Nikko, Tochigi, Japan
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denben
N 36° 45.444 E 139° 35.926
54S E 374925 N 4068875
Nikko is a town at the entrance to Nikko National Park, most famous for Tosho-gu, Japan's most lavishly decorated shrine and the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Waymark Code: WM17W7G
Location: Tochigi, Japan
Date Posted: 04/11/2023
Views: 1
Nikko was a center of Shinto and mountain Buddhist worship for many centuries before Toshogu was built in the 1600s, and Nikko National Park continues to offer scenic mountain scenery, lakes, waterfalls, hot springs, wild monkeys and hiking trails.
Nikko and the Okunikko area around Lake Chuzenji, in particular, are well known for their beautiful autumn colors (koyo). In the average year the colors start descending from the higher elevations of Yumoto Onsen in early October, are best around Lake Chuzenji and the Irohazaka road in mid to late October and reach the town of Nikko in the first half of November.
Nikko is located along Japan's Romantic Road.
Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinno-ji, Nikko Tosho-gu forms the Shrines and Temples of Nikko 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.
Tosho-gu is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate. It was 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 there, where his remains are also entombed. This shrine was built by Tokugawa retainer Todo Takatora.
Photos are from Tosho-gu Shrine.
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