Nikkō Tōshō-gū
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Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa line of shoguns in Japan. 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. This Tōshō-gū is in the city of Nikkō in Tochigi Prefecture in the northern part of the Kantō region on the island of Honshū. It is part of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikkō", a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Ieyasu is enshrined here, and his remains are entombed here.
During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate carried out stately processions from Edo to the Nikkō Tōshō-gū. The shrine's annual spring and autumn festivals reenact these occasions, and are known as "processions of a thousand warriors."
Five structures at Nikkō Tōshō-gū are categorized as National Treasures, 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 Tōshō-gū include the Yomei-mon, a gate that is also known as "higurashi-no-mon." The meaning of the latter name is 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. Elsewhere, a carving of a sleeping cat is said to have been carved by Hidari Jingorō.
The stable of the sacred horses of the shrine 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 in the Okunoin (inner precincts). A torii at the top bears calligraphy attributed to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. A bronze urn contains the remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
[edit] Photo gallery
 Rice barrels |
 Torii and pagoda at entrance to Tōshō-gū |
 Sleeping Cat |
 Lavish decoration on Yomei-mon |
 Urn containing remains of Tokugawa Ieyasu |
 Kagura-dono, a hall for dances dedicated to gods in the divine work for Shintoism |
 Tablet: Tōshō Dai-Gongen (東照大権現) on torii. Attributed to Emperor Go-Mizunoo |
 Carvings above the Karamon ("Chinese Gate") |
 Visitor rubs upside-down pillar for good luck |
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