Took a trip out to Nikko, Tochigi over the three day weekend and had an incredible time. The purpose of the trip was to celebrate my girlfriend's sister's college graduation so we wanted to make it as memorable as possible. I don't have enough room to fit this into one post so I'll post the rest throughout the week. We started out from Tokyo and had lunch somewhere Nikko Toshogu Shrine. I'm not sure if Yuba is a local specialty but it seemed like literally every single restaurant in the area was selling it so I'm assuming that was the case. It was my first time trying it and it was pretty interesting I guess you could say. It tasted alright with the soy sauce and radish but I think I prefer normal tofu instead. Either way it was a nice experience. After eating we headed out to Nikko Toshogu Shrine nearby and man was it amazing. Everything was so lavishly decorated that I couldn't stop taking photos. The pagoda was incredibly beautiful as well and the snow covering the Nikko area made everything even more beautiful. I was lucky enough to get a really nice shot of the corridor full of lanterns while no one was walking through the area as well. I also took a photo of the torii gate at the top of the steps as it had a very strong presence and signaled the end of the long journey up the steps to reach the inner shrine. Unfortunately the main gate was undergoing repairs so it was completely covered in tarp and surrounded by staging so I wasn't able to get a photo of it, but I did get some really cool shots of the main shrine. I tried as hard as I could to get some good photos of the grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and while I think the photo of the gate isn't bad, I think I'd need a better camera to get a good shot of the crane and his tomb. That being said it was still really awesome to see. After checking out the shrine we headed out to Kegon Falls and I managed to get some really nice videos and some decent photos as well. I can't post the videos or I would. It was really awesome seeing the icicles surrounding the waterfall and all of the frozen scenery as well. Even just taking the lift down to the waterfall was an experience. After we left the waterfall observation deck and went back up the elevator we got some suiton 水団, flour dumplings in soup and shared it between the three of us as a light snack before dinner later that evening. We also visited Lake Chuzenji and admired the scenery there for a bit as well. We didn't spend a ton of time here so this photo was the best I could do. I like that I was able to get the sign in the shot though so I can't complain. After enjoying the view of the lake we headed to our hotel and ate dinner and had some wine. The place we stayed at was called "Lamb Chop" ペンション・ラムチャップ日光. The food was great and service provided by the the owners was top notch, so I definitely recommend checking it out if you're looking for a place to stay in the area. After dinner we headed back to our room and I was so exhausted I fell asleep almost instantly. And that was the end of day 1! I'll post day two tomorrow since this post is getting quite long now!

Yoshi-yaki, a spring tradition in the Watarase Drainage Basin, burns an area of about 1,500 hectares with a bright red flame. It is held every year to control pests that infest reeds, prevent wildfires, and preserve the wetland environment.

Every year through the big traffic jam Nikko Iroha slope ...

It will be the time of last year's Perseid meteor shower. While the surroundings were cheering for shooting stars, I was 🌌 impressed by the summer Milky Way towering in front of me. It is 💫💫 such a superb view of summer in Japan

Nikko Toshogu Yomyomon I visited it for the first time after it was renovated. All the parts were engraved, and how much time and effort did it take? It was not hard to imagine.

International Bicycle Racing Since it is held in the city, it is also powerful. When Corona settles down, I definitely want to go see it again.

Wisteria flowers at Ashikaga Flower Park. Light up2 📸

Wow this is awesome! I went to Ashikaga Flower Park a while back and had a blast! It was a bit cold when I went but I made sure I got some snacks at one of the vendors. The park was quite a bit larger than I was expecting and the illuminations were really cool as well. I didn't think there'd be so much wisteria but the large trellises were really beautiful. The other flowers in the park were amazing as well obviously, but there's something about the cascading wisteria that just looks so fantastical. Even in this picture you can kind of see how they almost create waves with the lighting and the angle. It kind of reminds me of the Northern Lights, albeit only orange-ish in this photo. What a great photo though. Good memories here!

The Nikko Mountains in Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, with harsh winters and vast nature, are a masterpiece

🗾UNITED NOODLE Amenooto 1st time SNS→ official website, Twitter, Facebook. <お店の情報> It is located in Sano City, which is famous for Sano ramen. However, it is completely different from Sano ramen. Both the exterior and the interior of the store are very stylish. There are also counter and table seats. There is a parking lot in front of the store, but there are different places to stop on weekdays and weekends and holidays. 10 cars 25-29, 35-38 on weekdays and 15 cars 25-38 on weekends and holidays. When there is a wait, there is a waiting board in the store, so fill it out. If you write down the license plate number of the car, they will come to call you. While waiting, I look at the menu and ask for my order first. <Point> 1 Stylish shop. Both the exterior and the inside of the store are very stylish like a café. I think it could be a date or something. 2 Carefully selected menu. The kombu water dipping noodles are very famous, but there is also ramen mixed soba noodles. I also do takeaways. 3 Family fun. The restaurant is large, so you can enjoy it even with small children. < kombu water soy sauce dipped soba 900 yen and char siu 300 yen> I wanted 🤤 to try this kombu soba noodle Kombu water is made of gagome kelp, so it is a thickened type! The recommended way to eat it is to add algae salt first and eat only the noodles, so you can ^^ feel the deliciousness of the noodles. It has a good balance with the umami of the chicken and soy sauce, and there is a lot of oil. You can also add lemon to the soup and change the taste! Pork rare, boiled pork hanging char siu has an amazing 😍 flavor Thank you for the delicious feast ^ ^

