June 4

Travel Day to Nasu


Well, the last of our 4 day rest comes to an end.  The bus left at 9am and we arrived in Nikko at about 11:30.  Three hours to explore the Nikko Shrine and get some lunch.  Tons of time, we thought, until we started to explore the vast grounds of the shrine(s) and temple.  Another UNESCO World Heritage site, it is comprised of 103 buildings/structures plus a huge grounds area.  There are two main Shinto shrines and one main Buddhist temple.  The cedar forest was planted during the 17th century and the trees are huge!  

Although we weren’t able to take pictures inside the temple or shrine, I did take a lot of pictures of the grounds and the outside of buildings.

I went to the temple first.



Then to the main shrine.  So many structures...........






































Lots of wandering about the grounds.

















Then it was back on the bus and another 1.5 hours to Nasu.  And there our bikes await us.  Back to them tomorrow, and we start with a big day.  The weather is cooler today; hopefully it will stay that way for a while, although a headwind is in the forecast.  Looks like a beautiful area, though.  


Nasu

Population:  25,000

Overview:  Nasu is a town in Japan's Kanto region, northeast of Tokyo.  It sits at the foot of Mount Nasu, a group of volcanoes in the Nikko National Park featuring hiking trails and a pedestrian suspension bridge with forest views.  The town is known for Nasu Imperial Villa and Nasu Onsen, its natural hot springs in the Nasu Kogen highlands, now a resort area that comprises traditional and modern Japanese bathhouses.  








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