Jindaiji

January 16, 2025 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Jindaiji, a Tendai sect temple, is one of those temples that has such a wealth of history and yet is completely overlooked for larger, flashier locations. Founded in 733 C.E., Jindaiji claims to be the second oldest temple in the Kanto area behind Sensôji in Asakusa. While Sensôji is a massive complex which hosts thousands of visitors per day, Jindaiji is hidden away in a forest grove in central Tokyo Prefecture in Chofu City and only boasts large numbers of visitors on key dates like New Years, Setsubun in early February, Ganzandaishi Taisai in early March, and Jindai Jusanya in mid October. The temple has two halls, the Main Hall where general worship is performed to Amida Buddha, and the Ganzan Daishi Hall where Goma fire ceremonies are performed daily before statues of Fudô Myôô. The temple is also home to a national treasure: the Hakuhô Buddha. This statue is the oldest Buddhist statue in eastern Japan and was made in the late Asuka Period (c. 538 C.E. to 710 C.E.). The Asuka Period was noted for the first formal introduction and government support of Buddhism in Japan prior to the establishment of the Japanese empire of the Nara Period ( 710 C.E. to 794 C.E.).

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 8.

There’s a lot to love about this temple, but I think the real draw is the surrounding area. The road to the complex is a beautiful tree-covered road with the sweetest little shops that have been in the area since at least the early 20th century. Because the mountain Jindaiji produces a spring a fresh water, the locals have used that water to make delicious and refreshing soba. For those who don’t know, soba is a buckwheat noodle that is very thin and often served in a broth either hot or cold depending on the time of year. The number of soba restaurants is so extensive that there is a statue of the bodhisattva Kannon using her power to protect soba. In her left hand is a container of buckwheat, the grain from which soba noodles are made, and in her right hand is a bottle of tsuyu which is the base for the broth served in most soba dishes. This adorable little shrine was installed in 1963 and celebrated 60 years bringing good luck and health to community in 2023.

Getting to the temple takes a little bit, but not much. It can be reached by bus from either Chofu Station or Kichijoji Station, or from Chofu Station it’s a 20 to 30 minute walk, which I recommend at least trying once because the neighborhoods are so beautiful.

Kannon Bodhisattva statue for the protection of SOBA NOODLES!!!!! The left hand hold buckwheat seeds, and the right hand holds a bottle of the broth soba is served in/with.

Takao-san Yakuôin Yukiji

November 26, 2024 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Takao-san is one of the best-known mountains in western Tokyo. It’s famous for its views over the Kanto plains, and for the Yakuôin Yukiji temple complex. It was originally founded by the imperial court in 744 C.E. as a way to spread the teachings of Esoteric Buddhism, the primary school of Buddhist faith in the Imperial Court, into the then very distant area of the Kanto region. The temple and the mountain have played an important role in the history of the Kanto area; it serves a spiritual purpose as the mountain in the west, it’s said to be home of a powerful tengu, and it’s a mountain pass that overlooked the main roads into and out of the eastern plains. One of the main figures of worship at the temple is Izuna Daigongen, a tengu spirit which straddles the lines of both Shinto and Buddhist belief. Izuna embodied many of the qualities found in Myo, righteous Bright Kings in Escoteric Buddhism who smite the wicked and defend the faithful, but he was also seen as a divine being who worked in concert with the Shinto harvest god Inari. In the 14th century, a noted monk staying at the temple named Shugen Daitoku, had a vision of Izuna Daigongen and persuaded the temple to establish Izuna as a figure of worship. Tengu, humanoid figures typically wearing monk robes and with varrying degrees of bird-like features, are fascinating figures in Japanese folk lore and mythology because they can be creatures of great wisdom and power, but can also bring ruin and mischief. Another noted tengu with a temple connection is Sôjôbô at Kurama-dera in Kyoto.

For the educated: 8. For the casual: 9

Takao-san is one of those places I just can’t recommend enough. For one, it’s just a great hike for those who want a nice burn in the legs but isn’t punishing. The trail to the summit is steep but not particularly long, and even if you find yourself short of breath, there are plenty of places to stop and observe the beauty in the area. If hiking isn’t your thing, no problem! There is a ropeway and a chair lift which can take visitors up most of the way to the observation decks and the lower levels of the temple. Along the way, there’s also a monkey enclosure, a food and beer garden, and a traditional snack stall.

The temple itself will require climbing some stairs, but most of the visitor attractions are on the lowest level. To reach the temple complex from the ropeway station, there is the “Woman’s Path” and the “Men’s Path.” I know, not very 21st century school of thought, but that’s the way it’s layed out. The Man’s Path ascends the terrain via a large stairway which is hard to miss. Short but steep. The Woman’s Path is slightly longer but the ascent is much more gradual. Once at the lower levels of the temple, you can clean money in the prayer halls, while specialty halls are higher up on the hillside as well as the trail which eventually leads to the mountain summit. As mentioned before, the temple is closely linked to tengu spirits, so there is no shortage of tengu statues, masks, and other ornamentations around the complex.

Kawasaki Daishi Heikenji

April 20, 2020 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Kawasaki Dashi Heikenji, or more commonly as Kawasaki Daishi, is a temple with an origin story very similar to that of Sensôji. The story goes that a samurai by the name of Kanenori blundered and was sent into exile from his home in modern Aichi Prefecture to Kawasaki. He lived his new life as a fisherman and was deeply devoted to the teachings of Buddhism to find redemption for his mistakes. One night, he had a dream of Kobo Daishi, famed monk and founder of Koya-san. In the dream, Kobo Daishi instructed Kanenori to go fishing and his catch will bring him peace. The next day, Kanenori went fishing and found a spot that seemed brighter than normal. He cast his net and pulled up a wooden statue of the venerated Kobo Daishi. He brought the statue to his local priest, a man who had met Kobo Daishi, and together they began building the temple that would become Kawasaki Daishi.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 7.

If you’re willing to make the little trip out to the temple, I definitely recommend it. The temple is on the larger side, but the layout feels very relaxed and open. I was particularly a fan of the main hall with its beautiful ornamentation and wonderful smell of incense. A small market lines the path to the temple so be sure to stop by for some snacks, some sweets, and wonderful conversation. In spring the temple is affected by the Kanayama Matsuri and becomes quite the popular location.

Fukagawa Fudo-do

November 10, 2015 by Brennan Duff in Temples

Founded in 1882 in Tokyo's Koto Ward, Fukagawa Fudo-do, also called the Fukagawa Fudo-son, is a branch temple of the well known Narita-san Shinshoji close to Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture. This temple is dedicated to the fearsome guardian deity Fudo Myô, a half naked being with a fearsome face, an aura of fire, and sword to smite demons. Within the Fudo-do is the main wooden effigy to the guardian deity but also one thousand more enshrined within a hallway. The modern building to the left of the main hall is covered in Sanskrit letters, connecting the temple to the origins of Buddhism in India.

For the casual: 8. For the educated: 8.

Make sure you hang around to see the ceremonies called goma where the head priest lights a fire an blesses objects like talismans, purses, and other items by placing them over the flame to be purified (they're not actually burned in any way). These ceremonies happen several times a day and the main hall at Fukagawa Fudo-do is one of the most beautiful ones I've been to. It's not very traditional because it's more like a theater than a prayer space, but it does allow visitors to really see what takes place in these ceremonies. Enjoy!