NIKKO TOSHOGU SHRINE
Nikko Toshogu Shrine - Nikko Toshogu Shrine Tours;
located close to Tokyo Nikko Toshogu Shrine
is a great World Heritage site to visit.
Nikko Toshogu Shrine (日光東照宮, Nikkō Tōshō-gū) is a
Shinto shrine located in Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture,
Japan. It is part of the "Shrines
and Temples of Nikkō", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Toshogu is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of
the Tokugawa shogunate. Initially built in 1617, during the Edo period,
while Ieyasu's son Hidetada was shogun, it was enlarged during the time of
the third shogun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu is enshrined here, and his remains are
entombed here.
Organised tours from Tokyo to Nikko Toshogu are available.
These tours also include the nearby Lake Chuzenji and Kegon Waterfall.
Further information and online booking are here.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately
processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū along the Nikkō Kaidō. The
shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals re-enact these occasions, and
are known as "processions of a thousand warriors."
Nikko Toshogu Gate - Picture by
BorgQueen
Five structures at Nikko Toshogu Shrine are categorized as
National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural
Properties. Additionally, two swords in the possession of the shrine are
National Treasures, and numerous other objects are Important Cultural
Properties. Famous buildings at the Nikko Toshogu Shrine include the Yōmei-mon, a gate
that is also known as "higurashi-no-mon." The latter name means that one
could look at it until sundown, and not tire of seeing it. Carvings in deep
relief, painted in rich colors, decorate the surface of the structure. The
next gate is the Kara-mon, named for its carvings in the Chinese style. The
decorations on this one are painted white. Nearby, a carving of the sleepy
cat, "Nemuri-Neko", is attributed to Hidari Jingorō.
The stable of the shrine's sacred horses bears a carving of the three wise
monkeys, who hear, speak and see no evil, a traditional symbol in Chinese
and Japanese culture.
Hundreds of stone steps lead through the cryptomeria forest up to the grave
of Ieyasu. A torii at the top bears calligraphy attributed to Emperor Go-Mizunoo.
A bronze urn contains the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
(Article
based on
Wikipedia article and used under the
GNU Free Documentation License)
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