(It may be sensible to read "Toshogu Shrine - a brief introduction" and "Toshogu Shrine - the lower levels" before reading this entry.)

Up the next flight of stairs is the Yomeimon Gate, which you would have been able to observe from the previous two levels. This richly decorated gate has the Japanese nickname Higurashi-mon, or Twilight Gate, implying that it is so beautiful (and complex) that you can spend all day looking at it until you are overcome by darkness. This gate is the most richly decorated in all of Japan although it is considered by many to be gaudy and vulgar - you may make your own judgment. It contains carvings, guilt and lacquer work of intricate detail including mythical Chinese animals, children and dragons. A pillar on the left hand side of the gate was purposely installed upside down to prevent anger and envy from the gods from such a perfect artwork. Lower-rank samurai were only allowed up to this gate while those of a higher-rank could only pass by leaving behind their swords. Binoculars may be handy to study higher up decorations.

The Haiden (Hall of Worship) is directly behind the gate and behind it is the Honden (Main Hall). The spirit of Ieyasu is enshrined in the Honden and it is magnificently decorated as well. This splendid interior is in stark contrast to the simple mausoleum where his ashes rest and is due to the fact that the spirit of Ieyasu was considered to be a kami (god) and its domain should be more magnificent than that of the mortal body. The Honden may be visited - you have to remove your shoes and leave them behind in coin lockers (the coin is returned when you return the key). No photography is allowed inside the building.

To the right of the Honden is the entrance to Sakashita-mon gate and the Nemuri-neko (sleeping cat). This small carved painting of a cat is said to be the reason that there are never rats in this temple complex. Through the gate is the approach to Ieyasu’s tomb - you have to climb about 200 stairs going up a narrow and steep walkway through a cedar forest to reach the grave. The mausoleum is a surprisingly simple design resembling a rather small bronze pagoda - about 5 meters high and only a meter in diameter.

Shrine Festival: the Grand Festival is on 17 & 18 May and includes horseback archery and a re-enactment of the delivery of Ieyasu’s remains to Nikko featuring 1200 people in period costume and thousands of spectators. The autumn festival on 17 October is similar but without the archery. Reservations should be made well in advance for both transport and accommodation during this period.

(It may be sensible to read Toshogu Shrine - a brief introduction before reading this entry)

The main approach (Omotesando) brings you from Rinno-ji, in about five minutes, to a broad flight of ten stone steps with a 9-meter high granite torii gate on top. These stairs were the limit of entry to commoners during the shogunate era. The torii is the largest stone torii in Japan. Before entering the Omotemon Gate, you’ll see a 35-meter high five-story pagoda. The original was built in 1650 but the current one dates from 1818. It has no foundations but has a long suspended pole that swings like a pendulum to prevent its collapse in case of earthquakes. The crest of the Tokugawa family is on each level except the first. Just after the pagoda to the left is the stone lantern lined walking path to the entrance of Futara-san-jinja Shrine.

Directly after the Omotemon Gate are three Sacred Storehouses. (Public toilets are to the right behind these buildings.) On the last storehouse are two carvings of an elephant - the artist obviously worked from a description that excluded comments on the tail and ears, as they resemble those of a pig! To the left is the Sacred Stable, which is decorated with the unofficial emblem of Nikko - the hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil monkeys. It was popularly believed that monkeys ward off horse diseases. A carved white horse is inside the building as well as a sacred real horse that may at times be fed by visitors.

On your way to the next torii and flight of stairs you’ll pass the fountain (made of a single piece of granite) where believers purify themselves by washing hands and rinsing their mouths. Next is a sacred library containing almost 7000 scripts (not open to the public). Ironically the scripts are Buddhist in an otherwise Shinto shrine. Up the flight of stairs to the right is the belfry and to the left the drum tower. In this area are a bronze candelabrum and a revolving bronze lantern, which were donated by the Dutch who were the only nation allowed to trade with Japan during most of the Edo Period. The crest of the Tokugawa family on the lantern was erroneously placed upside down.

Behind the drum tower is the Yakushido, the only Buddhist style building in the complex. The ceiling is decorated with huge crying dragon. If you clap your hands at the right spot - usually it is too crowded so an official will clap wooden blocks - the dragon will groan back in reply. The current painting is only four decades old as the original roof was destroyed by fire in 1961.

Approaching from Nikko station the first significant sight is Shinkyo, an orange-red arched bridge that spans the Daiya River. During the Edo Period it was only for use by the shogun and imperial messengers. Nowadays, it may be crossed by commoners for a fee - better to appreciate it while crossing the normal Nikko Bridge. The original bridge built in 1636 washed away in 1902 and the current construction dates from 1907.

The shrines are in the area directly across from the bridge set among huge cedars. The cedars here, as well as along several roads approaching Nikko, were donations from Matsudaira Masatsuna, a nobleman who couldn’t afford tribute for the construction of the shrines and devised the cheaper way to deal with the obligation. The tree planting took 20 years to complete (backbreaking work for his servants, no doubt) and 13,000 can still be seen. A good place to see the cedars is on the road from Imaichi to Nikko.

When approaching from the Shinkyo Bridge, the first temple complex is Rinnoji. The temple consists of several buildings but the one of most interest is the main hall or Sambutsudo. This hall, erected in 1648, is the largest structure in Nikko and measures 26 m high, 25 m wide and 32 m long. Inside are three huge gilt wooden images of Buddha. The one on the right has a horse’s head on its forehead and is considered the guardian of animals. However, some others sources claim it symbolizes the Buddhist notion of reincarnation and the link connecting all living things and the possibility that you can be an animal in the next life or were one before. The most impressive, however, is the 1000 armed Kannon to the left.

The Treasure Hall at Rinnonji is of lesser interest but don’t miss the beautiful garden at the back of the Hall. It has all the elements that you would expect in a Japanese garden which is surprisingly rare and difficult to see in Tokyo itself - pruned trees, water features, small walkways, bamboo fences, moss, pretty arched bridges and stone lanterns.

After exiting from Toshogu, it is a pretty walk lined with 37 stone lanterns to Futara-san-jinja Shrine. Part of this shrine dates from 767 making it the oldest structure in Nikko.

The last structure of note is Daiyuinbyo, the mausoleum of the third Shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, who ordered the construction of Toshogu Shrine. It is smaller than Toshogu and thus appears less extravagant but is considered by many to be aesthetically superior. The mausoleum features the same type of structures as at Toshogu and the stairs seem even steeper and higher. The views can be spectacular but it is a tiring climb coming at the end of a hard couple of hours of shrine viewing.