Located about 140 km north of Tokyo, the city of Nikko nestles in the mountains of western Tochigi Prefecture. Its three holy sites — Futarasan Shrine, Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine and Rinno-ji Temple — were collectively designated as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1999.
The area's role as a center for religious activity is said to date back to 767, when Futarasan Shrine was founded by the sacred Shodo Shonin. Recent research has excavated much older religious sites, however, thus making the date of its original founding unknown. Enshrined here are the three deities of Okuninshi, Tagorihime and Ajisukitakahikone. Each god represents the holy Nikko mountains of Nantai-san, Nyoho-san and Taro-san. The shrine grounds cover a vast area of 3,400 hectares, which includes the eight sacred mountains of Nikko, Kegon Falls and the Iroha-zaka road that zigzags through the mountains. Many of its buildings and possessions are designated as Important Cultural Assets, including the beautiful red Shinkyo sacred bridge over the Daiya River.
Nikko Tosho-gu Shrine is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Tokugawa clan. It was completed in 1617 during the rule of his son, Hidetada. During the Edo Period, the Tokugawa shogunate performed stately processions from Edo (current Tokyo) to Nikko Tosho-gu along the Nikko Kaido. Known as the "processions of a thousand warriors," the shrine re-enacts these grand parades every year at its spring and autumn festivals.