Love, Money Or Success in Your Career? A Guide to Nikko’s Shrines For A Specific Wish

Sep 15 2020

Home of a world heritage site, “Nikko Toshogu”, and other shrines and temples, Nikko City, located in Tochigi Prefecture, has been attracting a lot of tourists. People in Japan visit shrines usually when they have a specific wish in mind. Let’s check out some spots in Nikko City that cater to your wish!

Visit Japanese Shrines To Get Lucky With A Specific Wish

shrine

Home of a world heritage site, “Nikko Toshogu”, and other shrines and temples, Nikko City, located in Tochigi Prefecture, has been attracting a lot of tourists. The city is easy to access from Tokyo (2 hours by train), and has a multitude of shrines and temples around the sacred mountains.

Across Japan shrines are one of the must visit spots for most tourists. But what do you visit Japanese shrines for? To get to know about its history? To see beautiful architecture or to make wishes? People in Japan visit shrines usually when they have a specific wish in mind. For example, people make wishes to pass an important exam, get promoted at work, find love or get married, stay healthy, be blessed with children, or have an easy delivery. But how do people choose a shrine to match their wishes? Japanese shrines are said to have one or more protective gods to bring luck in a certain area of life. You just need to know what kind of guardians are at the shrine before you visit a shrine.

Let’s Go On A Lucky Journey In Nikko

Here’s a guide to shrines in Nikko. Get your wish ready, and let’s go on a lucky journey!

Love And Marriage - Futarasan Shrine

Love And Marriage

If you are looking to find a new love or “the one”, date someone who you have a crush on, or hope to have a happy marriage, go to Futarasan Shrine. This shrine was built in Nikkosanzan (Nikko Three Mountains) more than 1,200 years ago. Each of the three mountains represents and is worshiped as a “father”, “mother”, and “child”. These three Gods are said to bring good luck in relationships including ones for parent-child, friends, coworkers, but especially strong with romantic relationships. There are some pairs of sacred trees (one is called “meoto sugi”, meaning “husband and wife cedars”) at this shrine, which have powers to help you to stay in a happy relationship. If you are trying to find a true love, there is a shrine garden to pray as well.

Money - Daikokuden At Futarasan Shrine

Money

Daikokuden is located in the western area of “haiden” (main shrine) in Futarasan Shrine. Built in 1745, it enshrines the patron deity of money called “Okuninushi no Mikoto” or casually called “Daikoku sama”. This god is very famous as one of the seven lucky gods (“Shichifukujin” in Japanese).

Great Vitality, Career Luck And Good Luck In Competitions - Nikko Toshogu Shrines

Even if you don’t know much about shrines, you must know the name of this place and its famous “three wise monkeys”. Nikko Toshogu Shrines are dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543-1616), who was the founder of the Edo Bakufu. Besides all the historic background and gorgeous buildings, Nikko Toshogu Shrines are known to be one of the best power spots in Japan. It’s believed that Tokugawa Shogunate chose this land because it was said to be a “dragon den” (“ryuketsu” in Japanese), meaning this point is a lucky prosperous spot. Also, they built almost every structure here according to advice from feng-shui and “Onmyodo” (yin-yang philosophy). If your wish is for great vitality and health, good fortunes in general, career luck or good luck in competitions (or battles!), head here!

Children And Easy Delivery - Takio-no Shrine

Takio-no Shrine is a small part of Futarasan Shrine. This spot is popular among those who wish to have children or an easy and safe delivery. A wish for a safe delivery is a common idea for Japanese people. Sometimes, friends or family members of someone expecting a baby will go to shrines to get a lucky charm to pray for it. There are also other power spots in this Takio-no Shrine. “Kodane ishi” (“children rock”) is a rock that you touch to wish for children. Another spot called “Undameshi no Torii” (“lucky gate”) is where you check your luck by throwing small rocks. Throw three rocks, and if one or more passes through the hole in the top center of the torii (gate) something good will happen!

Other Temples In Nikko To Visit For Fortunes

Rinnouji Temple

This shrine is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is also dedicated to Edo Bakufu’s shogun, like Toshogu. Rinnouji was for Tokugawa Iemitsu (1604-1651), who was a grandchild of Tokugawa Ieyasu who rests in Toshogu. Just like Toshogu, this shrine is also famous as a great power spot to bring you overall good fortune, especially to avoid bad luck.

Chuzenji Temple

Chuzenji Temple has a wooden statues of Buddha. It's especially famous for holding a “Senju Kannon” (thousand armed Buddha) which is said to help to bring people luck in general. Also, the view of Chuzenji Ko (Lake Chuzenji) in front as well as Futarasan (Mount Futara) from here is stunning!