Nikko Shrine: Japan's Spiritual Window

Japan’s attraction to the other peoples of the world comes from the fact that it features a healthy mix of the old and the modern, weaved within a natural confluence of the Western and Eastern influences. Here’s how it normally goes: as one enters Japan’s doors, the air of the first world automatically embraces him. But as he settles down, he’ll be enticed by an air so different – a soft whisper from the country’s spiritual past, a slight tap from its religious core.

Thus, a visit to Japan is not complete unless one pays homage to the temples and shrines that can be found in almost every corner. And if one wants the badge of a true-blue tourist, then the NikkoToshugu Shrine should never be missed, as it is a shrine far more grand and lavish than the other temples around (where the stress is on simplicity and austerity).

In 1999, the Shrine was listed as one of UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites. With the inscription, the world body acknowledged the temple-builders’ architectural and artistic genius (eastern baroque, some would say) and recognized the sensitivity that inspired the harmonious integration of the man-made structures with the natural requirements of the forest that hosts it. Aside from being the mausoleum for the shogun who commissioned it’s erection, it is after-all Shinto temple where premium is placed on man’s close relationship with nature.