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42|SMILEOFJAPAN|TRAVELVOLUNTEERPROJECTCITIESTOCHIGIANYONEWHO’SEVERTRAVELLEDTOAUNESCOWORLDHERITAGESITEKNOWSTHEFEELING–HELL,ANYONEWHO’SEVERBEENTOANYMAJORTOURISTATTRACTIONKNOWSTHEFEELING:JUSTFORASECOND,YOUWISHYOUCOULDHAVETHEPLACEALLTOYOURSELF.BUTYOUCAN’T,BECAUSETHEWORLDISOVERPOPULATED,THENUMBEROFTOURISTATTRACTIONSISFINITEANDTHISONE(THEONEYOU’RETRYINGTOTAKEPICTURESOF)WASDISCOVEREDMANY,MANYMOONSAGO.YET,IRRATIONALASITSEEMS,YOUFANTASISEABOUTCLOSINGTHEPLACEDOWNSOYOUCANWALKAROUNDUNTROUBLED,FREETOIMAGINEWHATITALLMUSTHAVELOOKEDLIKEINITSPOMP.NOTWHATITLOOKSLIKENOW,WITHAGARISHLY-CLADYOBBARKINGDOWNHISMOBILEPHONE,AFAMILYOF50WHO’VEDECIDEDTOPOSEFORASNAPSHOTRIGHTINFRONTOFYOU,ANDASTRANGER’SSCREAMINGCHILDWHO’SJUSTBEENSICKONYOURSHOES...YOUGETTHEPICTURE–YOUKNOWTHEPICTURE.SOWHENEVERWETRAVELTOSOMEWHEREUNESCOHAVEPROMOTED,THERE’SALWAYSALINGERINGWORRYATTHEBACKOFOURMINDSTHATITWILLDESCENDINTOARUGBYMATCH,WITHCAMERAS.ANDFROMWHATWEUNDERSTAND,INYEARSGONEBY,AVISITTONIKKOCOULDHAVERESULTEDINEXACTLYTHATKINDOFSEMI-POLITE,SEMI-ORGANISEDCHAOS.ITWASADDEDTOTHEWORLDHERITAGELISTIN1999,ANDNOTBEFORETIME:“THESHRINESANDTEMPLESOFNIKKO,TOGETHERWITHTHEIRNATURALSURROUNDINGS,HAVEFORCENTURIESBEENASACREDSITEKNOWNFORITSARCHITECTURALANDDECORATIVEMASTERPIECES,”PROCLAIMSTHEUNESCOWEBSITE.WHATAWAITSISAVASTARRAYOFSHRINES,TEMPLESANDPAGODAS,ALLTOCOMMEMORATETOKUGAWAIEYASU,THEFIRSTSHOGUNOFTHEEDOPERIOD.ASYOUMIGHTEXPECTFORAMANOFSUCHIMPORTANCE,EVERYTHINGISGRAND,ANDORNATE,ANDWELLWORTHTHEENTRANCEMONEY.IT’S BEENPACKEDFULLOFTOURISTSFROMAROUNDTHEWORLDFORYEARS.DAY19OCTOBER4THNIKKO,TOCHIGITHEFEARFACTORHOWEVER,IFTHERE’SANYSILVERLININGTOTHEEVENTSOFMARCHTHISYEAR,IT’STHATTHECOMBINEDDISASTERSPUTTHEFEARINTOPEOPLE.NOTTHATTHERE’SANYREASONTOBEAFRAIDOFCOMINGTONIKKO:THEEARTHQUAKECAUSEDNODAMAGEHERE,THETSUNAMI-RAVAGEDCOASTISMILESAWAY,ANDTHERADIATIONLEVELSARENORMAL–LIKELYLOWERTHANWHEREYOULIVE.BUTPEOPLE–GENTLE,SIMPLEPEOPLE–AREANEASILYSCATTEREDHERDINTIMEOFPERCEIVEDMENACE.WHICHISGREATNEWSIFYOU’REPLANNINGONVISITINGTHISAREA,ESPECIALLYINAUTUMN.INANYOTHERYEAR,THESACREDSITESOFNIKKOAREPERENNIALLYBUSY,BUTUPTOWARDSTHEGLITTERINGCHUZENJILAKE,THINGSBECOMEPARTICULARLYMANICASTHEFOLIAGEISSETALIGHTBYTHECHANGEOFSEASON.YUKARIKAWAI,OURGUIDEFORTHEDAY,EXPLAINEDTHATTHEDRIVEFROMTHECENTREOFNIKKO,UPTHEWINDINGROADSTHATPASSMOUNTNANTAI,HASTAKENHERTWOHOURSINTHEPAST.TODAYITTOOKUS25MINUTES.WESTUMBLEDFROMTHESERENITYOFTHELAKETOTHETHUNDERING97MHIGHKEGONWATERFALLS,ANDTHEONLYTIMEWEFELTATALLCROWDEDWASWHENWESURROUNDEDBYAGAGGLEOFSCHOOLKIDSWHOINDIVIDUALLYINSISTEDONGREETINGUS“HELLO!”ANDTHENSCURRIEDOFFGIGGLINGIFWERESPONDEDWITH:“HOWAREYOU?”OFCOURSETHISPEACEANDQUIETISN’TGOODNEWSFOREVERYONE.TAKESCOUT,THEOWNERATTHEZENHOSTEL.BUSINESSFORHIMHASTANKEDSINCEMARCH,EVENTHOUGHHISHOMEANDBUSINESSWEREVIRTUALLYUNSCATHEDBYTHEEARTHQUAKE.THOUGHHE’SAMERICAN,HISHOSTELISKEPTINATRADITIONALJAPANESESTYLEANDISNESTLEDINTHEELBOWOFTHECRYSTAL-CLEARKUROKAWA,ORBLACKRIVER.INSHORT:THISISAWINNINGFORMULA–ORATLEASTITSHOULDBE.SOFEARISGOOD–ANDBADATTHESAMETIME.WHATTODO?COMEHEREANYWAY,JUSTDOITBEFOREEVERYONEELSEDOES.
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