The Nikkou Toushou Shrine is a Shinto shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu, built in 1617 and located in Nikkou City. It is the most well-known and head of all Toushou Shrines. This is where Ieyasu's remains are entombed and where he is enshrined as a deity, the Great Toushou Avatar, guardian of Japan. It is one of the "Shrines and Temples of Nikkou", a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The shrine complex contains numerous National Treasures and Important Cultural Properties. Famous structures include:
- Youmei ("Sun-Bright") Gate (陽明門), lavishly covered with brightly-colored carvings
- Sacred Stables
- The Five-Story Pagoda, rebuilt in 1818 after being destroyed by fire
- Hundreds of stone steps leading through Japanese cedar to a torii gate and the copper Treasure Pagoda containing Ieyasu's remains
- Kara Gate leading into the inner sanctuary
- The Sakashita Gate (坂下門), entrance to the inner shrine, also called the Forbidden Gate because it was barred to all but the shogun during the Edo Era. It was built in 1636 and remains virtually unaltered from that time.
- The Inuki Gate (鋳抜門), entrance to the stone fence-enclosed space which holds the Treasure Pagoda with Ieyasu's remains inside. Originally stone and rebuilt in the time of the 5th Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi.
- The Treasure Pagoda (宝塔) which holds Ieyasu's remains. Originally constructed of stone, it was destroyed by earthquakes in the time of the 5th Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi and rebuilt in copper.
The shrine is richly decorated with carvings and sculpture, including:
- The "three wise monkeys" (Sacred Stables) who hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil
- The "sleeping cat" (carved above the Kuguri Gate)
- The twelve zodiac animals (Five-Story Pagoda)
- 78 tapir, an imaginary creature with a long elephant-like nose and curled hairs on its neck
- Winged dragon (Holy Water Basin)
- 129 lions, with a pair guarding the Stone Fence
- Sparrows
- Soku-iki, a scaleless creature with curled hair on their necks and the nose of a pig (Yomei Gate)