Nikko Toshogu Shrine: Tickets, Highlights and the Sleeping Cat

What Is Nikko Toshogu Shrine?

Nikko Toshogu is the shrine where Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, is enshrined as a god, in the cedar forest above the town of Nikko. It is the most richly decorated shrine in Japan, with gold, lacquer and thousands of painted carvings, and the centre of the Shrines and Temples of Nikko World Heritage Site.

Ieyasu died in 1616. By his own wish he was moved to Nikko a year later, and in 1617 he was enshrined here. Most of the buildings you see were rebuilt by his grandson, the third shogun Iemitsu, in 1636, and the shrine received the title "Toshogu" in 1645.

The complex has 55 buildings, eight of them National Treasures.

It is an active shrine. People come to pray, and festivals and ceremonies take place through the year, so treat the halls as places of worship rather than a museum.

Tickets, Hours and Payment

A standard ticket costs ¥1,600 for adults (including high school students) and ¥550 for primary and junior high school students. The shrine is open daily from 9:00, closing at 17:00 from April to October and 16:00 from November to March. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing.

Ticket	Adult and high school	Primary and junior high
Shrine	¥1,600	¥550
Shrine + Toshogu Museum	¥2,400	¥870
Toshogu Museum only	¥1,000	¥400
Toshogu Art Museum only	¥800	¥400

Pay in cash. The ticket counter takes cash only. Bring yen for the whole family.

There is no card machine to fall back on.

Online vouchers. Some travel sites sell vouchers, not tickets. These must be exchanged at the Tobu-Nikko Station Tourist Center, not at the shrine entrance, so they only help if you arrive through that station.

What the shrine ticket covers. It includes the Sacred Stable with the monkey carvings, the Yomeimon and Karamon gates, the main hall, the Sleeping Cat and the climb to the Okumiya, Ieyasu's tomb. The Toshogu Museum, just outside, is extra.

Audio guide. An English audio guide is rented for ¥500 a day just inside the front gate. Some parts may be closed during ceremonies or repair work. The shrine advises asking in advance.

How to Get to Nikko Toshogu

From Tobu-Nikko or JR Nikko Station, take the World Heritage Tour bus to the Omotesando stop, about 13 minutes, and walk up the approach. You can also walk from the stations in about 30 to 40 minutes, past the red Shinkyo Bridge.

From Tokyo, the Tobu limited express from Asakusa reaches Tobu-Nikko in about 1 hour 50 minutes. Trains, the NIKKO PASS, and whether to add Kegon Falls are in our Nikko day trip guide.

By car, the shrine has a car park for about 200 ordinary cars. You pay as you leave. In the autumn leaf season the roads into Nikko are slow, so arrive by 9:00.

8 Things to See on the Route Through the Shrine

The visit follows one route uphill, and these eight stops are roughly in the order you meet them. The whole loop, with the Okumiya, takes about two hours.

1. The Five-Story Pagoda

The pagoda stands on your left before the ticket gate. It was first given in 1650 by Sakai Tadakatsu, a feudal lord, burned in the early 19th century and was rebuilt in 1818.

It is outside the paid area, so you can see it before you buy tickets.

2. Omotemon Gate

This is the first gate of the paid area, guarded by two large figures. Your ticket is checked here.

3. The Sacred Stable and the Three Wise Monkeys

Just inside, on the left, is the Shinkyusha, the stable for the shrine's sacred horse. Its beam carries eight monkey panels, including the "see not, hear not, speak not" monkeys.

Where to find them, what the eight panels mean and why monkeys guard horses are all in our guide to the Three Wise Monkeys at Nikko Toshogu.

4. The Imagined Elephants

On the upper of the three storehouses (Kamijinko), just past the stable, two elephants were carved from a design by the painter Kano Tan'yu, who had never seen one. Children like working out what is not quite right about them.

5. Yomeimon Gate

This National Treasure has over 500 carvings of legends, sages and children at play. It is nicknamed the Higurashi-no-mon, the gate you could look at until the day is over.

Stand back on the stone terrace to see the whole front.

6. Karamon Gate

Karamon is the white gate behind Yomeimon. It is coated with gofun (a white pigment made from shell) and carved with Chinese stories, and it is also a National Treasure.

7. The Main Hall (Gohonsha)

This is the hall where Ieyasu is enshrined. You take your shoes off to go in, and photography inside is not allowed. Many visitors pray here. Keep children quiet and moving.

8. The Honjido and the Crying Dragon

The Honjido is a hall below Yomeimon with a dragon painted on its ceiling. A monk claps two wooden blocks under the dragon's head, and the echo rings like a cry.

There is no photography inside, and visitors are taken through in groups.

The Sleeping Cat (Nemuri Neko)

The Sleeping Cat is a small carving of a cat asleep among peony flowers, above the passage that leads from the main shrine to Ieyasu's tomb. It is a National Treasure, and the shrine says it is traditionally attributed to Hidari Jingoro, the legendary craftsman of the early Edo period.

Where to find it

Walk to the right of the main hall complex, along the east corridor, to the Sakashitamon gate. The cat is on the beam above the passage, facing you as you approach.

A sign below it reads "Okumiya" with an arrow. It is much smaller than most people expect, smaller than a real cat, and it sits high up, so a phone zoom helps.

