Located just to the south of Nipprori Station along the Yamanote Line in Tokyo, it was founded in the 13th century to protect a carving made by the famous monk Nichiren, and became a favorite destination for the traveling monk on the way to and from Kamakura. In the Civil War of 1868, Tennôji was torn down except for its pagoda and copper Buddha (Tennôji Daibutsu) which occurred to some as a sign of divinity. Later a fire would burn down the temple except for the Daibutsu.

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

Tennôji is a very cool temple which has a mixture of modern architecture and traditional Japanese buildings. I was fortunate enough to see the temple in the rain and its beauty was exponentially enhanced. It is an odd temple because of its location. It is at the top of an embankment with many many train tracks directly below. That being said, it is hard to see or hear the train while there making it a great sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the Tokyo megalopolis.