Precinct map｜Hiroshima Toshogu

"Honden" (Main Hall)

Ikkensha Nagare-zukuri style. Cusped gable and copper sheet roof. The dropping of the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945 destroyed the magnificent cypress bark roof shrine building of the time, however it is nothing short of a miracle that the shrine deities were saved undamaged thanks to the firefighting efforts of the Second General Army Signal Corps who were stationed on the Shrine grounds. The present building is a reconstruction which was built in 1984.

"Haiden" (Hall of Worship)

As with the Honden (main hall), the Haiden (hall of worship) was destroyed in the dropping of the atomic bomb on August 6, 1945, so the current building is a reconstruction which was built in April 1965 to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the shrine.

"Osaninarisha" Shrine

Tokugawa Ieyasu, the enshrined deity, was born on the hour of the tiger, on the day of the tiger, in the year of the tiger in 1542 at Okazaki Castle in Mikawa Province (present-day Aichi Prefecture). When his mother (Odai) was pregnant with Ieyasu, she prayed to Yakushi Nyorai (the medicine Buddha) that Ieyasu would be born safely and would become a great military commander. This led to the belief that visiting Toshogu Shrine would bring good fortune for an easy childbirth. The Osaninarisha Shrine is also called "Osansan" and houses many "ema" votive tablets and nobori banners dedicated to prayers for safe and easy childbirths.

"Fukurokuju" (One of Seven Lucky Gods and the God of wisdom and longevity)

Fukurokuju provides a harmonious and amicable character and the virtue of being trusted and respected by all. His long head represents calm and careful thought and action, and his name is the combination of the three virtues embodied in this deity: "Fuku" is happiness and fortune, "Roku" is high income, and "Ju" is long life.

"Gokusho" (daily offering hall)

【Hiroshima City Designated Tangible Important Cultural Property】 This building has a hip-and-gable roof. This building was used as a kitchen for the preparation of foods to be offered to the gods. The interior is divided into four rooms, and the northeast room has a 1.8 m square upper level space (the space for placing prepared offerings). A "Gokusho" (daily offering hall) as its own separate building is rare among the various Toshogu Shrines throughout Japan, and of those that do exist, this is the oldest, making it an extremely valuable location. In April 1997, the building was dismantled and repaired to commemorate the 350th anniversary of the construction of Toshogu Shrine which was also partially subsidized by the Hiroshima City as part of a project commemorating the 50th anniversary of the atomic bombing.

"Wakimon"（side gate）

【Hiroshima City Designated Tangible Important Cultural Property】 This gate hate a gable roof structure. This gate is adjacent to the "Gokusho" (daily offering hall). The grand yet simple style is a relic of the "Sengoku Jidai" (Warring States Period). This was originally a very prestigious gate through which the domain lord would pass during processions. As with the "Gokusho" (daily offering hall), it was dismantled and repaired in 1997.

"Honjido"（hall）

【Hiroshima City Designated Tangible Important Cultural Property】 Constructed in 1648 during the early Edo Period. It has a pyramidal roof structure. Originally, this building enshrined Yakushi Nyorai (the medicine Buddha), who is the "Honjibutsu" or "True Manifestation" of Tokugawa Ieyasu, however Yakushi Nyorai was moved to the Shinyosha (portable shrine building) from the Meiji Period onward. The building is one of the few remaining relics of the Shinbutsu-shugo era which was a period when Shinto and Buddhist elements were mixed (era of syncretism of Shinto and Buddhism), and is thus very highly valued. The building's characteristic features include its "shunkeinuri" (shunkei lacquering), the brilliantly colored "kaerumata" (curved wooden support on top of the main beam of a house) "nakazoe" (ornamental devices between pillars) on the four sides, the "onigawara" (ornamental tiles which depict a Japanese "oni" ogre, similar to western gargoyles) on the four corners of the roof, and the "hosho" holy jewel at its peak. Restorative repairs are being carried out on the building from 2021 to March 2024.

"Omikoshi" (grand portable shrine)

【Hiroshima City Designated Tangible Important Cultural Property】 The "omikoshi (grand portable shrine) was constructed sometime during the Keian Era (1648 to 51) which is also when Toshogu Shrine was constructed. It is a magnificent creation made of Japanese cypress and coated with black Japanese lacquer and gold "nashiji" (lacquering technique using gold or silver powder or flakes). The portable shrine weighs approximately 800 kg and is said to be carried by 50 people. Fortunately, it was not destroyed by the atomic bombing, and is presently stored in the "mikoshigura" (portable shrine storage building). It was taken into the town for the first time in 17 years during the Street Festival held on October 10, 2015.

"Temizusha" （purification basin）

【Hiroshima City Designated Tangible Important Cultural Property】 This has a gable roof structure. It was constructed at the beginning of the Edo Period by Asano Mitsuakira, lord of the Hiroshima Domain. It is representative of the Momoyama Period construction style, being fully coated in vermillion lacquer, and featuring "kaerumata" (curved wooden support on top of the main beam of a house) moon and rabbit motifs. The purification washbowl at the center of the building is inscribed with the text, "Gohozen, Toshogu, Keian Gannen, Ugetsu, Junana Nichi" (the latter part meaning "First year of the Keian Era, fourth lunar Month, 17th day" or "April 17, 1648"). It was disassembled, repaired, and had lacquer reapplied in December 1979 to restore it to its original appearance.

