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Ieyasu Tokugawa was
born in the warring states period. He survived the chaos,
and unified entire the country. Ieyasu was assigned as Seii-taishogun
(Great generalissimo) in 1603 and opened the Tokugawa Shogunate
in Edo (Tokyo). He watched the whole nation even after he
retired. Ieyasu left last instruction, which was about after
the death.
"Enshrine my dead body in Mt. Kuno (His hometown in Shizuoka
prefecture) for the first year of the death. (Omission) And
built a small shrine in Nikko and enshrine me as the God.
I will be the guardian of Japan."
Ieyasu
was dead on April 17th, 1616, when he was 75 years old. Shrine
was built in Nikko and divine designation "Tosho-Daigongen"
was given by Imperial court. He was enshrined in accordance
with his last will.
Ieyasu
aimed to be the guardian of Japan. Nikko is located on the
north of Edo. The north was considered as the taboo direction,
where demons come into. Therefore, he wanted to place himself
in the taboo direction in order to protect Japan from the
evil things. He hoped long life of Tokugawa government and
the eternal peace.
Although,
Ieyasu wanted "A small shrine," the third successive
shogun Iemitsu reformed the shrine into today's gorgeous building.
Most of existing buildings were built in the period of big
reforming. According to income-and-outgo report, it cost 40,000,000,000
yen for today' currency. 140,000 wooden materials were consumed.
It took total number of 4,540,000 people 1 year and 5 months
to complete construction. Also, 35 buildings were reformed
in that period. That big reforming ended in 1636.
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