is a

Jōdo-shū Jōdo-shū (浄土宗, "The Pure Land School"), is a Japanese branch of Pure Land Buddhism derived from the teachings of the Kamakura era monk Hōnen (1133–1212). The school is traditionally considered as having been established in 1175 and i ...

Buddhist temple A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhism, Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat, khurul and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in B ...

Minato, Tokyo is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. Minato was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Tokyo, Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba, Tokyo, Shiba wards following Tokyo City's Local Autonomy Ac ...

, Japan. It is the main temple of the Jōdo-shū ("Pure Land") Chinzei sect of Buddhism in the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

. Its mountain name is San'en-zan (三縁山). Zōjō-ji is notable for its relationship with the

Tokugawa clan The is a Japanese dynasty which produced the Tokugawa shoguns who ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868 during the Edo period. It was formerly a powerful ''daimyō'' family. They nominally descended from Emperor Seiwa (850–880) and were a branch of ...

, the rulers of Japan during the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

, with six of the Tokugawa shōguns being buried in the Taitoku-in Mausoleum in the temple grounds. Also, the temple's ''Sangedatsumon'' (main gate) is the oldest wooden building in Tokyo, dating from 1622. The original buildings, temples, mausoleums and the cathedral were destroyed by fire, natural disasters or air raids during World War II. It is located in the Shiba neighborhood of Minato. The

Shiba Park is a public park in Minato, Tokyo, Japan built around the temple of Zōjō-ji. The park is located between the Minato municipal offices and Tokyo Tower. Many of the footpaths in the park offer excellent views of Tokyo Tower, so the park is a pop ...

is built around the temple, with the

Tokyo Tower , also known as the Japan Radio Tower (, ) is a Radio masts and towers, communications and observation tower in the district of Shiba-koen in Minato, Tokyo, Japan, completed in 1958. At , it was the List of tallest structures in Japan, tallest ...

standing beside it. In 2015 a Treasure Gallery was opened on the underground level of the ''Daiden'' (great hall), and it currently houses paintings of

Kanō Kazunobu Kanō Kazunobu (, 1816 – November 3, 1863) was a Japanese people, Japanese Painting, painter of the Kanō school. Kazunobu produced mainly Buddhist paintings and he is best known for his highly acclaimed ''Five Hundred Arhats''. Some of ...

and a model of the Taitoku-in Mausoleum. The temple remains active "as the main temple of Jodo shu and the central nembutsu seminary for priests and novices."

History

Shūei (宗叡, 809-884), a disciple of

Kūkai , born posthumously called , was a Japanese Buddhist monk, calligrapher, and poet who founded the Vajrayana, esoteric Shingon Buddhism, Shingon school of Buddhism. He travelled to China, where he studied Tangmi (Chinese Vajrayana Buddhism) und ...

, founded a temple named Kōmyō-ji (光明寺) at Kaizuka (貝塚, present-day Kōjimachi in

Chiyoda, Tokyo , known as Chiyoda City in English,
." ''City of Chiyoda''. Retrieved on December 28, 2008. is a S ...

); it is said to have been the forerunner of Zōjō-ji. In 1393, during the

Muromachi period The , also known as the , is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate ( or ), which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi ...

, the temple, under its abbot Yūyo Shōsō, converted from Shingon to the Jōdo school. Shōsō is thus regarded as the founder of Zōjō-ji. Together with

Kan'ei-ji (also spelled Kan'eiji or Kaneiji) is a Tendai Buddhist temple in Tokyo, Japan, founded in 1625 during the Kan'ei era by Tenkai, in an attempt to emulate the powerful religious center Enryaku-ji, in Kyoto. The main object of worship is .Nihon ...

, during the

Zōjō-ji was the Tokugawa's family temple.

Tokugawa Ieyasu Tokugawa Ieyasu (born Matsudaira Takechiyo; 31 January 1543 – 1 June 1616) was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, which ruled from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was the third of the three "Gr ...

had the temple moved, first to Hibiya, then in 1590, at the time of expansion of

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established th ...

