The Toshogu Shrine in Nikko It was the site chosen by Ieyasu Tokugawa to rest forever, although before him it was a monk who chose this site as a good place to practice his faith.
The great shogun, who unified Japan in 1600 and whose family, shogun after shogun (up to more than 50!) Brought a period of peace of more than 250 years, found in this sanctuary the best location with respect to the capital Edo ( the current Tokyo) where he moved his palace and his family home, further to the southwest. He drew some lines on a map looking for a north point between these two locations to escape the demons and Nikko was the result.
When Ieyasu's grandson became a shogun he decided to carry out a remodeling of this place and turn it into the most dazzling of the Shinto sanctuaries, according to the figure of his grandfather, with whom he shared a close relationship. So he spared no frills, leaving the country's treasure shaking. When you enter this site you realize that you have achieved your purpose ...
Knowing this we could not miss the opportunity of a day visit to Nikko. We did it with the company JTB Sunrise Tours, below we tell you more details.
From the Rinnoji Temple, a little further south, you enter the Toshogu Shrine through a huge stone torii, how could it be otherwise. The first thing that attracts attention is the 5-story pagoda, which is related to the Buddhist religion because they usually house a pinch of the ashes of Buddha. However, in Japan it is not uncommon to find elements of both religions in the same place.
In Japan, 90% of the population believes in Sinto and 80% in Buda with what most people believe in both, performing rites of one or the other during their life according to more "interest." For example, celebrations during a person's life are usually related to Shintoism, to advocate for a happy life, and death rituals are usually done through Buddhism. |
Normally two guardians are placed, one on each side of the door, with two different gestures: the one with the mouth open and the one with the mouth closed. It makes sense: in Sanskrit the first letter of the vocabulary is something like "A" (which is pronounced with the mouth open) and the last is something like an "M" (with the mouth closed). It means that this place is protected against everything that goes from the "A" to the "M", that is, of all the things that exist and for having. |
Inside of Inner Shrine He recommends making a prayer and a small donation, apparently the 5 yen coins (the gold with the little hole) are the best ...
Prayers in the Shinto shrines are performed as follows. First your donation is deposited (or the bell is touched in other cases), a step is taken back to feel the aura of the place and two bows are made. Subsequently they clap their hands in front of your face also twice and prayer and desire are performed. Then another bow is made and ready. Several people may be praying at the same time that the gods give for that and much more (especially if there is a donation in between). |
Original Tokugawa family symbol
Symbol displayed in the bell donated by the Dutch
Said bell
USEFUL INFO Nikko tour from Tokyo: we did it on tour although of course you can do the visit for free, below we tell you how A tour with good comments and very good price is this. It includes: - Visit to Nikko, where the entrance to the Toshogu Shrine complex is included. The visit can be done with the guide (we recommend it) or by free, although you always have some time to wander around the area. - Japanese style food - Visit to Lake Chuzenji. Nikko for free: Nikko is connected to Tokyo through two train companies: the Tobu and the JR: - Tobu: from Asakusa station to Tobu-Nikko station the train is direct and costs ¥ 1,360. It takes a little less than 2 and a half hours. THE JR Pass is not valid. Tobu offers several passes, the most interesting being the “Two days Nikko Pass”, which includes the round trip from Tokyo, buses around Nikko and trains to the Kinugawa Onsen area, as well as some discounts on tickets and shops. The pass is valid on two consecutive days and costs ¥ 2,670 - JR Limited Express: from the Shinjuku station there is the train “LTD. EXP NIKKO 1 ”that covers the direct route to Tobu-Nikko (uses part of the Tobu network so that the JR Pass holders will have to pay part of the ticket price). It takes 2 hours and costs ¥ 4,000. The bad news is that there is only one per day and it leaves at 07:30 !! - JR: for the holders of the JR Pass it is best to take the “JR Tohoku Shinkansen” in Tokyo Sta. Or Ueno to Utsanomiya (49 minutes) and there change to the “JR Nikko Line” line, to get to Nikko (46 minutes) The journey takes just over 2 hours and costs ¥ 5,580.
The entrance to the sanctuary Main, the Toshogu Shrine, costs ¥ 1,300. |