Yōmeimon Gate of Tōshō-gū

Nikkō Tōshō-gū

日光東照宮 · Nikkō, Tochigi

Foto: Jpatokal · CC BY-SA 4.0

Where Tokugawa Ieyasu rests: the dazzling Yōmeimon gate, the Sleeping Cat and the Three Wise Monkeys, hidden in a forest of towering cedars.

Antes de ir · Know before you go

  • Don't climb or touch the shrine carvings and stone lanterns
  • photography is banned in many parts of the shrine interiors, so watch for signs
  • don't run or push on the stone steps to the tomb

Este artículo está «Sin verificar». Consulte los avisos oficiales sobre precios, horarios y fechas.

Stories & people

Historias y personajes

Historia

Tokugawa Ieyasu, who rests here

Tōshō-gū was first built in 1617 under the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada, and expanded to its present scale under the third shogun, Iemitsu. Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate, is enshrined here and his remains are buried here too: through the cedar forest and up several hundred stone steps lies his tomb.

Tokugawa Ieyasu1543–1616

Fuente: Wikipedia: Nikkō Tōshō-gū

Leyenda

The Sleeping Cat and the Three Wise Monkeys

Tōshō-gū has a 'Sleeping Cat' carving said to be the work of the master craftsman Hidari Jingorō; the sacred stable bears three monkeys who 'see no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil', derived from the Analects' 'look not at what is improper, listen not to what is improper, speak not what is improper'.

Fuente: Wikipedia: Nikkō Tōshō-gū

Culture

Cultura y costumbres

Contexto cultural

Tōshō-gū is dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, founder of the Edo shogunate. It was first built in 1617 under Ieyasu's son, the second shogun Hidetada, and greatly expanded under the third shogun, Iemitsu. Ieyasu's remains are buried here; hundreds of stone steps through the cedar forest lead to his tomb. Together with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji, Tōshō-gū makes up the 'Shrines and Temples of Nikkō' World Heritage Site.

Costumbres locales

  • Rinse your hands and mouth at the purification fountain before praying
  • remove your shoes to enter the shrine buildings
  • the Yōmeimon, the Sleeping Cat and the Three Wise Monkeys are the highlights

Religión y creencias

A Shinto shrine dedicated to the deified Tokugawa Ieyasu (Tōshō Daigongen).

Etiquette

Normas y tabúes

No lo haga DON'T

  • Don't climb or touch the shrine carvings and stone lanterns
  • photography is banned in many parts of the shrine interiors, so watch for signs
  • don't run or push on the stone steps to the tomb

Lo que aprecian los locales DO

Locals appreciate visitors who slow down and study the carvings: the Yōmeimon has so many that it's called the 'Higurashi-mon', the gate you could gaze at all day without tiring.

Plan your visit

Información práctica

Mejor épocaAutumn leaves and the fresh green season
Tiempo recomendadoHalf a day

Consejos de viaje

  • Nikkō is about two hours from Asakusa in Tokyo on the Tōbu Railway
  • it's crowded in the autumn-leaves season, so try to arrive in the morning
  • combine with Futarasan Shrine and Rinnō-ji on the same day

Photos

Fotos

Fuentes y notas de verificación

Wikipedia: Nikkō Tōshō-gū