Did I mention stairs?

With a 30% chance of thunderstorms in the mountains, our intrepid heroine took the Shinkansen (Bullet Train) to Nikko and one of the most famous shrines around Tokyo, the Toshogu Shrine. No umbrella, a pitiful excuse for a raincoat, and the wish it wouldn't really rain. That wish was granted and though it was a bit cloudy, it just made the incredible palette of greens in the mountains more rich and beautiful.
The train was luxurious. I had a first class reserved ticket. Huge plushy seats and so much leg room I was in heaven. At first the view was simply the urban sprawl that is Tokyo - with intriguing glimpses of unusual buildings and public art. There was one building that had what looked like a 20 foot high glass mosaic Christmas tree in the lobby, though it went by so fast I couldn't be sure.

Finally we reached farmland. Beautiful settings like soft paintings. Every little plot of land was cultivated with small truck gardens or rice paddies.

Nikko itself appears to be under construction. There are the beautiful hotels and resorts, and then there are the homes and businesses being built or re-built. I don't know whether it was affected by the earthquake or not. And before I forget - yes, there has been at least one tremor a day. Nothing major so far.

And up the mountain to the shrine. At first glance I knew I was in trouble. Not only were there at least 500,00 stairs (I didn't actually count them but that's what it felt like), there are no handrails to use to pull yourself up or keep you from falling down. I was more than pleased when far younger, spryer people were having the same trouble.

The main shrine is in the process of being restored. Hundreds of years in moist mountain air and lots of wind will do that to an edifice. They let you take off your shoes and go under the wraps to view the interior and watch skilled artisans at work on the tedious task of cleaning, restoring damage, and painting.

The most fun was watching the 6 or so school groups taking tours. The kids are so open and carefree, but absolutely well-behaved. It's clear they appreciate their teachers and mind them. If I could bottle their secret, I would gladly bring it back to our middle-school bunch.

Again, pictures in no particular order, except the last one is of the Hatagaya metro station where I seem to spend too much of my time.