Hiyoshi Tōshōgū Shrine 日吉東照宮

Official explanation

Hiyoshi Tōshōgū Shrine enshrines Tōshō Daigongen, the deified avatar of Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), founder of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603–1868). Tōshō Daigongen is the divine protector of Enryakuji Temple, which had close ties with Hiyoshi Taisha until 1868. Enryakuji is the headquarters of the Tendai school of Buddhism in Japan.

Hiyoshi Tōshōgū was established in 1623 by the influential Tendai monk Tenkai (1536–1643). It was rebuilt in 1634, and the new building was a prototype for the ornate Nikko Tōshōgū Shrine in Tochigi Prefecture, where Ieyasu is enshrined.

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The shrine is one of the earliest examples of gongen-zukuri shrine architecture, which is characterized by a single roof over the worship hall, main sanctuary, and the connecting passageway in between. Although the building’s exterior is faded and worn, the colors and gold leaf of the interior remain vivid and bright.

The shrine building, gate, and fence are all designated Important Cultural Properties.

出典: 地域観光資源の多言語解説文データベース（観光庁） — www.mlit.go.jp/tagengo-db. この英語解説文は観光庁の地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業で作成しました。
Source: Japan Tourism Agency, Multilingual Explanation Database. This English text was produced by the Japan Tourism Agency's multilingual explanation project and is shown unedited. Opening hours and services may have changed since it was written.