Nikko Futarasan-jinja Haiden

This place looks like it came out straight from the postcard in summer. Full of greens under the deep blue sky. It is very serene and peaceful here. We enjoyed it very much. Took my first simple praying in Japan after we visited quite a number of shrine here. This particular one just moved me to have a simple asking for blessing.

A beautiful shrine with a cool cleansing circle at the entrance with instructions on how to walk through it in order to cleanse. The front entrance of the temple is free and you can pay a little bit to go explore the whole temple grounds. You can also buy good luck charms and fortunes. They have paid parking as well.

Futarasan Shrine has a distinctly mystical atmosphere centered around luck and fortune, with various elements that let you test your luck and numerous symbolic features throughout the grounds. There are multiple prayer areas and the shrine extends quite deep into the complex, creating an intriguing sense of mystery and spiritual energy that sets it apart from other shrines. Requires a separate admission ticket, but it’s reasonably priced and worth exploring for the unique atmosphere. The focus on fortune-testing and luck-related rituals makes it an interesting cultural experience, especially if you’re curious about different aspects of Shinto beliefs beyond the typical tourist shrine experience.

Enjoyable visit to this shrine that felt more like a mini testing theme park on testing your fortune. Tons of interactive activities. The only things I did were ringing the bells as well as washing my money to create a charm.

Great Shinto shrine in Japan. Also known as Ichinomiya shrine of Shimotsuke province. This shrine has sacred atmosphere.

In the 8th century, the monk Shodo went to Mt. Futarasan (Mt. Nantai) for worship and built the Futarasan Shrine after reaching the top. At that time, the shrine covered an area of ​​3,400 hectares, second only to the Ise Grand Shrine. With such a long history, it had been the center of faith in Mt. Nikko before the construction of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Today, although it is not as famous as the Nikko Toshogu Shrine, the Futarasan Shrine still elegantly presents its tranquility and elegance. It is the oldest building in Nikko and is also designated as an important cultural property.

The shrine yard is spacious, the shrine itself is beautifully decorated and ornamented. It is in close proximity to other interesting shrines and mausoleums.

We visited this place which is within the Unesco heritage area. There are some well preserved shrines here and we were quite fascinated by the golden rabbit.