Futarasan Shrine

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Attractions > Other Cities and Areas > Shrines Temples > Nikko

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Entrace to Futarasan Shrine by Aapo Haapanen (CC BY 2.0)

About

Futarasan Shrine by Guilhem Vellut (CC BY 2.0)

Futarasan Shrine (in Japanese; Futarasan Jinja 二荒山神社), also known as "Nikko Futarasan Shrine" (because there is a Futarasan Shrine in a city called Utsunomiya too), is a Shinto Shrine close by the famous Toshogu Shrine in Nikko (Note: "san" in Futarasan means "Mount" or "Mt."). Founded in 782, Futarasan Shrine is much older than Toshogu Shrine and was founded by the Monk Shodo Shonin, the Buddhist monk who also founded Rinnoji Temple. "Futarasan" is the "alternate" name of a sacred mountain nearby Nikko and Futarasan Shrine is dedicated to the deities of Nikko's three sacred mountains, Mt. Nantai (Futarasan), Mt. Taro and Mt. Nyoho.

Futarasan Shrine [Saigen Jiro|https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nikk%C5%8D-futarasan-jinja_Ch%C5%ABg%C5%AB-shi_ch%C5%ABmon.JPG| CC0 1.0 ]

A long time ago people in Japan respected the high mountains because they believed the mountains handled various phenomena such as rain, snow, clouds and thunder. Because of this, the mountains gave water for people's lives therefore believed a God was there. They started to worship the mountains. Futarasan has been respected since the early days and when the Buddhist monk Shodo came to the Nikko area, he established Nikko-san (later called Rinnoji Temple) in 766. Within a few years, he added more facilities which was the origin of Futarasan Shrine.

Tori at Futarasan Shrine [Guilhem Vellut|https://www.flickr.com/photos/o_0/13992287745| CC BY 2.0 ]

Futarasan is mostly free except for some pay areas which we recommend entering. If you pay the small fee you can see a beautiful forested garden, some more halls, old sacred trees and a spring. The Shinkyo Bridge is also part of the Futarasan Shrine complex. The shrine also poses over a hundred sacred swords and two swords that are National Treasures of Japan... although, unfortunately these are not on display.

Futarasan Shrine is in the Nikko Area of Japan. See our Nikko Area page for a complete guide.

Access

Closest Train Station: Nikko

2307 Sannai Nikko
Tochigi 321-1431 Japan

Tel: 288-54-0535

From Tobu Station and JR Nikko Station, Toshogu Nikko Shrine is about a 40-50 min. walk or a 10 min. bus ride (from outside the station). It is about a 5-10 min. walk west of Toshogu Shrine.

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Find a train route and times by Hyperdia & Jorudan

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