Toshogu Shrine, the first one we visited in Nikko, is beautiful and we don’t want to leave but we still have lots to see today so we exit it and walk towards the next one on our list, Futarasan shrine, on a beautiful path guarded by stone lanterns.
Established in the 8th century in dedication to Nikko’s mountain gods, Futarasan-jinja Shrine represents the spiritual heart of the area. While not as grand and ornate as its neighbors it is the oldest by far being founded in 782 by Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko.
While older it is actually smaller than Toshogu, with a few shrines spread out across the compound. It looks like there is also a separate main building but it isn’t open for visit and we have to look from the outside at the ornate interior.
One of the more interesting features of the Futarasan shrine are the holy springs which are nicely landscaped and seem popular for praying.
We pass by the main shrine which cannot be entered but we look inside at the beautiful tatami mats and drums.
Right next to Futarasan is another shrine which is part of Rinnoji and contains the mausoleum of the third Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu. However due to time constraints we decide not to enter it and just view the impressive entry gate from the outside.
As we return using different pathways to the hotel and our car we see quite a few other small shrines and temples on the side some of them appearing to be almost forgotten. There are also some well manicured small gardens – everything looks neat and beautiful. The car is already packed as we had checked out so we can leave relatively fast for our drive through the mountains towards our next accomodation.
