Heritage Site!
Fabulous photos. Thanks for sharing them.
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My heart is so happy you are spending this time, seeing such beautiful sites, with your family. The Japanese Gardens are stunning.
Your photography skills are exceptional as always. I look forward to your return, to learn more about each of these photos.
I wanted to write a message about each, or a question on each, as we do almost daily with our texts and photos. They are so intriguing.
xoxoxo
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Thank you dear friend. Our daily exchanges of pictures and text messages bring me such joy. Even when our busy schedules or travel keeps us from getting together as often as I would like, I still feel “connected”. I love you ❤️ 🤟
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Happy happy birthday to one of my dearest friends!!!
Celebrating in Japan—that is a very special day!!!
Love you so much!!!
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Thanks! How blessed am I to be able to celebrate my birthday in Japan with my family ❤️
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This is probably the only location you have visited in the years I have been following you that I have also been to! I was stationed in Iwakuni for a year, and I traveled extensively in Japan. I bought a little Suzuki two-stroke station wagon and traveled a lot locally. For this excursion, we took a bullet train, and another Marine and I went with a Japanese student who was the son of a man whose irrigation system we helped repair. You mentioned that photography was not allowed in certain places. When we went, 70, they made us rent a little locker and we were not allowed to take pics. We were both carrying Nikon F2’s which we had to leave in the locker. As I mentioned, we were both Marines, and the American military is not popular in Japan, and due to our haircuts, it was hard to hide!
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John, I felt like an arm had been amputated when I was not allowed to take photos 🤣 The three golden Buddhas were especially beautiful. I do understand and appreciate wanting to keep places of worship sacred. Thank you for sharing your experience and for your service.
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Beautiful places. Thanks for sharing. Your post reminds me of all the temples and shrines we visited during our trip. See these two originals? We found that a number of shrines and temples either had burned at some point in the past or were damaged/destroyed during WWII.
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We will be off again this morning to visit another temple here in Tokyo. They are spectacularly beautiful, and also hard to remember which is which after visiting several.
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Yes, I had the same problem and we had 2 1/2 weeks of visiting!
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