Nikkō Tōshō-gū 日光東照宮

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Tōshō-gū is a shrine, but Buddhist buildings such as the pagoda remain from the centuries when kami and buddhas were worshipped together.

見 Sacred stable (Shinkyūsha)The three wise monkeys (Nikkō)See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil — carved on the sacred horse stable of Nikkō Tōshō-gū. In Japanese lore monkeys protect horses. More →
見 Upper storehouse (Kamijinko) gableThe imagined elephants (Nikkō)Elephants carved on the gable of the Upper Storehouse (Kamijinko) at Tōshō-gū by an artist who had never seen a real elephant. More →
見 East Corridor, gateway to the inner shrineThe sleeping cat (Nikkō)A small carved cat sleeping among peonies above the East Corridor gateway that leads to the inner shrine of Tōshō-gū. More →

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Stories from here

The sleeping cat carving at Nikkō Tōshō-gū, a white cat curled among peonies

日光The Sleeping Cat of Nikkō: What Is It Really Guarding?5 min read

The three wise monkeys carving at Nikkō Tōshō-gū: one covers its ears, one its mouth, one its eyes

三猿The Three Wise Monkeys Are Only One Panel of a Life Story5 min read

Also here

Torii gate鳥居

Komainu狛犬

Temizuya手水舎

The three wise monkeys三猿

The sleeping cat眠り猫

The imagined elephants想像の象

Omamoriお守り

Ema絵馬

史About

Nikkō Tōshō-gū (日光東照宮) is a Tōshō-gū Shinto shrine located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.

Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, it forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage Site, with 42 structures of the shrine included in the nomination. Five of them are designated as National Treasures of Japan, and three more as Important Cultural Properties.

Text from Wikipedia: Nikkō Tōshō-gū — CC BY-SA 4.0. Read more on Wikipedia →

要Quick facts

Type	Shrine
Location	Nikkō-shi, Tochigi
Founded	1617
Designations	National Treasure of Japan part of UNESCO World Heritage Site Historic Site of Japan
Official website	toshogu.jp
Nearest stations	Tōbu Nikkō Station · 2.2 km Tōbu Nikkō Line Nikkō Station · 2.5 km Nikkō Line Distances are in a straight line; walking routes are longer.
Map	Open in Google Maps ↗