Today, the Mizuya is found in most of the shrine in Japan. Visitors purify their hands and mouths before worship. However, worshippers used to wash their hands and mouths in the natural river and the spring.
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The Mizuya of Toshogu Shrine was built for the first time as the place of purification for visitors.
It has been maintained in its original form without alteration since its construction in 1636 except for a small number of structural members that had to be replaced for maintenance reasons. The noteworthy architectural techniques introduced in the construction of this water-supply facility include the use of stone columns and the installation of an aqueduct from the water source near the Takino-o-jinja to the Mizuya water basin. In addition, a siphon mechanism was applied as part of the water-supply system, which was an innovative approach at that time of Japanese history. Today, water is supplied through contemporary metal piping.
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| Place(s) related | | |
Omizuya (Shrines and Temples of Nikko)
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