Nikko

Nikko is the place were the first shogun of the Tokugawa family, Tokugawa Ieyasu is buried. His grave (Tosho-gu) and the surrounding shrines show nice examples of the architecture of the early edo period. His grandson, Tokugwa Iemitsu (1604-1651) who built the shrine for Ieyasu, is also buried in Nikko in a nearby shrine (The Taiyuin).
But Nikko was known as a holy site since the 8th century when the priest Shodo Shonin (735-817) discovered the place after crossing the mountains alone and built the first shrine here (in the old Nikko area). He also founded a religious center here. His buddhist school remained famous for many centuries.
Nikko is also is famous place for Kendo (Japanese fencing).
Pictures taken on August 8, 2004, in Nikko, Tochigi prefecture, Japan.

Approximate location where these pictures were taken: 36°45'13"648N 139°36'3"85E [over 5 km] (google maps)
Nikko, Japan

Shrine dedicated to the goddess of water in the old Nikko area	The forest around the shrines is made of big old cedars	Holy cedar	The sake waterfall	Little shrine near the sake waterfall
	Holy rocks near a pond	Inari (god of the harvest) near the sake waterfall		Lantern
Shrine dedicated to the god of the travellers	Interior of the shrine dedicated to the god of the travellers	Typical japanese buildings	Row of lanterns	Lanterns near the Tosho-gu
Building in the Tosho-gu (Tokugawa mosoleum)	Building in the Tosho-gu	Building in the Tosho-gu	Drum tower	Archer in the Yomei-mon (gate in the Tosho-gu) protecting the inner part of the shrine
Archer in the Yomei-mon (gate in the Tosho-gu) protecting the inner part of the shrine	Decoration of the Yomei-mon	Lion in the Yomei-mon (gate in the Tosho-gu) protecting the inner part of the shrinem		Barrels of sake in the inner shrine of the Tosho-gu
Haiden (Hall of workship)	Nemuri-neko (Sleeping cat) in the inner shrine of the Tosho-gu	Bird near the sleeping cat	Grave of Tokugawa Ieyasu
	The three monkeys: See no evil, speak no evil, hear no evil	Nikko is the place were Kendo was reborn	Entrance of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo
God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo
God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	God guarding one of the gates of the Taiyuin-byo	Lantern in the Taiyuin-byo
In the Taiyuin-byo	Field of lanterns			Drum tower
Lantern	Field of lanterns	Lantern with the sun on one side (left) and the moon on the other (right)		Lantern under the moss
Ema (Votive image featuring a horse)	Ema (Votive images featuring a horse)	Old wall with stones