Futarasan Shrine, founded in 767 CE, predates the Tōshōgū complex by nearly nine centuries and is the oldest of the three main Nikkō shrines. It enshrines the three sacred mountains of the Nikkō area — Mount Nantai, Mount Nyoho, and Mount Tarō — and is the principal Shinto sanctuary in the complex.
The main hall is relatively understated compared to Tōshōgū but set in a beautiful cedar forest. The Shinkyo Sacred Bridge nearby — an elegant red lacquer bridge arching over the Daiya River — is a classic Nikkō image and is included in the Futarasan approach. Separate branch shrines of Futarasan stand at the shore of Lake Chūzenji and on the summit of Mount Nantai.