Musings from Japan 3 (Nikko)

Nikko is about a 2 hour train ride north of Tokyo. And old town with many shrines. The shrines are beautifully constructed and are all working shrines. I was very disturbed by the number of people, tourists included, who prayed in front of the many many statues. There was also a vast amount of lucky charms - from good luck charms to warding of evil spirits forever charms - that were being sold a large number of people buying them!

Today's discoveries:
1. Very importantly, how to figure out the shinkansen system and get to the right platform. They will have English information but some words (like "platform") is always in Japanese so one has to guess that was what the number referred to). The challenge will be to be early enough for the Nagoya train that leaves Tokyo at 8.33am so that I can grab a seat on the non-reserved cars (thats the only leg of the journey that I don't have a reserved seat).

2. There is an interesting mix of Shintoism and Buddhism here and I don't think I can tell the difference. But both are equally disturbing because they lead to false worship of graven images. As I walked through the shrines today, I felt more strongly about the futility of worship human carved images. Especially the last shrine today as it was set in a beautiful and old cedar forest. In the midst of God's fantastic creation, God's creatures were worshipping their own creation.

3. Always charge my batteries fully. I had 2 bars on my camera battery this morning but it died just before the 2nd last temple which were the ones set in the forest. In one of them there was some sort of ceremony happening in a room next to the temple (we could see into it) with the priest (?) i full ceremonial garb! I missed out on a fantastic (tourist) photo opportunity.

ps. From now on I probably won't upload photos till I get back to NZ because it takes a lot of time to upload from my memory card and internet access from when I begin to head south of Tokyo on Wednesday will be very sparse. Sorry, you'll just have to wait.