Futarasan shrine

Lore & Background

The shrine was founded in 767 by Shōdō Shōnin, a Kegon school Buddhist priest who sought a training ground in the northern mountainous area of Shimotsuke Province. The area had been sacred since at least the Yayoi period, as Mount Nantai (also called Futarasan) was worshipped as a go-shintai, supplying water to the plains below. The mountain was the center of an ancient mountain cult that merged with Buddhist Shugendō religion. According to shrine legend, it was visited by Kukai, who built the Takino Shrine, and by Ennin, who built the Sanbutsu-dō, now the Main Hall of Rinnō-ji.

Reader's Guide

Futarasan Shrine is significant as a major Shinto shrine with deep historical roots in mountain worship and syncretism with Buddhism. Its three separate sections—main, middle, and inner—reflect the sacred geography of the Nikkō Mountains, with the inner shrine atop Mount Nantai, a volcano that has been a focus of worship since the Yayoi period. The shrine's precincts cover 3,400 hectares, second only to Ise Grand Shrine in area, and include eight peaks and Kegon Falls. It possesses two National Treasure swords and dozens of Important Cultural Properties. The Sacred Bridge (Shinkyō) crossing the Daiya River belongs to the shrine and is one of the three most beautiful bridges in Japan, registered as a World Heritage site in 1999. The shrine's annual main festival is held from April 13 to April 17. Its legacy is intertwined with the Nikkō UNESCO World Heritage complex, drawing visitors alongside Nikkō Tōshō-gū, Taiyū-in, and Rinnō-ji.

Did You Know?

• The shrine's precincts cover 3,400 hectares, second only to Ise Grand Shrine in area.
• The shrine possesses two swords that are National Treasures of Japan.
• The Sacred Bridge (Shinkyō) is one of the three most beautiful bridges in Japan and was registered as a World Heritage site in 1999.
• There is an ongoing controversy over whether the 927 AD Engishiki refers to this shrine or the Utsunomiya Futarayama Jinja.