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Nikko Rinnoji Temple

World Heritage Temple Complex

Nikko Rinnoji Temple, the collective name for the Buddhist temple complex in Nikko, including Sanbutsudo, Taiyuuin, and Jyougyoudo, was founded in 766 A.D. by monk Shodo Shonin. Sanbutsudo is the main hall of the temple and houses the three golden Buddhas, while Taiyuuin is the Mausoleum of the third Tokugawa family shogun.

Located in the downtown area of Nikko, Nikko Rinnoji Temple is a Tendai school Buddhist temple, and was registered as a World Heritage Site in 1999, along with Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Nikko Futarasan Jinjia Shrine. It is the collective name for the Buddhist temple complex in the Nikko area, such as Sanbutsudo, Taiyuuin, Jyougyoudo, Shoyo-en Garden, and even Chuzenji Temple on the shore of Lake Chuzenji.

In 766 A.D., Monk Shodo Shonin founded Nikko Rinnoji Temple, which was visited by Buddhist masters such as Kukai (Kobo Daishi) and Ennin during the Heian period. It’s said that the Sanbutsudo, Jyougyoudo and Hokke-do Halls and other buildings were built by monk Ennin, the founder of the Sammon Group of the Tendai School Buddhism in Japan.

Manywhere Trivia:
The nearby Nikko Futarasan Jinja Shrine was also founded by Monk Shodo Shonin. In fact, in ancient Japan, shrines and Buddhist temples were often one and inseparable.

The magnificent wooden Sanbutsudo 三仏堂, Hall of Three Buddhas, is one of the few Tendai Tantric Buddhist halls in Japan. Inside the hall, as the name suggests, there are three golden Buddhas: the Amitabha Buddha, the Thousand-armed Kannon, and the Horse-headed Kannon, which are considered to be the Buddhist incarnations of the three mountain deities of Nikko. The vajra cherry tree in front of the Hall of Three Buddhas is 500 years old.

The Tokugawa's Clan Crest, Triple Hollyhock

Daigomado 大護摩堂, located behind the Hall of Three Buddhas, houses 30 Buddhism statues, including Five Wisdom Kings, Seven Lucky Gods, and Twelve Devas. The bronze pagoda in front of the hall is called the Sorinto 相輪橖, which is about 15 meters tall and is modeled after the pagoda in Mount Hiei.

The Taiyuuin Mausoleum is another well-known attraction of Nikko Rinnoji Temple. It is about 500 meters away from the main Sanbutsudo Hall and is connected by a Straight Worship Path, and is also home to the Jyougyoudo and Hokke-do halls.

Taiyuuin 大猷院霊廟, founded in the Edo period, is the mausoleum of Iemitsu Tokugawa, the grandson of Ieyasu Tokugawa and the third Tokugawa shogun. Its Main Hall and the Yashamon Gate in Taiyuuin are colorful and lavish, and in harmony with the nearby Nikko Toshogu Shrine.

Taiyuuin Mausoleum

Mausoleum of Three Shogunates

Built in the 17th century, Taiyuuin is the tomb of Iemitsu Tokugawa, the third shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate, and is part of Nikko Rinnoji Temple. The gold and black buildings in Taiyuuin have lavish interior and exterior decorations, and the Main Hall and Worship Hall have been selected as national treasures of Japan.