6am, woke up to the chirping sound of sparrows lingering on the nearby sakura tree. We had to meet up with my parents where they stay at Tobu Kawagoe Hotel. From the city of Kawagoe, we need to take 3 connecting trains to get to Nikko; JR Kawagoe, followed by Shinkansen (bullet train) and lastly transferred to JR Nikko.
We arrived in Nikko at about 1pm. Got to check in at the hotel where we will be staying for the duration of our stay. In Japanese tradition, turtle and crane signifies longevity. The hotel was aptly named, 'crane''turtle' (tsurukame) and 'good luck'(daikichi), Tsurukame-daikichi Inn. Then in America, you have your Hiltons and Marriots, but I bet they can't beat the nature part of this turtle crane combo hotel. Right behind the Inn, there's this steep mountain range overgrown with lush greens, and a running river filled with crystal clear water that is the envy of many city folks.
Tsurukame-daikichi
It was a bit early, check-in time is around 3pm. We asked around on the fun places to visit, and they suggested this villa we had to visit. We were given a ride by the hotel bus service to the The Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park (Former Tamozawa Imperial Villa). This grand villa was built in 1899 for Emperor Taisho to had his rest & relax (R & R) during summer time.
Tamozawa Villa
Our legs were really tired after the villa tour. We decided to head back to Tsurukame Inn, took a 30 mins dip in the hot springs (onsen). After that, a sumptous dinner awaits us. It was shabu-shabu beef with little side dishes of highly colorful preserved vegetables.. I know, some of you may be suggesting Jack in the box or IHOP, but hey, you might be wondering why people here in Japan live right up into their 100s
Overview of Nikko
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