"Karamon"（gate Hiroshima）

【Hiroshima City Designated Tangible Important Cultural Property】 This is the equivalent of the Nikko Toshogu Shrine's Yomeimon gate. In the center is a plaque which reads "Mt. Nagao". The style of the gate is an "ikken-ikko mukai karamon" (karamon gate with karahafu eaves at the front and back) in the "karayo" (Chinese) style. "Yokuro" transepts are attached to the left and right sides of the gate. The blast of air from the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945 caused the entire structure to tilt slightly to the northeast, however conservation and repair were carried out for four years between 2008 and 2011 to restore the gate mostly to its original magnificent form from the time of its construction.

"Yokuro"(transept)

These are gable roof structures of 10 ken (traditional Japanese length measurement equaling 1.82 m) each constructed on both the left and right of the gable karamon gate. In contrast to the karamon gate, they are simple structures mainly in "wayo" (Japanese) style. After the war, the roofs used pantile roofing, however conservation and repair were carried out for four years between 2008 and 2011 to restore the structures mostly to their original magnificent form from the time of their construction and restoring the formal tile roofing.

"Goshinsei" (Deity well)

To the eastern side of Toshogu is a valley which is commonly called "furo no taniyama" (valley of the bath), where ancient writings have said water always flows and has never been affected by drought. This is similar to Osaka's "Kame no I" so people came to call it "Kamei no Mizu".

Pinus densiflora

The Shrine's Honden (main hall), Haiden (hall of worship), and "mizugaki" inner fence were completely destroyed by the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. At the time, it was reported that "No trees or plants would grow again in Hiroshima for 70 years", however several "akamatsu" red pine trees naturally grew from the ashes of the burnt honden (main hall) the following spring. The chief priest at the time thought that it was strange, so he transplanted 2 of the trees (one to inside the "mizugaki" inner fence) and cultivated them. The pine tree on the west side of the honden (main hall) was cut down during the summer of 2011 because it had died.

Luquidambar formosana Hance

This tree was planted on April 29, 1999 on the occasional of the 350th anniversary of the construction of Toshogu Shrine. The tree is special tree which is related to the 8th Tokugawa Shogun Yoshimune, the seeds from a tree grown in the Fukiage Imperial Palace gardens were given to the Nikko Toshogu Shrine by Emperor Showa and were grown to maturity there and then two of those trees were sent to Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine.

Owl

~Value the forest, the owls are watching~ Owls and northern boobooks have long been considered "birds of good fortune" and mentioned in the "Kojiki" (Record of Ancient Matters). Birds of the Strigidae (True Owl) Family have lived in the forest (which is approximately 10,000 tsubo (a Japanese measurement which equals approximately 3.3 m2)) around Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine since ancient times. This is likely because Mt. Futaba has abundant underground water on which the forests thrive, and there are many small animals which serve as food for the owls. Every year, owls and Northern boobooks laid eggs in the hollow of this chinaberry tree, raising around 2 chicks each, and resulting in many young birds later leaving their nest. However, in the Spring of 1989, the tree suddenly died and was preserved as the "owl's next hole".

"Ishidori"（Gate）

This tori (Shinto shrine gate) was donated by Asano Nagaharu, the 3rd lord of the Hiroshima Domain (and uncle of Mitsuakira, the 2nd lord of the Hiroshima Domain) in 1648.

Atomic Bomb Cenotaph

This cenotaph was constructed in 1966, by the chief priest of the shrine, Kubota Yukishige, who was himself exposed to the radiation of the atomic bombing.
"A relief station was established on the shrine grounds for victims of the atomic bombing on August 6, 1945. There is a spring on the grounds of the shrine. Many people drank from this spring and passed on. I cannot endure the sorrow I feel for them. This cenotaph is erected to continue to tell this sad tale for a long time. August 5, 1966, Toshogu Shrine Chief Priest, Kubota Yukishige"

Monument in Remembrance of the 65th Anniversary of the Atomic Bombing

Atomic bomb writer Tamiki Hara spent the day after the dropping of the atomic bomb at Hiroshima Toshogu Shrine. This memorial monument was erected on August 6, 2010 in order to pass on the memories and feels of Tamiki Hara to future generations.
"It must be providence that I should survive to tell the world what happened - Tamiki Hara August 6, 2010, Hiroshima City Mayor, Tadatoshi Akiba"

Kinko Inari Shrine

This is a subsidiary shrine of Toshogu Shrine which was dedicated at the peak of Mt. Futaba around the Genroku Era (around 1700). It has been called "Kinko Inari Ogami" since long ago for its divine authority as a deity prosperity in business, household safety, and fulfillment of various wishes. There are approximately 500 steps to the Okumiya "rear shrine" and 120 vermillion lacquered tori gates, and numerous visitors come from all around Hiroshima on the 1st and 15th of every month.

Okumiya "rear shrine"

This is the okumiya "rear shrine" of Kinko Inari Shrine. It provides a panoramic view of Hiroshima Station, the city, and the islands of the Seto Inland Sea.

Mt. Futaba

Mt. Futaba is said to be the largest dense forest of Japanese oak trees in Japan. Japanese oak trees are a type of acorn tree. Japanese oak trees grow in warm earth and are mainly found in the Kinki region and westward, Shikoku, and Kyushu, and it is considered very rare to find dense forests of the trees. During the Edo Period, it was said that charcoal made from Japanese oak trees was good for making tea, so the lords protected the Japanese oak trees and they grew in these dense copses. The best time for gathering acorns is mid-November. Local elementary school students also often visit as part of their classes.