 Most viewed - Nihondaira & Kunozan Toshogu Shrine 日本平・久能山東照宮 |
From Shizuoka Station (bus stop 19), it takes 35 min. by bus to Nihondaira. The bus comes to this Nihondaira Park Center. From here, you can easily walk to the points of interest.581 views
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Mt. Fuji as seen from Nihondaira's Ginbodai. Even sunny days can be hazy, but at least Mt. Fuji was visible when I went in mid-March. It was too hazy to see the Izu Peninsula.285 views
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Mt. Fuji as seen from Nihondaira.275 views
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Parking area for people going to Nihondaira via the steps up the mountain. Near here is the bus stop for Shizuoka Station.261 views
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Torii with Kunozan in the background.228 views
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Stone torii 山下石鳥居215 views
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Map of Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. It's not as big as it looks. The shrine is one of Nihondaira's main attractions. It was the original burial site of Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. The shrine was built by his son Hidetada.207 views
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Honden Hall of Kunozan Toshogu Shrine at Nihondaira, Shizuoka. The shrine's focal point and most magnificent building. Important Cultural Property.174 views
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The shrine looks spanking new and the colors are very impressive. It cost 1,300,000,000 yen to restore the lacquer and paint.173 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Miho no Matsubara Beach and Mt. Fuji from his "Famous Views of the 60 Provinces" series.164 views
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One main attraction of Nihondaira is views of Mt. Fuji and Miho no Matsubara on sunny days. If it's really sunny, you can also see the Izu Peninsula.162 views
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Kunozan Toshogu Shrine was built 19 years before the famous Nikko Toshogu Shrine (Tochigi Prefecture) which is where Ieyasu was reburied. According to his will, Ieyasu wanted to be buried on Kunozan. Before the shrine, there was a temple and a castle here161 views
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Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb at Kunozan Toshogu159 views
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Nihondaira is a plateau 308 meters high. It affords great views almost all around. There are a few lookout points on Nihondaira and this is one of them on Nihondaira's peak. Called Ginbodai.156 views
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Mt. Fuji as seen from the Eastern Lookout Deck. This is one place where you would want to visit on a clear day. Otherwise, you won't see Mt. Fuji.155 views
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Admission to Kunozan Toshogu Shrine is 500 yen (or 800 yen if you also want to see the museum). It's worth it. After paying admission, you see this Romon Gate which is an Important Cultural Property. 楼門145 views
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View of Mt. Fuji from Nihondaira141 views
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139 views
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Monument on the peak of Nihondaira. It says "Ginbodai." 吟望台137 views
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Another lookout deck is this Higashi Tenbodai or Eastern Lookout Deck. 東展望台137 views
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Carving on Romon Gate. If you've been to Nikko Toshogu Shrine, many architectural and artistic elements here at Kunozan will look familiar.136 views
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Handprint of Tokugawa Ieyasu displayed behind Romon Gate.136 views
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Off of Shimizu Port is Miho no Matsubara, a pine-clad, slither of land jutting into the ocean. 134 views
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134 views
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Map of Nihondaira. It's not as spread out as it looks. Everything is within easy walking distance. If you visit in Feb., see the ume plum trees in bloom.132 views
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Not much inside the Tea Hall which sells some tea.128 views
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Nihondaira was designated as a National Scenic Site in 1963 by the Japanese government. This high and flat plateau was recognized for its grand views all around, especially of Mt. Fuji. It also includes Mt. Kunozan, home of Toshogu Shrine.127 views
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Plum garden marker126 views
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Another lookout deck on top of a souvenir shop. Free admission. Go up to the 4th floor.125 views
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124 views
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124 views
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Plum trees124 views
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By coincidence, a newly married couple disembarked from the ropeway after their wedding held at Kunozan Toshogu Shrine. We clapped for them.122 views
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Torii122 views
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Tea Hall (Cha Kaikan) 茶会館121 views
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Yet another Nihondaira stone marker.121 views
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Shimizu Port and Miho no Matsubara beyond it. Miho Peninsula is also home of one of Japan's swan maiden legends. There's even a shrine dedicated to the swan maiden.120 views
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Back at the Nihondaira Park Center (next to the bus stop), there are souvenir shops and a ropeway station to go to Kunozan Toshogu Shrine.120 views
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Mt. Kunozan probably got its name from Kunoji temple built by Kuno Tadahito in 600. The temple suffered a fire in 1225. In 1568, Takeda Shingen moved the temple to Shimizu and built a castle on Kunozan. 120 views
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Nihondaira Ropeway operates from 9:10 am to 5:15 pm (till 4:15 pm in winter months).119 views
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Statue of a mother and child. Based on the famous children's song called "Akai Kutsu" (Red Shoes). The song was modeled after a little girl who was from Shimizu, Shizuoka. The sculpture was made in 1986.118 views
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View from the Eastern Lookout Deck on Nihondaira. 118 views
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Nihondaira Ropeway costs 550 yen one way (1000 yen round trip). If you go to Nihondaira by bus, you can take a bus back from Kunozan instead of going back to the Nihondaira bus stop.118 views
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118 views
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Lion dog painting on the Hionden Hall.118 views
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Lookout deck118 views
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Nihondaira marker117 views
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Nihondaira monument and Mt. Fuji.117 views
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Carving117 views
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Nihondaira Ropeway to Kunozan. The ropeway ride is only only 5 min. It runs quite often.116 views
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Purification water fountain is an Important Cultural Property.116 views
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Lots of antenna atop Nihondaira.115 views
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Lock your heart.115 views
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Nihondaira monument in the parking lot.114 views
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View of Nihondaira's parking lot and Mt. Fuji.114 views
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I went on a Sunday and it was noisy with all these motorcycles and sports cars buzzing around. They catch their thrills on the curving roads of Nihondaira.114 views
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Honden roof114 views
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Song monument113 views
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View of central Shizuoka city from Nihondaira Park Center.113 views
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In 1582, the Takeda clan was defeated and Kunozan fell to the Tokugawa. Kunozan Toshogu Shrine was built in 1617 by Tokugawa Hidetada to bury and deify his father Tokugawa Ieyasu.113 views
