Sojiji

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There's not much I could find on the history of this temple other than it is of the Shingon sect of Buddhism in the town of Nishiarai Daishi in northern Tokyo, and is considered one of the great temples of the Kanto area.

For the casual: 6. For the educated: 4.

The only real drawback for Sojiji is its location. Just far enough north by subway and elevated train, it is a little far to get to. Once there, the town and the temple really stand out. The temple is huge and the gardens surrounding it are really beautiful to walk through. My friend and I were there towards the end of the day so it was fairly quiet, but it was still a great place to visit and the monks were very very nice. 

Main hall of Sojiji.

This is a statue of Jizô, a guardian monk/deity of children. He is indeed wearing a shawl while being completely covered in salt. Pouring salt over the statue is supposed to give you good luck and protection from illness.

 

Tennôji

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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. 

The bottom three characters read Tennôji on the front of this very modern gate.

Tennôji Daibutsu

The main hall is a modern and traditional mix architecture.

 

Gokokuji

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Gokokuji was founded in 1681 by Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun of the Edo period. Gokokuji is considered one of the most important cultural sites in Tokyo because of its luck in the last few centuries that have kept all of the structures intact through the sands of time. Gokokuji has survived the civil wars of the late 19th century, the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the fire bombings of WWII, and most recently the Tohoku Earthquake of 2011. The fact that it has remained intact this long means that the temple which stands today is one of the few surviving true Edo period structures still standing. 

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

There are several factors which weigh into the importance of Gokokuji, but the fact that it is one of the few true Edo period structures still standing is the big focus. This is a complex which has survived through some of the most devastating events in Japan's history. Apart from its longevity, there are some very significant people laid to rest on the temple grounds like Sanjo Sanetomo (one of the first Prime Ministers) and Josiah Condor, a British architect who was brought to Japan to design modern buildings during the Meiji period and was a painting student of Kawanabe Kyosai, a renowned Japanese painter. One of my personal favorites buried there is Okuma Shigenobu who was the 8th and 17th Prime Minister of Japan and the founder of Waseda University in 1882. Apart from the historical significance of Gokokuji, the complex is very beautiful with multiple gardens, great pine trees, and a view of the surrounding landscape from its hilltop location. Also, it's important to note that it is very easy to get to Gokokuji because the train station by the same name is at the base of the stairway to the temple. 

Walkway to the main hall. Okuma Shigenobu is buried just off to the right.

Peace Pagoda

 

Tsukiji Honganji

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Tsukiji Honganji, sometimes romanticized to Chinese origins with the spelling Hongwanji, is a massive hybrid temple representing the Jodo Shinshu denomination. Moved to its present location in the 17th century to the town of Tsukiji near the popular shopping city of Ginza in Tokyo, it was rebuilt into what it is today following the 1922 Great Kanto Earthquake. Tsukiji Honganji was designed by an architecture professor from Tokyo University with the intent on hearkening back to the origins of Buddhism in India for the exterior while maintaining a very Japanese interior. Construction began in 1931 and was finished in 1934.

For the casual: 9. For the educated: 7.

I have to start off with my beef against Tsukiji Honganji before I move on to praising its beauty. My beef comes with its lack of a Goshuin. Now some of you might think, "Dude, it's just a little scribble in a notebook." Yes, you're right in that regard, and I don't mind if they don't have a Goshuin though I would still like one, my issue comes with their solution to the growing interest in Goshuin. At Tsukiji Honganji, there is a sign which says that they don't have a Goshuin but have their own stamps for visitors to use. Good solution you might think; WRONG!! The stamps are nice, but the ink is this atrocious fuchsia which insults the beauty of all the other Goshuin you have collected so far. 

Ok I'm done. Why should you go? It's friggin' beautiful. The exterior is amazing and the intricate details of the interior take your breath away. And say you feel like after your visit (or before) you want to find some other cool stuff in the area. Well don't fear good tourists, you happen to be in the biggest and most famous fish market IN THE WORLD!!! Get there early enough in the morning and you might be able to walk away with a premium slice of whatever fish you want. Don't want to wake up that early? All good because all of that fresh fish gets sold to the multitude of restaurants in the market area providing some of the best Japanese food you could ask for. So have some fun!

Update: Sadly, the fish market is no longer in the Tsukiji area but instead further east in Toyosu, a town 2 kilometers (a little over a mile) east of the old market. However, not all the merchants moved to the new location so restaurants and local stalls are still present offering delicious food.