Mito Toshogu Shrine, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture

#SeptemberDestinations2025 #Ibaraki #Mito Mito Toshogu Shrine, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture Address: 2-5-13 Miya-cho, Mito City, Ibaraki Prefecture Access: Approximately a 10-minute walk from JR Mito Station Mito Toshogu Shrine is located on a slight slope and is approximately a 10-minute walk from the station. The history of Mito Toshogu Shrine dates back to April 21, 1621, when the first lord of the Mito Domain, Tokugawa Yorifusa, enshrined the deity of his father, Tokugawa Ieyasu. Originally, the shrine was a fusion of Shinto and Buddhism, and Buddhist ceremonies were performed there. However, in 1843, the ninth lord, Saiaki, abolished traditional Buddhist ceremonies in favor of Shinto rituals. At the time, the site was known as "Reimatsuyama," but in 1699, the second lord, Mitsukuni, renamed it "Tokobayama." In 1936, the first lord, Yorifusa, was enshrined there. At the time, the shrine's grounds were designated as National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties, but they were destroyed in an air raid during the Pacific War in 1945. Restoration of the shrine and grounds was subsequently completed in 1962. The architecture of Mito Toshogu Shrine, with its numerous golden patterns, exudes a splendid and magnificent atmosphere. The grounds also display a variety of cultural assets, including tachi swords, Mito Designated Cultural Properties bronze lanterns, a Nagahayama clock, an Anshin chariot, and the Jujuba-hodo cannon, making them worth seeing.