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Ieyasu plum tree113 views
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About Kunozan Toshogu Shrine in English.112 views
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Sacred horse stable. (Mannequin horse)112 views
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Mt. Fuji as seen from Yui.112 views
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110 views
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Karamon Gate entrance to the Haiden Hall. The ornate Karamon Gate is an Important Cultural Property. However, we are not allowed to enter through this gate. 拝殿110 views
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Side gate roof110 views
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110 views
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Site of a five-story pagoda which had to be torn down in 1873 when Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples had to be separated. (A pagoda is a Buddhist structure.)109 views
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Roof tiles are decorated with the Tokugawa crest.109 views
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109 views
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Plum garden marker109 views
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108 views
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Riding the Nihondaira Ropeway to Kunozan. Built in 1957, the ropeway is 1,065 meters long.108 views
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Kaguraden Hall for sacred dances is also an Important Cultural Property. 神楽殿108 views
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Tokugawa crest on this rain catcher.108 views
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Tokugawa crest108 views
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107 views
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But I did find a plum tree with flowers. Smells nice.107 views
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Lover's Monument near the Nihondaira ropeway.107 views
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Hieda Shrine is what you see before the Honden main hall.107 views
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Side gate to the Haiden and Honden Halls.107 views
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Kunozan is accessible by ropeway (aerial tram) from Nihondaira or by winding steps going up on the other side from the coastal road.106 views
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About Kunozan Toshogu Shrine in Japanese.106 views
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Karamon Gate's ornate roof.106 views
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They repaint and lacquer the shrine only once every 50 years. It takes several years to complete the job and they just finished it in 2006.106 views
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Honden Hall106 views
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Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb at Kunozan Toshogu. The tomb actually faces west, toward Okazaki in Aichi Prefecture where Ieyasu was born. 神廟106 views
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106 views
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Inside Kunozan Toshogu Shrine Museum, articles belonging to Ieyasu are displayed. If you're Spanish, you'd be interested in seeing the Spanish clock owned by Ieyasu. Admission charged.106 views
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106 views
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106 views
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Shizuoka city105 views
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There's also a lookout deck on the roof of the Nihondaira Park Center.105 views
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Kunozan in the distance. You can see Kunozan's sloping peak on which Kunozan Toshogu Shrine is built. Its elevation is 270 meters.105 views
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Side gate to Honden105 views
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Roof corner105 views
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Kunozan Toshogu Shrine Museum has about 2,000 pieces in its collection of mostly everyday things used by Ieyasu and other Tokugawa shoguns. Besides swords, there are Western articles. 博物館105 views
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104 views
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Honden Hall roof104 views
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View from Karamon Gate104 views
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Nihondaira ume plum grove. Flowers already withered by the time I was there in mid-March. 日本平梅園103 views
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Kunozan Toshogu is designated as an Important Cultural Property, but unlike the Nikko Toshogu, there are no National Treasures (except in the museum).103 views
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103 views
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103 views
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103 views
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103 views
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103 views
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View from lookout deck103 views
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It might take at least 30 min. to go up these steps, 1,159 steps spanning 760 meters with 17 switchbacks.103 views
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Side gate102 views
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102 views
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Karamon Gate door carving102 views
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102 views
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Approach to Ieyasu's tomb102 views
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102 views
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Stone steps going down to the coast. It takes about 20 min. to go down these stone steps to the bottom. There are 1,159 stone steps which don't mean much unless you're climbing up.102 views
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Yui is so scenic that Hiroshige made a ukiyoe print of it in his Tokaido series.102 views
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The Nihondaira Ropeway goes over Byobu-dani Valley, noted for rock formations resembling folding screens (byobu).101 views
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101 views
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101 views
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101 views
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101 views
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101 views
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101 views
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Nice view from the stone steps. Those vinyl houses are growing strawberries which are sold everywhere at the foot of Kunozan during Jan. to May.101 views
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Kunozan is right next to the coast. That's the Pacific Ocean.100 views
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Side gate roof.100 views
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100 views
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100 views
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Honden Hall99 views
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It takes about 30 processes to restore the lacquer.99 views
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Gate keeper station 門衛所99 views
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98 views
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98 views
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Gate to Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb is also an Important Cultural Property. 廟所98 views
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Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb at Kunozan Toshogu98 views
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Hiroshige's woodblock print of Ejiri (19th post town on the Tokaido) from his "Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road" series. Miho no Matsubara in the background.98 views
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Plexiglass protects the lower carvings.96 views
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96 views
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Stone steps 石段95 views
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Yui with a view of Mt. Fuji.93 views
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Near Nihondaira is Yui, a scenic point on the coast accessible by car.88 views
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