Futarasan Shrine
日光二荒山神社
The origin of Nikko's mountain worship, enshrining three sacred mountains including Mount Nantai, with matchmaking sacred trees and a quiet, rustic vermilion main shrine.
Futarasan Shrine is the origin of Nikko's mountain worship. According to tradition, it was founded in 782 by the monk Shōdō Shōnin, who was the first to climb Mount Nantai, and it enshrines the deities of the three sacred Nikko mountains: Mount Nantai, Mount Nyohō and Mount Taro. The reading of 'Futara' is pronounced 'nikō', which later evolved into the place name 'Nikkō'. The main shrine stands west of Tōshō-gū, and its main hall was built in 1619 by the second shogun, Tokugawa Hidetada. It is one of the oldest surviving shrine buildings in Nikko and is designated an Important Cultural Property. The grounds include matchmaking sacred trees such as the 'Husband and Wife Cedar' and the 'Parent and Child Cedar'. Because the principal deity, Ōkuninushi-no-mikoto, is regarded as a god of matchmaking, many young people seeking love visit. There is also a bronze lantern called the 'Bakedōrō', said to change shape at night, with sword cuts still visible. Admission to worship is free; entry to the inner Shinen garden costs about ¥300. The shrine has a Chūgū-shi shrine on the shore of Lake Chuzenji and an Okunomiya on the summit of Mount Nantai (climbing permits must be obtained at Chūgū-shi). Access: walk about 5 minutes along the cedar-lined Kamishin Road from the Tōshō-gū exit. A visit together with Tōshō-gū and Taiyūin is recommended.
Opening hours
Apr–Oct 08:00–17:00; Nov–Mar 09:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Taiyuin Mausoleum
- Nikko Toshogu Shrine
- Shinkyo Bridge
- Nikko Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
- Rinnoji Temple
- Kanmangafuchi Abyss
- Kirifuri Falls
- Kirifuri Kogen Highland