NIKKO HISTORY
Nikko History - The history of Nikko dates back 766
with the establishment of Rinnoji Temple.
Nikko Toshogu Gate - Picture by
BorgQueen
Nikko History
Shōdō Shōnin (勝道上人) established of Rinnoji Temple
in
766, followed by the temple of Chūzen-ji in 784. The village of Nikko
developed around these temples. The shrine of Nikko Toshogu Shrine
was completed in 1617 and became a major draw of visitors to the area during
the Edo period. A number of new roads were built during this time to provide
easier access to Nikko from surrounding regions. Nikko Toshogu Shrine,
Futarasan Shrine, and Rinnoji Temple
now form a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
During the Meiji period Nikko developed as a mountain resort, and became
particularly popular among foreign visitors to Japan. The Japanese National
Railways began service to Nikko in 1890 with the Nikkō Line, followed by
Tobu Railway in 1929 with its Nikko Line.
Nikko was incorporated as a town in 1889, part of Kamitsuga District. It was
upgraded to city status in 1954 after merging with the neighboring village
of Okorogawa. On March 20, 2006, the city of Nikko merged with the city of
Imaichi and the municipalities of Ashio, Fujihara, and Kuriyama to create
what is officially the new city of Nikko. The new city hall is located at
the former Imaichi City Hall: the former Nikko City Hall is now known as
Nikko City Hall-Nikkō Satellite Office.
(Article
based on
Wikipedia article and used under the
GNU Free Documentation License)
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