Shodo+Shonin

Shodo Shonin was a Buddhist monk known in legend for the creation the temples located in Nikko. His history has never been explained other than in the legends. However, it was said Shodo wanted to spread Buddhism around in Nikko. He is mainly known for the legend of the creation of the Skinkyo Bridge. His died in 817 and was buried in Kaizan-do Temple.

The legend of Skinkyo takes place in 766, where Shodo was looking for perfect area to set up the first Buddhist temple in Nikko.However, his journey came to a halt as the Daiya River raged on. Knowing his perfect spot was only beyond the other side, he pleaded to the gods to allow him to cross. Out of nowhere, a mysterious giant appeared and allowed Shodo to cross. Using two snakes, one blue and the other green, and his own back, the giant created a temporary bridge for him to walk along. As soon as Shodo had stepped on the other side of the river, both the sankes and the giant vanished. From there, Shodo was able to make the temples he wanted to create previously.

Today, Shodo's legend of the Skinkyo Bridge is a popular myth of interest of the Japanese. It wasn't until 1973 that Shinkyo become public. Shodo himself is also very known around Japan, having multiple shrines dedicated to his work and honor.