Japan, Nikko - Nikko Tosho-gu
Located in Nikko, the Nikko Tosho-gu (a.k.a. Toshogu) is both a Shinto shrine as well as a mausoleum that is dedicated to the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Tokugawa layasu (1543 - 1616). The Toshogu shrine is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site listing of the Shrines and Temples of Nikko. My visit to the Toshogu shrine on 5th October 2014 was partly clouded by the impending arrival of super Typhoon Phanfone. Although Nikko wasn't in the path of the typhoon, the accompanying rains sort of "wash-out" my day trip to Nikko. I started the day trip early in the morning and the bus journey from Tokyo to Nikko passed through parts of Saitama Prefecture offering picture-perfect views of the countryside despite the drizzle which got stronger as the tour bus neared Nikko. Because of the rain, I was unable to take much photos of the lavishly decorated Toshogu. The most famous of these decorations being the wooden carvings of the Three Wise Monkeys, who toge