thumb|250px|right|Yomeimon at Nikkō Tōshō-gū

A is a Shinto shrine in which Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, is enshrined. Tōshō-gūs are found throughout Japan.

The most well-known Tōshō-gū is the Nikkō Tōshō-gū located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture. It is one of Japan's most popular destinations for tourists and is part of "Shrines and Temples of Nikkō" World Heritage Site.

Ueno Tōshō-gū at Ueno Park in Tokyo is also widely known. The Kunōzan Tōshō-gū is in Shizuoka Prefecture and rivals Nikkō's for decorative splendor. Another one is the Nagoya Tōshō-gū, constructed in 1619. A Tōshō-gū can also be found at Miyanochō, in Sendai.

During the Edo period these shrines reached 500 in number, but after the Meiji Restoration many were abandoned, and others united with shrines in the area. Presently, it is estimated that there are about 130 Tōshō-gū. The National Tōshō-gū Association lists a total of 48 shrines.

Ieyasu was deified with the name , meaning "Great Gongen, Light of the East" (a gongen is a Buddha who has appeared on Earth in the form of a kami to save sentient beings), and this is what gives Tōshō-gū shrines their name.

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File:Karamon of Nikko Tosho Shrine.JPG|Nikkō Tōshō-gū<br>Nikkō, Tochigi

File:Haiden of Kunozan Toshogu.jpg|Kunōzan Tōshō-gū<br>Shizuoka, Shizuoka

File:Wongwt 上野東照宮 (17098019409).jpg|Ueno Tōshō-gū<br>Tokyo, Tokyo

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File:Sendai Tōshō-gū haiden.jpg|Sendai Tōshō-gū<br>Sendai, Miyagi

File:NagasakiToshogu.jpg|<br>Nagasaki, Nagasaki

File:Shiba Toshogu 07.JPG|Shiba Tōshō-gū<br>Tokyo, Tokyo

File:140321 Reikyu-jinja Shimabara Nagasaki pref Japan03s3.jpg|Reikyū Shrine<br>Shimabara, Nagasaki

File:Houraisantoushouguu1.JPG|Hōraisan Tōshō-gū<br>Shinshiro, Aichi

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See also

  • List of Tōshō-gū
  • List of World Heritage Sites in Japan
  • Testament of Ieyasu

References

  • Toshogu.net (in Japanese)
  • National Archives of Japan: Illustrations of Road to Nikko, Tempo 14 (1843)