is a

Tōshō-gū is any Shinto shrine in which Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616) is enshrined. Ieyasu was the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate (1603-1868), which is the third and last of the shogunal governments in Japanese history. He was deified with the name , t ...

Shinto shrine A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more '' kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion. Overview Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings. The '' honden''Also called (本殿, mean ...

located in the Minato

ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a priso ...

Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and List of cities in Japan, largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, ...

, Japan. Like every other ''

'' shrine, it is characterized by enshrining the first ''

shōgun , officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...

'' of the

Tokugawa Shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in ...

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fel ...

with the name Tōshō Daigongen (東照大権現). The seated wooden statue of Tokugawa enshrined there has been designated an Important Cultural Property by the

Tokyo Metropolitan Government The is the government of the Tokyo Metropolis. One of the 56 prefectures of Japan, the government consists of a popularly elected governor and assembly. The headquarters building is located in the ward of Shinjuku. The metropolitan governmen ...

. Located inside

Shiba Park is a public park in Minato, Tokyo, Japan built around the temple of Zōjō-ji. The park is located between the Minato municipal offices and Tokyo Tower. Many of the footpaths in the park offer excellent views of Tokyo Tower, so the park is a popu ...

, just beside the Buddhist temple

Zōjō-ji is a Jōdo-shū Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan. It is the main temple of the Jōdo-shū ("Pure Land") Chinzei sect of Buddhism in the Kantō region,. Its mountain name is San'en-zan (三縁山). Zōjō-ji is notable for its relationship ...

, an important

Jōdo-shū , also known as Jōdo Buddhism, is a branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Japanese ex-Tendai monk Hōnen. It was established in 1175 and is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan, along with Jōdo Shins ...

temple and popular attraction, and close to

Tokyo Tower is a communications and observation tower in the Shiba-koen district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, built in 1958. At , it is the second- tallest structure in Japan. The structure is an Eiffel Tower-inspired lattice tower that is painted white and ...

, Shiba Tōshō-gū can be included in the same visiting course. Shiba Tōshō-gū is notable for its giant

ginkgo tree ''Ginkgo biloba'', commonly known as ginkgo or gingko ( ), also known as the maidenhair tree, is a species of tree native to China. It is the last living species in the order Ginkgoales, which first appeared over 290 million years ago. Fossils ...

, one of the biggest in Tokyo, with a height of and a trunk circumference of . It is believed that

Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, ...

, the third Tokugawa ''shōgun'', planted the tree himself, when the Tōshō-gū shrine was rebuilt in 1641. Although slightly damaged on the branches and the tip of the trunk, it was designated

Natural Monument A natural monument is a natural or natural/cultural feature of outstanding or unique value because of its inherent rarity, representative of aesthetic qualities or cultural significance. Under World Commission on Protected Areas guidelines, na ...

in 1956. Another giant ginkgo tree of similar characteristics in Tokyo is located in the grounds of

Oji Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in the Kita-ku ward of Tokyo, Japan. Established during the Kamakura period, most likely around 1321-1324, the shrine gives the name of "Oji" to this area of the city. Most of the original buildings in the shrine pr ...

Access

There is no admission fee for visitors to enter the temple complex. It opens every day from 7 AM to 7 PM. The entrance is a 2-minute walk from the Shibakoen Station on the

Toei Mita Line The is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei) network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi and Meguro in Shinagawa. Trains continue with direct service into the Meguro Line ...

, and a 7-minute walk from

Akabanebashi Station is a subway station on the Toei Ōedo Line in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). Lines The station is served by the Toei Ōedo Line, and is numbered "E-21". Station ...

in the

Toei Oedo Line Toei or Tōei may refer to: * Tōei, Aichi, Japan * Toei Company, Japanese film and television production company ** Toei Animation, their animation subsidiary * , Japanese abbreviation meaning "operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government" **Tr ...

References

External links

* 1617 establishments in Japan Shinto shrines in Tokyo Buildings and structures in Minato, Tokyo Buildings and structures in Japan destroyed during World War II Religious buildings and structures completed in 1969 Tōshō-gū {{Shinto-stub