Nikko Toshogu
日光東照宮36°46′ N 139°36′ EShrine1617; main halls rebuilt 1636UNESCO
Toshogu suits anyone who wants to see the Tokugawa shogunate's richest shrine in the cedar woods above Nikko, and its crowds peak so hard in autumn and at holidays that an opening-time visit makes the day.
Photo Maarten Heerlien from Voorschoten, The Netherlands · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY 2.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Visiting with care · Partly open
The shrine's own car park charges ¥600 a day for a car.
- Festivals, rites and repair work can close parts of the precinct; the shrine asks visitors to check ahead.
- Paid entry covers the route from the Omotemon gate through Yomeimon to the Okumiya.
- Toshogu is a working shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a deity, so bow at the gates and keep your voice down in front of the halls.
- Leave the ritual spaces to worshippers during the May and October festivals, and watch the processions from the roadside.
Related places
Tokugawa Ieyasu died in April 1616 and asked to be moved here, and his remains came from Kunozan the following year. The shrine took the name Toshogu in 1645. Most of the halls you see were rebuilt in 1636 under the third shogun, Iemitsu, and they sit within the Shrines and Temples of Nikko, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The paid route runs from the Omotemon gate past Yomeimon to the Okumiya, and a set ticket adds the Treasure House. On 17 and 18 May the spring festival brings mounted archery and a procession of about 1,200 people in armour and costume, and the autumn festival repeats both on 16 and 17 October.
Worth knowing
- Arrive at 9:00 when the gates open, before the tour coaches.
- In autumn, take the World Heritage loop bus from JR Nikko or Tobu Nikko station.
Quick answers about Nikko Toshoguよくある質問
How much does Nikko Toshogu cost?
Entry to Nikko Toshogu costs ¥1,600 for adults and high school students and ¥550 for primary and junior high school children.
What are Nikko Toshogu's opening hours?
Nikko Toshogu opens 9:00–17:00 from April to October and 9:00–16:00 from November to March, with last entry 30 minutes before closing.
Can you visit Nikko Toshogu?
Partly open. Festivals, rites and repair work can close parts of the precinct; the shrine asks visitors to check ahead. Paid entry covers the route from the Omotemon gate through Yomeimon to the Okumiya.
How should you behave at Nikko Toshogu?
At Nikko Toshogu: Toshogu is a working shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu is enshrined as a deity, so bow at the gates and keep your voice down in front of the halls. Leave the ritual spaces to worshippers during the May and October festivals, and watch the processions from the roadside.
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