Set in a forest of cedar trees on the mountain above Nikko, the Toshogu Shrine is an impressive monument to the shogun who ended the warring states period and brought about a period of peace which lasted 250 years. Tokugawa Ieyasu, posthumously named Tosho Daigongen, asked to be buried to the north of Edo castle, the direction of ill luck where demons come from, so that he could protect the country after his death. He specified a simple shrine, but his grandson expanded the original structure to show what he felt was fitting tribute. It took over 4 and a half million people over a year to finish the gorgeous wood carvings, ornate gold leaf, and other ornamentation of the various buildings.
As well as a main shrine building, there are many outbuildings such as a stable, 5-story pagoda, bell, and dance hall. The famous “see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil” monkey carvings are a small detail on the stable.
Three wise monkeys
There is a famous “sleeping cat” relief on one of the walls. The main gate is considered so elaborate and beautiful that you can look at it all day without tiring. It seems that every surface is covered with deep relief carvings, elaborately painted and gilded. The style is influenced by Chinese art; Japanese shrines tended to stress simplicity at that time.
「日光 Spring 08」 Toshogu Shrine
Tokugawa Ieyasu died in 1616. His remains are removed from the highly decorated area, up a flight of several hundred steps to a small bronze urn in a quiet glade. Visiting this section costs an extra 520 yen, but you can get a combination ticket with the price included.
Urn containing remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The shrine is part of the Nikko UNESCO World Heritage site. It is particularly beautiful in the autumn when foliage is changing color. It is about a 30-40 minute walk from either the JR or Tobu Nikko Station.
There is also a bus that takes about 10 minutes. It costs 300 yen one way, or 500 yen for a day ticket. The Toshogu Shrine complex has several different entrance ticket options. 1000 yen gives access for an adult (high school students are 600 yen, elementary and junior high students are 400 yen) to Toshogu Main Hall, Taiyuinbyo, Futarasan Shrine, and Rinno-ji. 1300 yen includes seeing the sleeping cat and urn where Tokugawa Ieyasu is buried. The main shrine is open from 8 am to 5 pm, or 8 am to 4 pm from November to March.
Toshogu Shrine gardens
The shrine is currently being renovated with sections covered until 2019, but there is so much to see that it does not detract from a good visit. Several sub-shrines around the country bear the same name, so be careful when looking up information that you have the correct one. For good information in English: http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e3801.html
Five Tiered Pagoda near Toshogu Shrine
Toshogu Shrine
Toshogu Shrine
Tosho-gu shrine
Toshu-gu shrine
photos by:
:: shodan :: &
scion_cho,
Shadowgate,
JenniKate Wallace,
Shadowgate,
Shadowgate,
Gwydion M. Williams,
Gwydion M. Williams,
scion_cho
