This Edo-era strolling garden can feel like a refuge from the temple crowds – except during autumn, when the turning leaves are a great attraction.
Shōyō-en
Nikkō
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
0.27 MILES
Tōshō-gū is Nikkō's biggest attraction, a shrine to the powerful shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616). No expense was spared: when the original structure …
0.43 MILES
Taiyū-in, completed in 1653, is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604–51), the third Tokugawa shogun and grandson of Ieyasu. (Ieyasu was deified, which…
0.68 MILES
Along this particularly scenic stretch of the Daiya-gawa, where white rapids swirl around rocks, is a row of Jizō statues, the small stone effigies of the…
0.06 MILES
Rinnō-ji's grand main hall, Sanbutsu-dō ('Hall of Three Buddhas'), was first built in 848; the current structure dates to 1645 and, with restoration work…
0.91 MILES
Just to the left of the entrance to Futarasan-jinja is a 1km wooded path leading to Takinō-jinja, part of the greater shrine precinct. Just in front is…
0.37 MILES
Futarasan-jinja was founded over 1200 years ago as a place to worship the mountain Nantai-san (2484m), his mountain consort, Nyohō-san (2483m), and their…
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The main shrine courtyard at Tōshō-gū includes the Honden (本殿; Main Hall) and Haiden (拝殿; Hall of Worship). Inside these halls are paintings of the 36…
Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
0.52 MILES
About 1km west of Shin-kyō bridge, this splendidly restored imperial palace (c 1899) of more than 100 rooms showcases superb artisanship, with parts of…
Nearby Nikkō attractions
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This museum has an interesting collection of temple artefacts, sculptures and scrolls. Admission includes entry to the lovely Edo-period garden Shōyō-en.
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Rinnō-ji's grand main hall, Sanbutsu-dō ('Hall of Three Buddhas'), was first built in 848; the current structure dates to 1645 and, with restoration work…
3. Nikkō Tōshō-gū Museum
0.11 MILES
Opened in 2015 for the 400th anniversary of Tokugawa Ieyasu's death, this modern building behind Rinnō-ji contains artefacts relating to the shogun,…
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A towering stone torii (entrance gate) at the head of the stone steps on Omotesandō leading up to Tōshō-gū, burial place of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
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This five-tiered pagoda at Tōshō-gū is an 1819 reconstruction of the mid-17th-century original. Buying a supplementary ticket affords you the chance to…
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Tōshō-gū's main gateway, protected on either side by Deva kings.
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This much-photographed red footbridge over the Daiya-gawa is located at the sacred spot where Shōdō Shōnin is said to have been carried across the Daiya…
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In Tōshō-gū's initial courtyard are these 'Three Sacred Storehouses'; on the upper storey of the Kamijinko (upper storehouse) are relief carvings of …