Rinnō-ji, Buddhist temple in Nikko, Japan
Rinnō-ji is a Buddhist temple in Nikko and part of the World Heritage Site, whose main hall Sanbutsudo houses three gold-lacquered wooden statues standing roughly 7 to 8 meters tall. The grounds include several smaller buildings, paths through cedar trees and a landscape garden at the southern end of the complex.
Monk Shodo Shonin founded the temple in 766 as a thatched-roof building and brought Buddhist teachings to the mountains of Nikko. The current main hall was expanded and redesigned in the 17th century under the Tokugawa family.
The temple name links Buddhist teachings with the mountains Nantai, Nyoho and Taro, considered sacred places for centuries. Visitors today see pilgrims praying before the golden figures and lighting incense sticks.
The temple opens daily from 8 AM to 5 PM, in winter from November to March only until 4 PM. Visitors should allow time for the garden and wear flat shoes, as the grounds cover several levels and unpaved paths.
The garden Shoyo-en behind the main hall was created in the mid-17th century and reproduces with its central pond the shape of Lake Biwa. The garden design uses trees and stones to symbolize the landscape of Omi Province.
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