Toshogu Shrine (Japan's most ornate mausoleum)

The Toshogu is the most dazzling and ornate monument of Japanese Edo-period art, built between 1634 and 1636 by shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu in honour of his grandfather Tokugawa Ieyasu, the unifier of Japan. The complex comprises more than twenty buildings lacquered in vermilion, black and gold leaf, with carvings of a sculptural complexity unmatched in Japanese architecture: over 5.000 figures of animals, demons, sages and deities cover every surface of the gates, ceilings and walls in a deliberate horror vacui meant to impress and overwhelm visitors. Its most famous features are the Yomeimon, the "gate that illuminates the setting sun", regarded as the most elaborate gateway in Japanese art; the sacred stable with the panel of the "three wise monkeys" (see, hear and speak no evil); and the inner shrine where Ieyasu's remains rest. Nikko was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Entry to the main complex costs 1.300 ¥. Hours: 9:00-17:00 (until 16:00 from November to March).