The ornately decorated Nikko Toshogu Shrine was built in 1636 to enshrine Tokugawa Ieyasu. The colorful buildings set in a deep green forest is a must-see when visiting Nikko.

Nikko is a beautiful area to visit in Japan and it’s the home to many shrines and temples with historical importance. Among all the sites, it is best known for the lavishly decorated Nikko Toshogu Shrine. It is part of Nikko UNESCO World Heritage Site along with Futarasan-jinja Shrine and Rinnoji Temple.
Where is Nikko Toshogu Shrine
Nikko is about 2.5 hours by train or 2 hours by car north of Tokyo. If you want to take the train there, from Tokyo, take the Nikko-Kinugawa Line from Kitasenju Station to Tobu-Nikko Station. Once in Nikko, you can take the World Heritage Sightseeing Bus for 500 yen (day pass) to get to the popular sites. You can get off at Daiyuin Futaarasanjinjamae Bus Stop or Omotesando Bus Stop to get to Nikko Toshogu Shrine.
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Day 3 in #Nikko: We visited Toshogu, Rinnoji, Akechidaira Ropeway, and Kegon Falls. And Mr JOC lost his belonging AGAIN!! More on IG/FB Stories (and will cover travel details in our travel posts). #jocinjapan
A post shared by Namiko Chen (@justonecookbook) on Jun 19, 2018 at 7:02am PDT

History of Nikko Toshogu Shrine
The Toshogu Shrine in Nikko was first built by his son the second shogun (Tokugawa Hidetada) in 1617 but additionally made extravagant by his grandson (Tokugawa Iemitsu). I...