The most magnificent and artistic shrine ~ Nikko Toshogu

Nikko Toshogu is located in Tochigi Prefecture in the Kanto region. It is the mausoleum of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the shogun who founded the Edo Shogunate. With its resplendent design and exquisitely detailed craftsmanship, Nikko Toshogu is an architecturally invaluable structure. In December 1999, it was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Japanese name for the Nikko Thousand Warrior Procession is “Hyakumonogatari Hyakusho Gyoretsu.” Simply put, it is a reenactment of the grand funeral procession held over 400 years ago when Tokugawa Ieyasu’s remains were transferred to Nikko Toshogu.

Held annually on May 17th and 18th in spring, and October 16th and 17th in autumn, the Nikko Thousand Warrior Procession is the largest festival at Nikko Toshogu. Around 1,200 local residents of Nikko City—men, women, and children—are mobilized to authentically recreate this centuries-old grand parade.

Tokugawa Ieyasu passed away in 1616 at the age of 75, after conquering Osaka Castle and completely eliminating the remnants of the Toyotomi clan. He was posthumously honored with the title "Great Deity of the East Shining" and was laid to rest at Nikko Toshogu. The construction of Nikko Toshogu began in 1617 during the third year of the Genna era under the second Tokugawa shogun, Hidetada. Later, the third shogun, Iemitsu—Tokugawa Ieyasu’s grandson—out of deep reverence for his grandfather, invested a massive amount of funding and employed the finest craftsmanship from across the land to create a Toshogu that is dazzlingly brilliant and extraordinarily luxurious.

Incorporating religious concepts of Shinto, Buddhism, and Shugendo, and combining shrine and temple architectural styles, Toshogu has a uniquely distinctive form. Nikko is situated directly north of Edo Castle, backed by the North Star, symbolizing the protection of the Edo Shogunate and the peace of the realm. When Nikko Toshogu was completed in 1617, the ceremony to transfer Ieyasu’s remains was solemn and grand beyond compare. Today, one can still catch a glimpse of the posthumous glory of this once mighty ruler through the Nikko Thousand Warrior Procession. On the first day of the festival at 1 PM, a ceremony offering sacred sake, coins, and bows and arrows is held in front of the five-story pagoda at Toshogu. At 1:30 PM, following an ancient ritual dating back to the Kamakura period, the “Yabusame Ritual,” where samurai shoot arrows on horseback, takes place as a prelude to the grand ceremony of the following day. The second day, collectively known as the “Procession Festival” (Wakamiya Festival), begins at 9 AM. The mikoshi (portable shrine) symbolizing the spirit of Tokugawa Ieyasu is moved from Toshogu to the Otabisho at the start of the Omotesando. At 11 AM, the Nikko Thousand Warrior Procession commences, following the route of the mikoshi along the Omotesando. It is led by mounted local officials, followed by a hundred soldiers carrying flags, deities wearing Tengu masks, lion dancers for exorcism, shrine maidens (miko), sacred horses, and warriors armed with firearms and spears. Behind them are supernatural figures such as red demons, blue demons, and fox spirits, as well as twelve boys wearing tall crowns called “Kamishimo” and children wearing monkey masks who collect offerings (saisen) tossed by spectators along the way.

The procession, involving thousands of participants, ends at the Otabisho at the end of the approach path. Here, eight shrine maidens known as miko perform a dedication ceremony, accompanied by traditional Kagura dance that dates back to the Heian period. At 1 PM, the mikoshi of Tokugawa Ieyasu returns to Toshogu with the Thousand Warrior Procession, bringing the festival to a close.Click to see the full attraction guide for Toshogu
 

★★★ Extended Reading = Japan’s Toshogu Shrines

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