Toshogu Shrine
Located about 90 miles north of Tokyo, it was begun in 1634 and is a mixture of Shinto and Buddhist elements. A Shinto torii stands with a Buddhist pagoda in front of the Niomon front gate, adorned with gold leaf and black lacquer. Further into the complex is the Yomeimon, the Gate of Sunlight, past which only high-ranking samurai once could pass to the Gokuden, or Sacred Palace, which contains the gold lacquer shrine to several great warriors.
Sacred Stable for White Horse
In the Toshogu Shrine. There is a carving of three monkeys on the lintel -- "Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil." The local craftsmen consider them guardian spirits.
Nikko National Park
Has numerous lakes and mountains, among the latter the sacred mountain of Nantai-san, at the base of which is the beautiful Lake Chuzenji, fed by the breathtaking Kegon Waterfall.
