Futarasan Shrine was founded in 782 by Shonin, the Buddist monk who introduced Buddhism to Nikko. It stands next to the more lavish Toshogu Shrine. Futarasan is dedicated to the dieties of Nikko’s three most sacred mountains - Mount Nantai, Mount Nyoho, and Mount Taro. Shinkyo Bridge, about a kilometer away, belongs to Futarasan Shrine.
I have seen this circle at shrines before. First you walk through and go around to the left. Next, you come around, walk through to the right. The third time, you walk straight through. Doing this gets rid of the bad things of the last six months and lets you start fresh. (Or something like that).
The first part of the shrine grounds is free to visit, the rest costs 500 yen for adults.
I don’t understand everything about the shrines and temples I visit, but I am always amazed by how beautiful and well kept and maintained they are.
I read about this interesting quilt-a-long on this Piecework magazine website. This article directs participants to the Park’s Website for instructions for blocks 7 - 10.
The seventh block is the Road to Tennessee Block (my version).
The Shinkyo Bridge stands at the entrance to Nikko’s Shrines and Temples. It belongs to Futarasan Shrine. It is ranked as one of Japan’s three finest bridges, together with Iwakuni’s Kintai and Saruhashi in Yamanashi’s Prefecture. The current Shinkyo Bridge was constructed in 1636, but there had been some kind of bridge much longer.
This statue near the bridge is Itagaki Taiske (1837-1910), a prominent Meiji era politician and leader of the Freedom and People’s Rights Movement. During the Boshin War in 1868, he persuaded pro-shogunate troops to move their battle away from Nikko, saving the areas shrines and temples from destruction.
This is our current stitch group project. I’m pleased with how mine turned out.
This shrine is about a 20 minute walk from Omiya Station. The park and shrine are serene and just gorgeous. I visited mid-morning and there were very few people around.
This was lunch that day - cold soba and tempura. Perfect!
