Art Music the lAst Word sports **dining** - Metropolis
Art Music the lAst Word sports **dining** - Metropolis
Art Music the lAst Word sports **dining** - Metropolis
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
GeTaways<br />
<strong>Metropolis</strong> brings you <strong>the</strong> inside scoop on<br />
travel from our JapanTourist experts<br />
InSIde InformatIon<br />
Looking for o<strong>the</strong>r sights to<br />
see around Nikko? Put <strong>the</strong>se<br />
on your travel itinerary.<br />
GOOD FOr YUBA<br />
Nikko’s local delicacy is yuba, <strong>the</strong><br />
thin skin that forms on <strong>the</strong> top of<br />
heated soy milk. originally gaining<br />
popularity here as a dish to satisfy <strong>the</strong><br />
vegetarian monks at <strong>the</strong> shrines and<br />
temples, yuba dishes can be found in<br />
restaurants citywide in a wide variety<br />
of forms. you’ll find yuba as a topping<br />
for soba, deep-fried yuba, yuba curry,<br />
yuba with jelly, yuba soup, yuba sushi,<br />
yuba ramen, yuba gyoza, and fresh,<br />
unprocessed (nama) yuba. It’s when<br />
<strong>the</strong> convenience stores start selling<br />
yuba cola that we’ll know things have<br />
gone too far.<br />
iNTO THe aByss<br />
The Kanmangafuchi Abyss is a neat<br />
little gorge tucked within a twist of <strong>the</strong><br />
daiya River. The scenic riverside trail<br />
leads to <strong>the</strong> Bake Jizo, a line of 70 redclad<br />
stone statues of Jizo, a Buddhist<br />
figure who cares for <strong>the</strong> deceased.<br />
The statues are rumored to change<br />
in number each time you count <strong>the</strong>m.<br />
There’s some great natural beauty<br />
here as well, but bottomless pit seekers<br />
will be disappointed at <strong>the</strong> area’s<br />
misleading name.<br />
FaLLiNG FOr NiKKO<br />
Just up <strong>the</strong> road from <strong>the</strong> Tamozawa<br />
Imperial Villa is <strong>the</strong> Nikko Botanical<br />
Gardens, a 105,000m 2 patch of natural<br />
beauty typically free of <strong>the</strong> tourist<br />
crowds of o<strong>the</strong>r Nikko attractions.<br />
The University of Tokyo studies<br />
and maintains <strong>the</strong> 2,200 species of<br />
plant life here, which are set against a<br />
mountainous backdrop and are most<br />
beautiful set with <strong>the</strong> fall colors.<br />
iCe a Few BUCKs<br />
If you’re visiting in autumn or winter,<br />
see <strong>the</strong> pucks fly and <strong>the</strong> gloves drop<br />
with <strong>the</strong> HC Nikko Ice Bucks. This<br />
professional ice hockey team gets<br />
die-hard support from <strong>the</strong> locals in<br />
<strong>the</strong> way only small-town teams can.<br />
The Ice Bucks compete against o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
teams from Japan, China and korea<br />
i n A sia League Ice hockey. T he<br />
Nikko Kirifuri Ice Arena hosts a little<br />
under 2,000 punters (including a<br />
standing-only section for spectators<br />
on a budget) and really gets rockin’<br />
on game days.<br />
CHasiNG<br />
waTerFaLLs<br />
Take a bus from Nikko to nearby<br />
Chuzenjiko Onsen, a quaint resort<br />
town built in <strong>the</strong> mountains above<br />
Nikko and on <strong>the</strong> shore of Lake<br />
Chuzenji. Its breathtaking scenery<br />
makes it well worth exploring for<br />
an afternoon. Visit <strong>the</strong> stunning<br />
Kegon Waterfall [pictured above],<br />
Chuzenji Temple, take a sightseeing<br />
boat ride on <strong>the</strong> lake, or hike around<br />
<strong>the</strong> numerous walking paths. As <strong>the</strong><br />
name suggests, <strong>the</strong>re are many hot<br />
springs to be enjoyed as well.<br />
■ Todd Wojnowski is a JapanTourist<br />
contributor based in Kanagawa.<br />
Todd woJNowSkI<br />
Instant access to <strong>the</strong><br />
U.S. military news<br />
and information<br />
that matters to you most<br />
Visit stripes.com/iphone<br />
to see a demo<br />
stripes.com | facebook.com/StripesPacific<br />
#962 • www.metropolis.co.jp • 07