See no evil – just the beauty of Nikko

Although Nikko is a World Heritage quality collection of temples and shrines, it’s three particular monkeys who steal the show.

Written by Michael Turtle

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle. A journalist for more than 20 years, he's been travelling the world since 2011.

Michael Turtle is the founder of Time Travel Turtle and has been travelling full time for a decade.

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The three wise monkeys

The three wise monkeys look a little worse for wear. I would have thought that being shielded from evil would have had some kind of rejuvenating effect. But apparently not. Still, for more than three hundred years these apes have been seeing no evil, hearing no evil and speaking no evil. Not doing anything for that long gets tiring.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

This rather unassuming wood carving at a temple in the Japanese town of Nikko has a lot to answer for. It wasn’t meant to be anything special – it’s one of eight carvings that are meant to represent the cycle of man – but this is the image which has spawned all the others you’ve ever seen.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Although the philosophy behind the monkeys had existed vaguely in Buddhist teachings well before this carving, it had never been visualised with monkeys before. Somehow this carving caught the imagination of the people and it spread across the world to become the iconic symbol we know today.

Nikko, Japan

It’s not the reason people come to Nikko, though. In fact, many people would just walk past the carving without realising it was there if it wasn’t for a slightly greater concentration of photographers gathered around it. Nikko is a magnet for culture-seekers because of the astounding collection of temples it boasts – and have been included on the World Heritage List.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

The town itself feels like a ski resort in summer… which it kind of is. But what I mean is that the visitors come for the day to walk in the hills or visit the religious sites but they don’t set up base for longer than eight hours or so. The few hotels near the train station all have vacancies and in the evenings most restaurants are either closed or empty. It’s during the day that there are queues out the doors for the popular lunch joints.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Up on the hill where the temples are gathered, there’s a steady crowd of sightseers but there are enough complexes sparsely-placed enough that you can enjoy yourself without worrying about the crowds.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

The first shrine was built in 776 and more were built right up until the 16th century when the area was abandoned. It means there’s a mix of architectural styles that show the evolution of Shinto against the backdrop of Buddhism in Japan. The Japanese have a saying that roughly translates to “you haven’t seen beauty until you’ve seen Nikko” and it’s true. These magnificent buildings nestled in the lush green forests are truly stunning.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Toshogu Shrine

This shrine is in honour of the Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It’s the most important and, consequently, most ornate of all the complexes at Nikko and features several buildings and gates. 15,000 artists help ceate it and it’s gilded with more than 2 million sheets of gold leaf. It’s also the home to those monkeys.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Yakushido

This is a small wooden temples near the Toshogu Shrine that is famous for an image of a painted dragon on the ceiling. Unfortunately I wasn’t allowed to take photos of it inside so you’ll have to imagine what a roaring dragon looks like.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Futarasan Shrine

This shrine is actually a collection of smaller shrines, each with their own unique style. Some are under a grove of trees, others on a group of rocks, or next to a creek. It’s the oldest of the temple complexes still standing and isn’t as grand as the others but it has a serenity that the others lack because it is intertwined with the nature around it.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Rinnoji Temple (Sanbutsudo)

Unfortunately this temple is under restoration at the moment but the Nikko authorities have kindly put a picture of what the temple looks like on the enormous structure which is covering it. Still, the best things are the treasures which are housed inside and you can still go in and see all of them. There’s no photography allowed so you’ll just have to believe me when I tell you the highlights are the golden Buddhas.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan

Rinnoji Temple (Taiyuin)

To visit this temple, you need to climb up a lot of stairs. It’s set up on a hill and the approach up the steps and through the gates is an experience in itself. At the top a smallish but elegant temple set amongst the trees is waiting for you. It’s quieter than the other complexes around Nikko because it’s the furthest away from the entry points and the stairs put many people off.

Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
Best things to see in Nikko, Japan
UNESCO logo

This site is on the UNESCO World Heritage List!
I'm on a mission to visit as many World Heritage Sites as I can. Only about 800 more to go... eek!

14 thoughts on “See no evil – just the beauty of Nikko”

  1. Nikko is certainly a must-see location!
    I’ve been there last time in 2007, so I want to visit again.
    I love the three monkeys an you can buy so many souvenirs with them in Nikko!

    Reply
    • I didn’t really talk about it in this post, but there are some amazing bushwalks and outdoor activities in the Nikko area. A lot of people go there just for that and ignore the temples.

      Reply
  2. I’m very pleased having learnt yet another thing I can non-chalantly mention at a dinner conversation and be the smartie of the evening! …But who am I kidding: I can never remember these things, it’s awful. Okay, let’s try: Japan, Nikko, Toshogu, monkeys. (…) Not gonna happen. 🙁 But I enjoyed the post, and I also like the pictures a lot! …Toshogu. I mean, if it was TosHUGO, I might have a chance, but Toshogu… Fail. Arrrh. Maybe a rhyme? Three little monkeys were sitting on a wall – nah. To-sho-gu. To show goo. Well. Not quite ideal, but better than nothing. Monkeys that show goo. Toshogu. -Never give up, never surrender!

    Reply
    • Ha ha ha… wow, I’m impressed with all the potential ways to remember this. I don’t think you need the details. Just say something about monkeys and Japan and people will believe you. You wouldn’t believe the kind of stories I tell people as ‘fact’ when actually I’ve forgotten half the details. The worst is when I tell someone a story and halfway through we realise that they were the ones who had told me the story. Awkward!

      Reply
  3. What beautiful temples and I quite like the monkey carvings! Did you stay in town or also only visit for the day? It seems as though it might be an eerie ghost town come evening.

    Reply
    • I stayed for one night and the place was deserted. There were hardly any restaurants open in the evening and not many people on the streets. But it would be worth staying overnight if you wanted to do one day at the temples and then one day during something outdoorsy.

      Reply
  4. love your eye for capturing small details! oh, those cute 3 monkeys- seeing no evil, hearing no evil and speaking no evil! The Rinnoji Temple looks so elegant indeed, thumbs up to the intricate details of the facade.

    Reply
  5. I drop a leave a response when I like a post on a site
    or I have something to add to the conversation. Usually it
    is triggered by the sincerness displayed in the article I read.
    And after this article Nikko, Japan: World Heritage temples and shrines.
    I was actually moved enough to post a thought 🙂 I do have 2 questions for you if you tend not to
    mind. Could it be only me or do some of the responses come
    across like coming from brain dead folks? 😛 And, if you are posting at additional social sites, I’d like to keep up
    with everything fresh you have to post. Could you make a list all of all your public sites like your linkedin profile, Facebook page or twitter feed?

    Reply

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