- JUNE 12TH, 1999

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HISTORY OF NIKKO Nikko was opened to the public by the priest Shodo Shonin in 766. Thereafter, many high priests climbed the mountains of Nikko, which became the center of the Buddhist culture in the Heian era. During the Kamakura era, the temples of Nikko were protected under the special patronage of Shogun Yoritomo, the founder of the Kamakura Shogunate. Therefore, Nikko was closely related to the Kamakura Shogunate, and the Imperial family came to occupy primateship of Mt.Nikko for seven generations. In 1590, at about the end of the Azuchi-Momoyama era the temple estate of Nikko was confiscated by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as punishment. From that time the prosperity of Nikko rapidly fell into decay. Soon after that, the edo era began in 1603. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun of the Edo Shogunate died and willed Tosho-gu Shrine to be built. They finished building the shrine in 1617. At that time, the great priest Tenkai acted as a leader in the work of bringing the remains of the decreased shogun to be enshrined in Nikko. Because of his effort, Nikko was revived.

KEGON WATERFALL It is one of the most famous waterfalls in Japan. The water flows down 97 meters perpendicularly. Together with small falls, its powerful scene deserves admiration. On a clear day, a beautiful rainbow sometimes appears over the cascade.

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