Friday’s Footprints – Japan: Nikko (Part 2)

Back to Japan to continue my feature on Nikko. If you missed Part One, click here. 🙂

By the time we had finished at the World Heritage Shrines, it was getting uncomfortably crowded, so our escape was well timed. A quiet walk through small village streets was really refreshing. We kept coming across quaint shrines, or remnants of times gone by

 

We were heading to Kanmangafuchi Abyss. A beautiful looking walk up the gorge, that was lined with statues.

We finally reached the river… its hard to find any natural river course in Japan that hasn’t been mucked about with concrete blocks or edging.

We finally reached the part where the river ran a bit wilder – the gorge formed a long time ago by the eruption of nearby Mt Nantai

Running along side the river are 70 of the original 100 Jizu Statues. Small effigies of the Buddhist protector of travellers and children.

Parents who worry for the health and safety of their children can make red caps for these statues and pray in return for them to watch over the young ones.

The day we were there a small community group were out cleaning up the Jizu – so this section had their caps and bibs removed

Just for scale… you can see the size of the statues with Jeff beside them

A major flood swept through in the Meiji era (1868-1912) and destroyed a number of the Jizu. Their bases remain, along with some headless ones. They still sometimes retain the caps, or a small build-up of stones that people place themselves.

It really was a lovely peaceful walk. Lots of lush green and autumn colours

Instead of returning the same way, we decided to do a kind of loop back through the town on the other side – just to see what we could see.

We did come across a shrine and a graveyard that was really interesting, and again, off the beaten tourist path.

This place had an abandoned feel

Amazing moss seemed to cover everything

24 graves are here. 5 were the retainers of the 3rd Tokugawa Iemitsu Shogun and 19 loyal vassals. It is said they committed ritual suicide (Seppuku) to follow their leader to the next world. (Although information is scarce it seems Iemitsu died about two months after his loyal retainers…)

Solemn rows of grave markers, almost forgotten

This whole afternoon away from the throng of the tourists was incredibly enjoyable. Finding forgotten places, peaceful spots and raging rivers was a highlight of our trip to Nikko.

Hope you enjoyed this glimpse.

Cheers

PS There is a legend about these Jizu – sometimes called “Ghost Jizu” because you can never count the same amount of statues on your walk up as on your walk back.

I wish I had of known about that before we went, because I would have certainly tried! 🙂