Rinnō-ji, Buddhist temple in Nikko, Japan
The main hall of Rinnoji, called Sanbutsudo, contains three gold-lacquered wooden statues measuring between 7 and 8 meters in height representing Buddhist deities.
The temple was established in 766 by monk Shodo Shonin, who introduced Buddhism to the Nikko region and initially constructed a simple thatched-roof structure.
The three principal Buddha statues represent the mountain deities of Mount Nantai, Mount Nyoho, and Mount Taro, demonstrating the connection between Buddhism and local nature worship.
The temple complex remains open daily from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with modified winter hours from November through March closing at 4:00 PM.
Behind the temple stands the Shoyo-en garden, designed around a central pond that replicates the form of Lake Biwa, dating from the mid-17th century.
Location: Nikko
Inception: 766
Founders: Shōdō
Part of: Shrines and Temples of Nikkō
Address: 栃木県日光市山内2300
Opening Hours: April-October Monday-Sunday 08:00-17:00; November-March 08:00-16:00
Website: https://rinnoji.or.jp
GPS coordinates: 36.75416,139.60271
Latest update: May 28, 2025 18:30
Nikkō Tōshō-gū
666 m
Futarasan Shrine
730 m
Shrines and Temples of Nikkō
393 m
Nikkō Kanaya Hotel
260 m
Mount Nyohō
8.7 km
Akechidaira Ropeway
7.9 km
Nikkō Tamozawa Imperial Villa Memorial Park
1 km
Kirifuri Falls
3.3 km
Kirifuri Highland
5.4 km
Shinkyō
173 m
Urami Falls
3.9 km
Mount Akanagi
6.8 km
Former Nikkō City Hall Main Building
554 m
Kisuge-Daira Park
6 km
Nikko Botanical Garden
522 m
Daiya River Bridge
8.3 km
Shōyō-en
207 m
Takinoo Shrine
1.6 km
Taiyū-in Mausoleum
861 m
Kosugi Hoan Museum of Art, Nikko
256 m
Nishi Kairō
543 m
Nishi Sukibei
585 m
Higashi Sukibei
563 m
輪王寺大猷院霊廟 本殿・相の間・拝殿
858 m
Honden, Ishinoma and Haiden
564 m
Shōmen Karamon
547 m
Yōmeimon, Nikkō Tōshō-gū
528 m
Higashi Kairō
514 mReviews
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