Nikko Toshogu Shrine and Deification of the Warrior Ruler Notes

Tokugawa Ieyasu ( $1542$ - $1616$ ) was the first shogun of the Tokugawa regime and is credited with unifying the country at the beginning of the seventeenth century ( $17^{th}$ century).
According to his will: "After I die, I shall first be buried at Mount Kuno in Suruga Province and, after one full year has passed, shall be moved to Nikko. My spirit will abide there, long able to protect my country and my descendants."
Upon his deification, Ieyasu was given the name Tōshō Daigongen, which translates to "Great Avatar Illuminating the East."

The practice of deifying a historical figure as a kami was not common at the time.
Other notable historical figures who underwent deification include:
- Sugawara no Michizane: His deification was rooted in the belief that he was a vengeful spirit.
- Fujiwara no Kamatari: Known as the first patriarch of the Fujiwara clan.
- Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
The central question regarding Ieyasu is the motivation behind his deification, specifically why he chose this path to ensure the legacy of his line and the protection of Japan.

The Tōshōgū Shrine (or Tōshōgū Mausoleum) at Nikkō was originally completed in $1619$ .
In $1634$ , Tokugawa Iemitsu (the third shogun) ordered the rebuilding of the mausoleum, a project that was completed in $1636$ .
Purpose of Rebuilding: While the original layout and style were similar to the current structure, the rebuilding was commissioned to make the site significantly more luxurious.
Significance of the Shrine: It was a site of pilgrimage for every subsequent shogun, domain lords, and imperial envoys. Domain lords were even known to build miniature Tōshōgū shrines within their own domains.

Location: Nikkō is located in today's Tochigi Prefecture, situated directly to the north of Tokyo.
Etymology and Solar Connection: The name "Nikkō" literally means "sunlight." This naming resonates with Ieyasu's deity title, "Great Avatar Illuminating the East," and allowed for a symbolic parallel to be drawn between Nikkō and the Ise Grand Shrine.
Sacred Geography: Nikkō was already established as a sacred mountain in the Kanto region, making it an appropriate site to enshrine Ieyasu's spirit.
Religious Affiliations: Nikkō was associated with Tendai Buddhism. This was significant because the monk Tenkai ( $1536$ - $1643$ ), who was responsible for Ieyasu's deification and posthumous imagery, was himself an affiliate of the Tendai school.

Surrounding Complex Sites:
- Taiyūin: A separate mausoleum in Nikkō dedicated to the spirit of Tokugawa Iemitsu.
- Futarasan Shrine.
- Rinnō-ji: Including the Rinno-ji Main Compound.
- Takino-o Shrine.
- Jigen-dō.
- Sacred Bridge over the Daiya River.
Layout Characteristics:
- Approached from the south, the complex follows an asymmetrical shape because it is built directly onto a mountain slope.
- The pathway utilizes several levels, with each ascent marked by a stone stair or a gate.
- The final and highest level is the Okunoin Precinct, which contains the location where Ieyasu's ashes were interned.
Key Structures along the Path:
- Front Approach leading to the Stone Torii.
- Five-story Pagoda ( $5$ -story).
- Front Gate guarded by Front Guardhouses.
- The first enclosure, marked by the Yōmeimon gate.
- The second enclosure, marked by the Karamon gate and containing the main sanctuary ( $Worship Hall$ and $Main Hall$ ).

Sacred Stable: Features transoms depicting the famous "hear no evil, speak no evil, see no evil" monkeys.
Water Basin Shed:
- Features a roof with undulating bargeboards, a design known as karahafu.
- The architecture includes a flattened central arch below the roof, which is supported by stone pillars.
- The arch of the gable is decorated with wave openwork patterns.
Three Treasuries (Upper, Middle, and Lower Treasury):
- The Upper Treasury features elephant sculptures integrated into the arch of the gable.
Other auxiliary buildings include the Drum House, Bell House, Sura Repository, Kagura-den, and various warehouses.

Social Significance: In the past, individuals who were not members of the Tokugawa family or high-ranking priests were forbidden from passing beyond this gate.
Architectural Style: Structurally, it follows the Karayō (Chinese style) or Zenshūyō (Zen Buddhist style), which was transmitted to Japan during the Kamakura period ( $1185$ - $1333$ ).
Construction and Bracketing:
- It utilizes bracketing complexes consisting of interlocking wooden blocks.
- Masu: Square support blocks.
- Hijiki: Curved or horizontal "elbow" blocks.
- These stack upward and outward in multiple layers to support overhanging eaves and distribute the weight of the roof to the columns.
- The gate features radiating rafters and two levels of bracketing complexes.
Decorative Program:
- The wood blocks and arms are finished in black lacquer with gold arabesque inlay.
- White dragons are carved into the tie beam below the brackets.
- Sculptures of dragons and imaginative animals are attached to the faces and ends of the brackets.
- Exterior Carvings: Confucian figures representing Confucian virtues and ideal government, including the Four Accomplishments (music, chess, calligraphy, painting) and the central figure of the Duke of Zhou.
- Interior Carvings: Daoist immortals.
- The gate was intended to evoke a sense of exoticism through the "kara" (Chinese/foreign) style.

This gate marks the entrance to the second enclosure where the main sanctuary resides.
Architecture: Features Chinese-style gables (karahafu) attached to the roof.
Transom Frieze: Depicts the reception of courtiers by the legendary Chinese Emperor Shun.
Ornamentation:
- High-relief sculptures of iris and marsh plants on the beam above the transom.
- Columns are whitewashed and decorated with carvings of dragons and plum trees climbing up and down.
- The underside of the eave features arabesque designs against backgrounds of gold, black, or vermilion.

Architectural Style: Known as Gongen-zukuri or ishinoma-zukuri ( $stone room style$ ).
Layout: An H-shaped floor plan where the Worship Hall and the Main Hall are connected by a stone-floored chamber ( $ishinoma$ ).
Main Hall Details:
- Largely constructed in the Chinese style, though it features parallel rafters and forked finials/billets at the gable ends that deviate from the pure style.
- Decorated generously with maki-e (sprinkled pictures), a technique where metallic powders (gold or silver) are sprinkled onto wet lacquer.
Worship Hall Details:
- Contains the Shogun's chamber.
- Wall panels are decorated with phoenixes in high relief.
Further Decoration:
- Transoms feature carved phoenixes.
- Beams feature high-relief chrysanthemums.
- White posts and beams.
- Black brackets with gold arabesque designs and carvings of baku (imaginative dream-eating animals) on the ends.

Question: The Tokugawa clan sought to draw a parallel between Ise Shrine and Tōshōgū. Where can we identify references to Ise in Tōshōgū’s architectural forms, spatial organizations, or other aspects of the shrine complex?
Context: This comparison involves looking at the alignment of authority between the imperial line (Ise) and the shogunal line (Tōshōgū).