Hôjôji is a small temple across the street from Waseda University in Shinjuku Ward. Originally a part Ana-Hachimangû, Hôjôji houses a statue of Amida Buddha which was originally found in a cave at Ana-Hachimangû and then later replaced by a similar Amida statue given to the shrine by the Tokugawa Shogun. Originally like most shrines and temples in Japan, Ana-Hachimangû was a hybrid site with both Buddhist and Shinto deities enshrined at one location, but following the separation of Shinto and Buddhism by the Meiji Emperor, Hôjôji was established to house the Buddhist aspects of the shrine. With the vast majority of Tokyo burned to the ground in the fire bombings, Ana-Hachimangû and Hôjôji were reconstructed as two separate buildings even though the only division between the two is a chain-link fence.

For the casual: 3. For the educated: 3.

Hôjôji is a great little temple with ponds and statues to accentuate its beauty, but it doesn't hold up to other temples to see. Even though it's in a prominent area of Tokyo, Hôjôji seems to be rairly visited and when I asked for a Goshuin, the monk that writes them was rarely there and had no schedule as to when he would be there. Check it out if you're nearby, but there really isn't much.