🗾 Menya Tenmu 1st time SNS→ Instagram @menya.tenmu, Twitter, Ameblo. <お店の情報> A shop that has been indebted to us many times by mail order. Finally first visit to the store! This shop is very famous in the area where you like to boil and dry. There is a parking lot for about 30 cars, and there are front, side, and back of the store. The style is to buy a meal ticket first and line up. Up to 4 people in front of the store, but not in line behind the vending machine? I will line up in the direction of. Souvenirs can also be purchased. There is only a counter in the store. <Point> 1 Boiled and dried love. A restaurant that loved niboshi and was loved for niboshi. This shop is for those who like to boil and dry. 2 Popular queue shops. I visited during the day on a Sunday, so there was a decent line. It's good to have plenty of time. 3 Menu. Basically, there is only boiled dried ramen. There are various ways to use niboshi. There is no large serving, so if it is not enough, toppings, seasoning balls, and replacement balls are used. The limitations change depending on the day. < boiled dried ramen Yabanibo soy sauce 980 yen Niboshi ai 50 yen > There was a menu that I had never eaten before, but I wanted to eat this ✨ one Yabanibo soy sauce 🤣 that I ate about 5 times at home By the way, I tried topping it with boiled dried love boiled dried paste! Oh, this is what happened 😊 But after all, it is definitely better to eat at the store than at home! The amount of boiled patsun noodles and the strong boiled dried soup are unbearable 🤤. The satisfying char siu will also be delicious! If you eat it while dissolving the dried paste, the nigaegu will 🙋 ♂️ increase. Thank you for the delicious feast ^ ^

・ 🗾 Homemade noodle kuromatsu 1st time SNS→Twitter。 <お店の情報> This is the big favorite of the tour. He is trained at Kazuya in Tokyo. There is a line, so it is recommended to go early. There is no parking lot, so go to a nearby coin-operated parking lot. There is a park nearby, so I think that is a good place to use the toilet. Since it has been closed at night since November 1, 2019, the hurdles are quite high. Drink alcohol when entering the store and sit down with water by yourself. <Point> 1 Carefully selected menu. Chinese soba is made with white soy sauce and soy sauce. There are also dipped noodles with white soy sauce. The side menu includes toppings, rice, and alcoholic beverages. 2 Japan-ness. The prefectural tree of Gunma Prefecture is black pine. You can feel the love of Gunma Prefecture. The exterior, interior of the store, and BGM also have a Japan-like feel. 3 Popular stores in the queue. I arrived two hours before Sunday but there was no one. When it opened, there was a large line of about 40 people. < pine special grade Chinese soba 980 yen> For Chinese soba noodles, you can choose white soy sauce or soy sauce! It is a shochiku plum, plum is kakesoba noodles, bamboo is normal, pine is all blamed ✨. It just looks beautiful. Depending on the week, it is 🥺 thin noodles or flat noodles. When I visited, it was thin noodles! The owner is dressed like a craftsman, and he is serious when he is 😳 making it. I was doing the char siu in a low-temperature cooker like I had at home! The noodles are already beautiful when you scoop them with chopsticks. I can't 💦 do this at home. The soup is quite light, but the flavor of the chicken and seafood is amazing 🙋 ♂️. I get ^^ so sick that I want to drink it all the time. The homemade thin noodles go well with the soup again, and the moderate boiling is too 😍 delicious. Both low-temperature cooked char siu are irresistible! In particular, the chicken char siu has moderate elasticity, a flavor that fills your mouth, and the umami is too great 🐓. The wontons were meaty, and I was glad that they were covered with shiso. Also, it was 🙆 ♂️ the first time I had eaten a flavored ball soaked in alcohol. Thank you for the delicious feast ^ ^

The chicken oil and homemade noodles are amazing! Tebati Flame@Nasushiobara City

The non-emulsified soup and eagle noodles are the best! Juzuki@Sakura City

Tsukemen with pork bone seafood Homemade noodles are delicious 😍 Muraokaya Honten @ Utsunomiya City

The beginning of autumn leaves. A mixture of red and green.

The autumn leaves at the beginning of color are the most beautiful. The contrast is beautiful.

Stillness and movement. Red and blue.

Autumn a little early. In Oku-Nikko.

I feel like a wild monkey!? 🐒 The aerial athletic "NOZARU" in the Nasu Forest in Tochigi Prefecture is very popular as an athletic spot that takes advantage of nature! NOZARU has two types, a full-fledged Nozaru course and a Kozaru course 🐒 🔰 for beginners, so even beginners can enjoy 💡 athletics with peace of mind. Outdoor activities that can avoid Coronavirus pandemic crowds are recommended 😊 at this time of year Tonight's Online GoTo Travel will make 😆 you feel like you've played to the fullest by watching videos

I went to Nikko Toshogu Shrine Sacred atmosphere