What we missed on our 2010 trip due to booking issues, we made up for this time around. We took the bus for two and a half hours to Nikkō, where we visited the Tōshōgū Shrine and the Taiyu-in Temple.

The buildings of the Tōshōgū Shrine are incredibly grand and colourfully designed. Countless and sometimes really elaborate carvings decorate them.

On a rather unassuming side building, for example, you can find the famous three wise monkeys. The carvings wrap around the whole building and depict the cycle of life. The three monkeys symbolise the mother’s wish that the monkey child will hear, see, and speak no evil in life.

Another carving shows an elephant, which actually looks really weird with its predator eyes and sharp claws. In ancient Japan, people only knew about elephants from the tales of travellers. The appearance was left up to the artist’s imagination.

After a long drive back, we’re now back at the hotel. We’ve just enjoyed a lovely view over Asakusa and the colourfully lit Tōkyō Sky Tree from the roof terrace.