Rin’nōji Houmotsuden treasure house — Attraction in Nikko

The treasure house is located opposite the main hall of the Rinnoji Temple. You need to pay an entrance fee. We decided to buy combined tickets, which include the main hall, the treasure house&garden, and the Taiyuin Mausoleum. It is a bit cheaper than buying them separately. Photography is not allowed inside the house. There are several antique artworks related to Buddhism and the Tokugawa era displayed inside. The portraits of all the shoguns in the Tokugawa family are exhibited there. It is nice to sit quietly and see those portraits, imagining their feelings and responsibilities as shoguns in their time.

Don't miss the garden located behind the house. The garden is small but beautiful, with a pleasant landscape, good design, and it's not too crowded. It must be a wonderful place during autumn when color of...

Rinnoji Temple, Nikko is Nikko's most important temple. It was founded by a monk, Shodo. The Shonin were propagators of Buddhism in the 8th century. The main hall (Sanbutsudo) is large and decorated with gold plating, Amida statues, and wooden statues of the god Kannon. (Senju-Kannon) and the god Kannon with the head of a horse (Bato-Kannon). All three gods have been worshiped by Buddhists in Nikko for a long time. Opposite the main hall (Sanbutsudo) stands the temple's treasure house, which is used as an exhibition space on Buddhism and the Tokugawa shogunate. There is also a small Japanese-style garden behind the temple's treasure house, which is very popular with tourists in Nikko in the fall. It is filled with maple trees around the pond and The colors are in full swing in...

The treasure hall displays portraits of shoguns from the first through subsequent generations, along with period artifacts that provide historical context. However, as a foreigner, I found the Japanese garden (Shoyo-en) behind the treasure hall far more captivating and beautiful than the indoor exhibits themselves.

If you already bought the 3-attraction combo ticket from Rinnoji, it’s worth a quick stop, but I wouldn’t recommend purchasing a separate ticket just for this. The garden is lovely and peaceful, but the treasure hall itself doesn’t offer enough compelling content to justify a standalone visit unless you’re particularly interested in Tokugawa history...