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Nikko is a city located north of Tokyo and is easily accessible by train from the Japanese capital. The city’s history began when Shōdō Shōnin (勝道上人) established Rinnō-ji Temple in 766, followed by Chūzen-ji Temple in 784. Around these temples, the village of Nikkō developed, and later Nikkō became home to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū shrine (日光東的宮), which was completed in 1617. The shrine It became known as the burial place of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Tokugawa shogunate.
During the Meiji period, Nikkō developed as a mountain resort and became especially popular with foreign visitors to Japan. The Japanese National Railways began serving Nikkō in 1890 and the city is still well visited with Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Futarasan Shrine/Futarasan jinja (二荒山神社) and Rinnō-ji (輪王寺) making up Nikkō’s shrines and temples, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
Nikkō Tōshō-gū is one of Japan’s Shinto shrines with the name tōshō-gū, which indicates that the shrine is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu. Tokugawa Ieyasu founded the Tokugawa shōgunate, which spanned the period 1603-1868, and he became a Shinto god, a so-called kami, with the name Tōshō Daigongen (東出大権現). Nikkō Tōshō-gū was founded in 1617 by Tokugawa Hidetada and expanded by Tokugawa Iemitsu. In addition to the dedication to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the famous shōgun is also buried here.
After the shrine’s first torii, Nikkō Tōshō-gū’s five-story pagoda can be seen. The original pagoda was donated by a daimyō in 1650, but it was destroyed in a fire and rebuilt in 1818. Each floor represents an element—earth, water, fire, wind, and ether, which is the upper clear air—in ascending order . Inside the pagoda, a central shinbashira pillar hangs from chains to minimize damage from earthquakes.
Continuing from the pagoda in front of Nikkō Tōshō-gū, one can see the three wise monkeys/san (三猿). The monkeys are a familiar motif in Japanese art and are based on a motto or saying about how to deal with evil. The three monkeys are Mizaru, who keeps his eyes closed and sees no evil, Kikazaru, who covers his ears and hears no evil, and Iwazaru, who keeps his mouth shut and says no evil, respectively. From here you can walk through the torii towards the main buildings of the shrine.
The next entrance is the Yōmei-mon (陽明門) gate, where you can see carvings in deep reliefs, which are painted in rich colors. Next is a courtyard setting where you can see the shrine’s sleeping cat, Nemuri-neko (眠り猫), which was created by Hidari Jingorō. The cat is a symbol of harmony and a symbol of the spirit of Nikkō and Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was believed to be the manifestation of the Buddha of Healing, nourishing the mind, body and spirit, comforting the sick and curing diseases.
In the courtyard you can also see the gate to the innermost part of the shrine, Kara-mon (唐門). Behind Kara-mon are the central buildings of Nikkō Tōshō-gū, which follow the classical structure of a Shinto shrine; The Haraiden (祓殿), where purification ceremonies take place, the prayer hall Haiden (拝殿), the sacrificial hall Heiden (幣殿) and the main hall Honden (本殿). And everywhere the buildings are beautifully built with a high degree of detailed decoration.
From this part of Nikkō Tōshō-gū, one can walk east past the sleeping cat to the gate Sakashita-mon (坂下門), which leads to a path further into the forest behind the shrine. After a nice walk between tall trees, you come to the inner shrine’s prayer hall, the Okumiya haiden (奥宮拝殿), and behind it a staircase leads up to the Inuki-mon gate (黳抜門), which gives access to the tomb of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu himself, which stands as a very beautiful and harmonious facility.
Futarasan jinja is a Shinto shrine in Nikkō that is one of the most visited places in the city. The shrine was founded in 767 by the Buddhist priest Shōdō Shōnin, who was looking for a site in the region, and the choice was the sacred mountain, Futarasan, also known as Nantai. Futarasan jinja is beautifully situated in nature, and the shrine consists of three parts.
The primary buildings form the most accessible part of the sanctuary. These lie immediately west of Nikkō Tōshō-gū. Here you can see the traditional Shinto shrines’ prayer hall, Haiden (拝殿), and the main hall Honden (本殿), which were built in 1619. You can also see a beautiful entrance gate, Karamon (唐門), and at the shrine a spring springs, is said to yield two kinds of water. One is a source of sake, while the other is said to help against old age and poor eyesight if you drink from it.
Futarasan jinja is dedicated to three kami Ōkuninushi-no-Mikoto (玉祖命), who is, among other things, the god of medicine and protective powers, the goddess Tagorihime no Mikoto (田心姫命) and Ajisukitakahikone (味耜高彦根命), who is god of agriculture and thunder. The shrine grounds include eight peaks of the Nikkō Mountains and the Kegon Waterfall. The shrine’s kamis originate from these areas.
The middle part of Futarasan jinja is located on the shore of Lake Chuzenji west of Nikkō. It was originally built in 1096, while the current buildings were reconstructed in 1699. The upper and inner part of the shrine is located on top of Mount Nantai/Nantai-san (男体山) and was founded in 782. A special part of the shrine is Shinkyo Bridge/Shinkyō (神橋), a sacred bridge built in 1636, stands as one of Japan’s most beautiful bridges. The bridge is located southeast of Futarasan jinja and stands as the entrance to the entire Nikkō temple and shrine area.
Rinnō-ji is a Buddhist temple and one of the sights in Nikkō that is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The temple was founded in 766 by the Buddhist monk Shōdō Shōnin, who the following year founded the nearby Shinto shrine, Futarasan jinja. The temple quickly attracted more monks with its remote location deep in the mountains, where there was time for solitude.
