Shinkyo Bridge spans a river toward the main approach to “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” on the list of UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Being designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, “Shrines and Temples of Nikko” consists of Futarasan Shrine, Rinno-ji Temple and Nikko Toshogu Shrine.  They are adjacent to each other on the mountainside of Mt. Nikko.  Futarasan Shrine and Rinno-ji Temple have attracted many devotees since the 9^th century as a holy place.  After Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first Tokugawa shogun, built Nikko Toshogu Shrine here as his mausoleum in 1617, this area reached its golden time through the Edo period in the 17^th 19^th century as a spiritual sacred place.  The bridge in the photo is Shinkyo Bridge to the area of the World Heritage Site.  This originally was built in 1636 when Nikko Toshogu Shrine underwent full-scale renovation works.  Many successive Tokugawa shoguns paid visits to the mausoleum accompanied by powerful daimyos, who wanted to show their royalty to the Tokugawa families. Walking across this bridge was the special privilege of the shoguns.  A flood unfortunately washed away the original bridge in 1902, but it was faithfully rebuilt in 1904, which is present one.  In this connection, anybody can walk across this bridge now when once they pay a charge. 

http://tpour-guide-japan.jp/