Gohōtendō (Important Cultural Property)
This hall originally enshrined a Shinto deity who protected Kōmyōin Temple (established 1240), one of the temples that eventually became Rinnōji. The current hall dates from around 1600 and survived a large fire that destroyed many nearby structures in 1871. At the time of the fire, a government-mandated separation of Shinto and Buddhism was underway, and the Gohōtendō was moved to its current location. Although it originally enshrined Bishamonten, Daikokuten, and Benzaiten—known as the Gohōten (Three Guardians of Buddhism)—it now enshrines Fudō Myō-ō (foremost among the Five Great Wisdom Kings) and Senju Kannon (Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva of Compassion).
Sōrintō Pillar (Important Cultural Property)
This bronze pillar symbolizes a prayer for peace. Records indicate that the pillar once contained 1,000 copies of the Lotus Sutra.
Saichō (767–822), the founder of Tendai Buddhism in Japan, had built six such pillars in the ninth century, to spiritually protect the country. This additional pillar was built in 1643 by Tenkai (1536?–1643), the fifty-third abbot of Nikkōzan, on the order of Iemitsu (1604–1651), the third Tokugawa shogun. It was originally located near the mausoleum of the first Tokugawa shogun, Ieyasu (1543–1616). The pillar is 13.7 meters tall and resembles the finial, or top, of a pagoda.
Five-Storied Pagoda (Important Cultural Property)
Although pagodas are typically associated with Buddhist temples, this one stands at the entrance to Tōshōgū, a Shinto shrine. It is one of the many architectural reminders of how deeply Shinto and Buddhism were integrated at Nikkōzan until after the government-mandated separation of the two religions in 1868. It enshrines the Five Wisdom Buddhas, which are particularly important in Tendai Buddhism. The current structure was built in 1815 after the original 1650 pagoda burned down.
