Tōshō-gū

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A Template:Nihongo is a Shinto shrine in which Tokugawa Ieyasu (1543–1616), the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, is enshrined.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Tōshō-gūs are found throughout Japan.

The most well-known Tōshō-gū is the Nikkō Tōshō-gū located in Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It is one of Japan's most popular destinations for tourists and is part of "Shrines and Temples of Nikkō" World Heritage Site.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ueno Tōshō-gū at Ueno Park in Tokyo is also widely known.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The Kunōzan Tōshō-gū is in Shizuoka Prefecture and rivals Nikkō's for decorative splendor.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Another one is the Nagoya Tōshō-gū, constructed in 1619. A Tōshō-gū can also be found at Miyanochō, in Sendai.

During the Edo period these shrines reached 500 in number, but after the Meiji Restoration many were abandoned,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and others united with shrines in the area. Presently, it is estimated that there are about 130 Tōshō-gū.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The National Tōshō-gū Association lists a total of 48 shrines.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Ieyasu was deified with the name Template:Nihongo, meaning "Great Gongen, Light of the East"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> (a gongen is a Buddha who has appeared on Earth in the form of a kami to save sentient beings), and this is what gives Tōshō-gū shrines their name.