Nikko Futarasan Jinja

Nikko Futarasan Jinja was founded in 767 during the Nara period by the Buddhist monk Shodo. It is the center of mountain worship in Nikko, with the three peaks of Nikko—Mount Nantai, Mount Nyotai, and Mount Taro—enshrined as divine bodies. The name "Nikko" itself derives from "Nikkou" (二荒). The shrine received imperial patronage during the Heian period and gained deep devotion from the warrior class from the Kamakura period onward. In the Edo period, under the protection of the Tokugawa family, it developed alongside Toshogu as a sacred site of Nikko. The shrine is also famous as a deity of matchmaking, and countless worshippers visit seeking good relationships and fortuitous unions.