 Last additions - Nihondaira & Kunozan Toshogu Shrine 日本平・久能山東照宮 |
Mt. Fuji as seen from Yui.Apr 17, 2014
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Yui is so scenic that Hiroshige made a ukiyoe print of it in his Tokaido series.Apr 17, 2014
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Yui with a view of Mt. Fuji.Apr 17, 2014
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Near Nihondaira is Yui, a scenic point on the coast accessible by car.Apr 17, 2014
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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.Apr 24, 2011
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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.Apr 24, 2011
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Torii with Kunozan in the background.Mar 16, 2010
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Stone torii 山下石鳥居Mar 16, 2010
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Plum garden markerMar 16, 2010
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Plum treesMar 16, 2010
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Stone steps 石段Mar 16, 2010
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Plum garden markerMar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Gate keeper station 門衛所Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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View from lookout deckMar 16, 2010
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Lookout deckMar 16, 2010
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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Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb at Kunozan ToshoguMar 16, 2010
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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Mar 16, 2010
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Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb at Kunozan ToshoguMar 16, 2010
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Approach to Ieyasu's tombMar 16, 2010
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Gate to Tokugawa Ieyasu's tomb is also an Important Cultural Property. 廟所Mar 16, 2010
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Honden HallMar 16, 2010
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Karamon Gate door carvingMar 16, 2010
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View from Karamon GateMar 16, 2010
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Plexiglass protects the lower carvings.Mar 16, 2010
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It takes about 30 processes to restore the lacquer.Mar 16, 2010
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Honden HallMar 16, 2010
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CarvingMar 16, 2010
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Roof cornerMar 16, 2010
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Honden Hall roofMar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Lion dog painting on the Hionden Hall.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Tokugawa crestMar 16, 2010
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Side gate roofMar 16, 2010
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Side gateMar 16, 2010
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Side gate to HondenMar 16, 2010
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Honden roofMar 16, 2010
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Side gate to the Haiden and Honden Halls.Mar 16, 2010
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Side gate roof.Mar 16, 2010
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Tokugawa crest on this rain catcher.Mar 16, 2010
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Hieda Shrine is what you see before the Honden main hall.Mar 16, 2010
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Roof tiles are decorated with the Tokugawa crest.Mar 16, 2010
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Kaguraden Hall for sacred dances is also an Important Cultural Property. 神楽殿Mar 16, 2010
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Karamon Gate's ornate roof.Mar 16, 2010
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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Mar 16, 2010
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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).Mar 16, 2010
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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.)Mar 16, 2010
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Sacred horse stable. (Mannequin horse)Mar 16, 2010
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Purification water fountain is an Important Cultural Property.Mar 16, 2010
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ToriiMar 16, 2010
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Ieyasu plum treeMar 16, 2010
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Handprint of Tokugawa Ieyasu displayed behind Romon Gate.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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 hereMar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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. Mar 16, 2010
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About Kunozan Toshogu Shrine in English.Mar 16, 2010
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About Kunozan Toshogu Shrine in Japanese.Mar 16, 2010
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Kunozan is right next to the coast. That's the Pacific Ocean.Mar 16, 2010
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The Nihondaira Ropeway goes over Byobu-dani Valley, noted for rock formations resembling folding screens (byobu).Mar 16, 2010
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Nihondaira Ropeway to Kunozan. The ropeway ride is only only 5 min. It runs quite often.Mar 16, 2010
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Riding the Nihondaira Ropeway to Kunozan. Built in 1957, the ropeway is 1,065 meters long.Mar 16, 2010
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Mar 16, 2010
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Nihondaira Ropeway operates from 9:10 am to 5:15 pm (till 4:15 pm in winter months).Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Lover's Monument near the Nihondaira ropeway.Mar 16, 2010
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Lock your heart.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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View of central Shizuoka city from Nihondaira Park Center.Mar 16, 2010
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Song monumentMar 16, 2010
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There's also a lookout deck on the roof of the Nihondaira Park Center.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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But I did find a plum tree with flowers. Smells nice.Mar 16, 2010
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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Mar 16, 2010
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Lots of antenna atop Nihondaira.Mar 16, 2010
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Shizuoka cityMar 16, 2010
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View of Mt. Fuji from NihondairaMar 16, 2010
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View of Nihondaira's parking lot and Mt. Fuji.Mar 16, 2010
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Yet another Nihondaira stone marker.Mar 16, 2010
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Another lookout deck on top of a souvenir shop. Free admission. Go up to the 4th floor.Mar 16, 2010
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Not much inside the Tea Hall which sells some tea.Mar 16, 2010
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Tea Hall (Cha Kaikan) 茶会館Mar 16, 2010
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Nihondaira monument and Mt. Fuji.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Nihondaira monument in the parking lot.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Another lookout deck is this Higashi Tenbodai or Eastern Lookout Deck. 東展望台Mar 16, 2010
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View from the Eastern Lookout Deck on Nihondaira. Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Nihondaira markerMar 16, 2010
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Off of Shimizu Port is Miho no Matsubara, a pine-clad, slither of land jutting into the ocean. Mar 16, 2010
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Mt. Fuji as seen from Nihondaira.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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Monument on the peak of Nihondaira. It says "Ginbodai." 吟望台Mar 16, 2010
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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.Mar 16, 2010
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