【Itinerary】Tobu Nikko Station or JR Nikko Station - Bus - Toshogu Shrine, etc. - Tobu Nikko Station or JR Nikko Station

While Kyoto was a city of religious and cultural authority with the emperor at its center, Edo (Tokyo) was the city of the Tokugawa shoguns and samurai.

In the 17th century, the Tokugawa shogun, the representative of the samurai, had overwhelming military and political power. However, because of the lack of spiritual and religious authority, Nikko was a religious city created by worshipping the first shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, as a god (gongen).

(1) Nikko Toshogu Shrine: A shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu as a deity. The construction of the shrine was funded by the wealth of people from all over Japan, and carpenters, founders, painters, carvers, stonemasons, and other highly skilled craftsmen devoted their skills to create a highly finished work of art with ingenious details on the ceiling, walls, and floor, including the three monkeys.

(2) Rinnoji Temple: A temple of the Tendai sect of Buddhism that is integrated with Nikko Toshogu Shrine. The temple has three Buddhist statues corresponding to the three mountains of Nikko, a large gomado (a hall where goma is burned), and a garden in the Shoyoen (a garden for flora and fauna).

(3) Futaarayama Shrine: This shrine worships the mountains of Nikko as deities, and existed before Nikko Toshogu was built.