What it means

On the reverse side of the same panel, sparrows are carved playing among bamboo. The usual reading is that because the cat sleeps, the sparrows can play without fear, a picture of the long peace that followed the Tokugawa victory.

Some guides add that the cat is only pretending, guarding the way to Ieyasu's tomb. Both readings are stories told about the carving rather than an official meaning, and the shrine itself describes it as a National Treasure on the way to the Okumiya.

Why it is often missed

The cat is right at the point where the crowd turns to climb the steps, and many visitors walk under it looking at the stairs. Stop, step to the side, and look up before you go through the gate.

Look at the back of the panel too, from the stairs side, for the sparrows.

Okumiya, Ieyasu's Tomb

The Okumiya is the inner shrine at the top of a long flight of stone steps through the cedars, and the tomb of Tokugawa Ieyasu stands behind it. The Okumiya is an Important Cultural Property and has a worship hall, a bronze gate and the Hoto, which is the bronze tomb itself.

The climb is steady rather than steep, but it is long and the steps are uneven stone. Allow about 30 minutes up and back. With toddlers, one parent can go up while the other waits below.

With older children it is the quietest part of the visit and worth doing. In rain the steps are slippery.

How Long to Spend, and When to Go

Allow about two hours for the full route with the Okumiya, or 1 to 1.5 hours without it. Add an hour for the Toshogu Museum.

Arrive at 9:00, because tour groups bunch up at the Sacred Stable and Yomeimon from mid-morning.

• Autumn (October and November). The leaves are at their best and the crowds and traffic are at their worst. Go early on a weekday if you can.
• Spring and early summer. The cedars are fresh green and there are fewer people than in autumn.
• Winter. It is quieter and cold, and the shrine closes at 16:00.

Festivals. On 17 and 18 May the spring Grand Festival includes horseback archery (yabusame) on 17 May and the Procession of 1,000 Samurai on 18 May, with over 1,200 people in armour and costume escorting the portable shrines.

A smaller autumn version follows on 16 and 17 October, with horseback archery on the 16th and the procession on the 17th. Both festivals draw dense crowds.

Visiting Nikko Toshogu with Kids

Toshogu works well with children who like spotting things. Give them a list before you go, such as the three monkeys, the elephants, the Sleeping Cat, the crying dragon, and the carvings of children at play on Yomeimon.

• Strollers. The shrine has gravel, steps and thresholds everywhere. A baby carrier is much easier, and you can leave a folded stroller near the entrance.
• Shoes. You take them off for the main hall, so slip-on shoes save time.
• Behaviour. Keep voices down near the halls, keep children off the steps of the buildings, and do not touch the carvings. Toshogu is a place of prayer.
• Food and toilets. Use the toilets along the approach before the ticket gate. Cafés are in the town below. There is little food inside the paid area.
• Rain. Most of the route is outdoors. Bring rain jackets rather than umbrellas for the crowded gates.

A Nikko Day from Tokyo

Most visitors see Toshogu as part of a day trip from Tokyo, together with Shinkyo Bridge, Rinno-ji and Futarasan Shrine, all within walking distance. With an early start you can also take the bus up to Kegon Falls and Lake Chuzenji.

Our Nikko day trip guide has the one-day plan, the trains and the passes, and our day trips from Tokyo compare Nikko with Mt. Fuji, Hakone and Kamakura.

With young children, the trains and buses are the hardest part of a Nikko day. For a day closer to Tokyo, compare our Mt. Fuji day trip guide and our Hakone day trip guide.

Our private tours are on foot in Tokyo and Yokohama. Your guide rides the trains with you, and each of you pays your own fare with an IC card. See our Tokyo private tour with kids.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much is the entrance fee for Nikko Toshogu?

It costs ¥1,600 for adults and high school students, and ¥550 for primary and junior high school students. A ticket with the Toshogu Museum costs ¥2,400 and ¥870 respectively.

Can I pay by credit card at Nikko Toshogu?

No. The ticket counter takes cash only, so bring yen. Online vouchers from travel sites must be exchanged at the Tobu-Nikko Station Tourist Center, not at the shrine.

What are Nikko Toshogu's opening hours?

It opens 9:00 to 17:00 from April to October, and 9:00 to 16:00 from November to March. Ticket sales end 30 minutes before closing.

Where is the Sleeping Cat at Nikko Toshogu?

It is above the Sakashitamon gate on the east corridor, where the path to Ieyasu's tomb begins. The carving is small and high up, so look for the "Okumiya" sign below it.

How long do you need at Nikko Toshogu?

Allow about two hours for the full route with the climb to Ieyasu's tomb, or 1 to 1.5 hours without it. Add an hour for the Toshogu Museum.

How do I get to Nikko Toshogu from Nikko Station?

Take the World Heritage Tour bus from Tobu-Nikko or JR Nikko Station to the Omotesando stop, about 13 minutes, then walk up the approach. Walking takes 30 to 40 minutes.

Sources

https://www.toshogu.jp/pages/25/
https://toshogu.jp/pages/29/
https://toshogu.jp/pages/27/
https://toshogu.jp/pages/28/
https://www.visitnikko.jp/en/spots/nikko-toshogu-shrine/
https://www.tobu.co.jp/en/access/nikko/