Nikko Toshogu Shrine 日光東照宮

The Toshogu Shrine structures are the work of some of the most prominent Japanese architects and artisans of the seventeenth century, and are resplendent with elaborate carvings, images of mythical beasts, gold leaf, and vibrant colors. The buildings are remarkable not only for their original construction but also for the unending tradition of restoration that preserves their original appearance.

Toshogu Shrine, Futarasan-jinja Shrine, and Rinnoji Temple were originally part of a single religious establishment called Nikko-zan. In 1868 the Meiji government ordered the separation of Buddhist temples and Shinto shrines. Across the country, many Buddhist cultural treasures were relocated or lost during this period.

Nikko was granted an exception. Although the shrines and temples of Nikko-zan were officially split up in 1871, the grounds still contain a mixture of Shinto and Buddhist structures, and religious rites associated with both religions are practiced here. Today, many Buddhist temples have a small, tutelary Shinto shrine within the temple grounds, but the syncretic mixture of major structures seen at Toshogu Shrine is rare.

The entire shrine-temple complex was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999. Five of the structures of Toshogu Shrine are National Treasures and another 31 are Important Cultural Properties.