There are several buildings in Rinnō-ji Temple, of which the Hall of the Three Buddhas/Sanbutsudō (三仏堂) is among the most noteworthy. Here you can see statues of Mokuzō senju Kannon zazō (木造千手観音坐像) with the thousand arms, Batō Kannon (馬頭観音坐像) with the horse’s head and Amida Kannon (阿弥陀仏), who rules the Pure Land. In Buddhism, these deities are manifestations of Nikkō’s three mountain kami, to whom the Futarasan jinja is dedicated. Sanbutsudō is also known as the temple’s main hall, Hondō (本堂), and it dates from 1647.
In front of Sanbutsudō, you can see the temple treasury, Hōmotsuden (宝物殿), where Buddhist sculptures and other important effects were kept. On the opposite side of the main hall is Daigoma-dō (大護摩堂), which was built as a hall for various ceremonies. On the temple grounds, you can also take a walk in the temple’s walking garden, Shōyō-en (逍遥園), which is a beautiful landscape around a small lake. At the entrance to the temple, you can also notice the statue of Shōdō Shōnin, who founded Rinnō-ji.
Tokyo is one of the world’s largest metropolises, and certainly one of the most fascinating with the mix of centuries-old Japanese traditions and modern Japan’s success, architecture and common use of technology that you will easily notice as a tourist.
There are approximately 30 million people living in the Tokyo-Yokohama area, and the vibrant street life is 24/7 in several places. Shopping and restaurants offering the tasty Japanese cuisine are of course great ways to enjoy Tokyo, as is walking the streets getting impressions.
Rinnoji, Nikko, Japan
Overview of Nikko
Nikko is a city located north of Tokyo and is easily accessible by train from the Japanese capital. The city’s history began when Shōdō Shōnin (勝道上人) established Rinnō-ji Temple in 766, followed by Chūzen-ji Temple in 784. Around these temples, the village of Nikkō developed, and later Nikkō became home to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū shrine (日光東的宮), which was completed in 1617. The shrine It became known as the burial place of shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Tokugawa shogunate.
During the Meiji period, Nikkō developed as a mountain resort and became especially popular with foreign visitors to Japan. The Japanese National Railways began serving Nikkō in 1890 and the city is still well visited with Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Futarasan Shrine/Futarasan jinja (二荒山神社) and Rinnō-ji (輪王寺) making up Nikkō’s shrines and temples, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List.
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Futarasan jinja is a Shinto shrine in Nikkō that is one of the most visited places in the city. The shrine was founded in 767 by the Buddhist priest Shōdō Shōnin, who was looking for a site in the region, and the choice was the sacred mountain, Futarasan, also known as Nantai. Futarasan jinja is beautifully situated in nature, and the shrine consists of three parts.
The primary buildings form the most accessible part of the sanctuary. These lie immediately west of Nikkō Tōshō-gū. Here you can see the traditional Shinto shrines’ prayer hall, Haiden (拝殿), and the main hall Honden (本殿), which were built in 1619. You can also see a beautiful entrance gate, Karamon (唐門), and at the shrine a spring springs, is said to yield two kinds of water. One is a source of sake, while the other is said to help against old age and poor eyesight if you drink from it.
Futarasan jinja is dedicated to three kami Ōkuninushi-no-Mikoto (玉祖命), who is, among other things, the god of medicine and protective powers, the goddess Tagorihime no Mikoto (田心姫命) and Ajisukitakahikone (味耜高彦根命), who is god of agriculture and thunder. The shrine grounds include eight peaks of the Nikkō Mountains and the Kegon Waterfall. The shrine’s kamis originate from these areas.
The middle part of Futarasan jinja is located on the shore of Lake Chuzenji west of Nikkō. It was originally built in 1096, while the current buildings were reconstructed in 1699. The upper and inner part of the shrine is located on top of Mount Nantai/Nantai-san (男体山) and was founded in 782. A special part of the shrine is Shinkyo Bridge/Shinkyō (神橋), a sacred bridge built in 1636, stands as one of Japan’s most beautiful bridges. The bridge is located southeast of Futarasan jinja and stands as the entrance to the entire Nikkō temple and shrine area.
Rinnō-ji is a Buddhist temple and one of the sights in Nikkō that is included in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The temple was founded in 766 by the Buddhist monk Shōdō Shōnin, who the following year founded the nearby Shinto shrine, Futarasan jinja. The temple quickly attracted more monks with its remote location deep in the mountains, where there was time for solitude.
There are several buildings in Rinnō-ji Temple, of which the Hall of the Three Buddhas/Sanbutsudō (三仏堂) is among the most noteworthy. Here you can see statues of Mokuzō senju Kannon zazō (木造千手観音坐像) with the thousand arms, Batō Kannon (馬頭観音坐像) with the horse’s head and Amida Kannon (阿弥陀仏), who rules the Pure Land. In Buddhism, these deities are manifestations of Nikkō’s three mountain kami, to whom the Futarasan jinja is dedicated. Sanbutsudō is also known as the temple’s main hall, Hondō (本堂), and it dates from 1647.
In front of Sanbutsudō, you can see the temple treasury, Hōmotsuden (宝物殿), where Buddhist sculptures and other important effects were kept. On the opposite side of the main hall is Daigoma-dō (大護摩堂), which was built as a hall for various ceremonies. On the temple grounds, you can also take a walk in the temple’s walking garden, Shōyō-en (逍遥園), which is a beautiful landscape around a small lake. At the entrance to the temple, you can also notice the statue of Shōdō Shōnin, who founded Rinnō-ji.
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