ABOUT
About this spot
Rinnoji is a Tendai monzeki temple in Yamanouchi, Nikko, Tochigi Prefecture, with the mountain name Nikkozan. Its principal images are Amida Nyorai, the Thousand-Armed Kannon and the Horse-Headed Kannon. Together with Nikko Toshogu and Futarasan Shrine it forms the "two shrines and one temple" of Nikko, and it is part of the World Heritage site "Shrines and Temples of Nikko". The grounds are also a national historic site as "Nikkosan Nai". Temple tradition says the monk Shodo founded it in 766, although contemporary records do not mention this. Shodo is said to have climbed Mt. Nantai (Futarasan) in 782, and the name Nikko is said to come from reading the characters of Futarasan in their Sino-Japanese reading, 'Niko'. The temple declined in the Sengoku period, was revived in the Edo period through the efforts of Tenkai, and received the name Rinnoji in 1655. Imperial princes served as abbots from then on. It briefly lost its temple name in the Meiji era. The center of the site is the main hall, the Sanbutsudo. The current building was completed in 1645 with a donation from Tokugawa Iemitsu and is regarded as the largest wooden building in eastern Japan. An Important Cultural Property, it underwent a major restoration from 2007 to 2018. It enshrines Amida, the Thousand-Armed Kannon and the Horse-Headed Kannon, and the hidden Buddha Chinsho Yashason is shown once every nine years. The Jogyodo, Hokkedo and Kaizando are also Important Cultural Properties. Taiyuin, the mausoleum of Tokugawa Iemitsu, is a Buddhist-style complex in gold and black. Its Niomon, Nitenmon, Yashamon and Kokamon gates stand along the approach, and the main hall, connecting hall and worship hall are National Treasures. A major memorial service is held on April 20, the anniversary of Iemitsu's death. Tobu Bus "World Heritage Tour" buses are convenient from the station, and Nikko Toshogu is about 560 m away.
Last updated October 18, 2026