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  3. TRAVEL 2013
  4. JUNE, 2013: NIKKO, JAPAN

NIKKO II

What happens when you hire 4.5 million workers and give them enough gold leaf to cover 6 acres?
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What looks so interesting? Proceed with this gallery to find out!
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What looks so interesting? Proceed with this gallery to find out!

bbhtourists

  • What looks so interesting? Proceed with this gallery to find out!
  • FIVE-STORIED PAGODA and Nikko Toshogu.<br /> <br /> The previous gallery from this trip ( <a href="http://www.optimimagery.com/TRAVEL2013/JUNE-2013-NIKKO-JAPAN/NIKKO-I/29904637_GJvwCx">http://www.optimimagery.com/TRAVEL2013/JUNE-2013-NIKKO-JAPAN/NIKKO-I/29904637_GJvwCx</a> ) showed the shrine of Tokugawa Iemitsu, the THIRD Tokugawa Shogun (1604 - 1651). Most of the current gallery shows the Toshogu Shrine and area, which enshrines Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), the first Shogun to unify Japan and usher in the Edo Period (also Iemitsu's grandfather).<br /> <br /> A pagoda was built here to honor Tokugawa Ieyasu 33 years after his death, but that structure burned in 1815. The current structure was built in 1819, and still looks to be in great condition.<br /> <br /> The inside of this structure is hollow, with a massive central suspended pillar hanging from the 4th floor and extending to within about 10 cm of the ground. This design has allowed the Five-Storied Pagoda to weather earthquakes exceedingly well, and such hanging weights are used today to stabilize some modern tall structures, including the Tokyo Sky Tree (completed in 2012).<br /> <br /> I can understand how the hanging weight can stabilize such a structure against earthquakes, but I will quote from Japanese sources one thought which I do not totally understand (quoted word for word): "The central pillar of the pagoda is interesting, in that it is suspended , hanging on wire ropes from the 4th story. This was done to prevent for the pillar to punch through the roof even if the height of the pagoda were to shrink over its long life."<br /> <br /> Now, why would they think this structure would shrink so much? Did they use green wood which they thought would shrink as it dried? If so, it seems that it would be cracking and would be in terrible condition (I walked around it -- no sign of any such problems). Do tall wooden structures tend to shrink that much? I can't seem to find anyplace online anything which indicates why this was of concern. <br /> <br /> Any thoughts? If so, please leave a comment (Find the Add Comment button to your lower left).
  • Entrance to Toshogu. <br /> <br /> When Ieyasu died, he asked to be enshrined in Nikko (he specifically requested that it be a SMALL shrine, and it is thought that he wanted something rather low key) because he believed that this would allow him to serve as a guardian from evil demons from the north, hopefully allowing him to ensure longevity of the Tokugawa regime.<br /> <br /> To build this "small" shrine his grandson (Iemitsu) hired 4.5 million artisans, craftspeople and general workers, who labored for 1.5 years, using 2.4 million sheets of gold leaf (enough to cover about 6 acres). Ancient Japanese cedar trees were planted over a 20-year period. I can't find any figures as to how many were planted, but supposedly 13,000 of these trees (planted in the 1600's) are still standing (and alive).
  • Untitled photo
  • The Sacred Stable. My guidebook stated that this housed a wooden horse. However, when I got close and looked, there was a live white horse inside. This troubled me a bit, because we are in a place where I could not see how this horse would ever get exercise. However, when I came back by here to exit the shrine area, the horse was not therein, so they apparently get him out for appropriate exercise. Apparently it is a common thing for horses to be dedicated to Shinto gods and kept at shrines.
  • For some reason, monkeys (or depictions of monkeys) were thought to keep horses well. The monkeys carved here probably include three of the most well-known, revered, imitated, parodied, and joked about monkeys in the world (we'll get to them in a moment). These panels start to your left and, in order from left to right, tell the story of the life cycle of the local snow monkey (macaque).<br /> <br /> Well, actually it represents the life cycle of people, through anthropomorphic use of macaques as subjects.
  • First, a mother monkey is looking far into the future of her child, and the child is looking up at the mother.<br /> <br /> By the way, as we look at all of these carvings, remember that they were done in the first half of the 1600's!
  • Here is the famous one I was referring to earlier. This is the ORIGINAL "See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil." This depiction represents childhood, since this is the behavior thought to be best for children.
  • A local child demonstrates.
  • This juvenile is pondering the fact that he will soon set out on his own.
  • These young adults are "enthusiastically" looking up, symbolizing the time in life when one is first stepping out on his own and has his whole life in front of him and whole world to learn about, dream about, and conquer.
  • The middle monkey symbolizes the frustrating times in life. He is desperately looking down while his friends look out for him and comfort him.
  • This panel represents the love sick.
  • To directly quote what the sign said about this one, "A newly-wedded couple are going to sail through the rough waves of life together."
  • Here we have an expectant mother. After this, one is supposed to return to the first panel and the cycle starts again.
  • I'm sure that I could tell you a lot more interesting things if I had been able to understand the fellow to your right.
  • Kami-Jinko (I think this is basically a storage house). it is famous because the artist who carved the figures near the top had read about, but had never seen, elephants.
  • Closer view of the elephants. Better than I could do, and I have seen elephants!
  • I would bet that the artist who carved this had probably never seen Gonzo, either, but it's closer to Gonzo than what I could do!
  • Yomeimon Gate in the background. We'll be closer later, but I liked the golden glow from here: Probably part of that 6 acres mentioned earlier.
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