Utsunomiya to Nikko Trip

Nikko Shrines and Temples are one of Japan's most famous World Heritage sites. The most famous of these is Nikko Toshogu Shrine, where Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined. Most of the current shrine buildings were rebuilt in the "Kan'ei Great Reconstruction" by the third shogun, Iemitsu, in 1630. The shrine grounds are lined with 55 buildings, including 8 national treasures and 34 important cultural properties, and their gorgeous beauty is overwhelming. Master craftsmen from all over the country have applied lacquer and brilliant colors to the buildings, and numerous carvings are adorned on the pillars. The Yomeimon Gate, the most representative building of Nikko Toshogu Shrine, is a two-story structure 11.1 meters high, with a facade length of 7 meters and a depth of 4.4 meters. It is said that the gate was named after the Yomeimon Gate, the eastern main gate of the twelve gates of the Imperial Palace (currently the Kyoto Imperial Palace). All of the craft and decorative techniques from the early Edo period, such as carving, metal fittings, and coloring, are concentrated in Yomeimon Gate, and its gorgeous structure is so beautiful that you could look at it all day without getting bored, which is why it is also known as the "Higurashimon Gate." In particular, there are over 500 carvings that depict historical anecdotes, children's games, and saints and wise men, and each one has its own meaning, and by exploring these you can learn about Ieyasu's wishes for peace and the lessons he taught.