, to its present location. With the fall of the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, the grounds took on the character of a public park. The temple was badly damaged in

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, but still retains the air of a major temple.English pamphlet from Zōjō-ji

Architecture

At its peak the temple grounds had more than 120 buildings, but following the decline of Buddhism during the

Meiji period The was an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonizatio ...

(1868-1912), most of them burned during the

Bombing of Tokyo The was a series of air raids on Japan by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), primarily launched during the closing campaigns of the Pacific War, Pacific Theatre of World War II in 1944–1945, prior to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima ...

. Reconstruction began after the war, with the ''Daiden'' (great hall) being rebuilt in 1974. Zojo-ji sanmon

PSM V43 D345 Inner gate leading to the tomb of shogun tokugawa in shiba tokyo

Sangedatsumon

The 21 meter (69 foot), two-storied main gate or was constructed in 1622, and it is therefore the oldest wooden building in Tokyo. The temple's only original structure to survive the

Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, it has been designated an Important Cultural Property. "San" (三) means "three", and "Gedatsu" (解脱) means "

Moksha ''Moksha'' (; , '), also called ''vimoksha'', ''vimukti'', and ''mukti'', is a term in Jainism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Sikhism for various forms of emancipation, liberation, '' nirvana'', or release. In its soteriological and eschatologic ...

". If someone passes through the gate, he can free himself from three passions (貪 ''Ton''; "greed", 瞋 ''Shin''; "hatred", 癡 ''Chi''; "foolishness"). On the upper floor are enshrined an image of

Gautama Buddha Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),* * * was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...

flanked by two attendants, and statues of the Sixteen Arhats.

Mausoleum of Tokugawa Shōguns

Six of the 15 Tokugawa shōguns are buried at Zōjō-ji. The Taitoku-in Mausoleum of Hidetada (and the monument to his wife Sūgen'in), Ienobu, and Ietsugu had been designated

National Treasures of Japan Some of the National Treasures of Japan A is " Tangible Cultural Properties designated by law in modern Japan as having extremely high value." Specifically, it refers to buildings, arts, and crafts designated as especially valuable from ...

, but were burned in World War II. At present, parts of two of their graves have the distinction of being

Important Cultural Properties of Japan An The term is often shortened into just is an item officially classified as Tangible Cultural Property (Japan), Tangible Cultural Property by the Government of Japan, Japanese government's Agency for Cultural Affairs (Ministry of Education, Cul ...

. Additional graves are located in the cemetery behind the Great Hall. Parts of the former grounds of the temple are now occupied by a park and two hotels.

Tokugawa Iemochi (17 July 1846 – 29 August 1866) was the 14th '' shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan, who held office from 1858 to 1866. During his reign there was much internal turmoil as a result of the "re-opening" of Japan to western nations. I ...

also Iemochi's wife, Kazu-no-Miya Chikako also buried in Zozo-ji.

Sentai Kosodate Jizō (Unborn Children Garden)

In one particular garden at the cemetery, rows of stone statues of children represent unborn children, including miscarried, aborted, and stillborn children. Parents can choose a statue in the garden and decorate it with small clothing and toys. Usually the statues are accompanied by a small gift for Jizō, the guardian of unborn children, to ensure that they are brought to the afterlife. Occasionally stones are piled by the statue; this is meant to ease the journey to the afterlife.

Other structures

* Daiden (Great Hall) 1974 * Ankokuden * Sutra Repository * Treasures Gallery * Bell Tower * Enko Daishi Hall * Koshoden

Access

There is no admission fee for visitors to enter the temple complex. For the Treasure Gallery museum the access fee is (, 700 yen). The entrance is at a 10-minute walk from Hamamatsucho Station on the JR Yamanote and Keihin-Tōhoku Lines, a 6-minute walk from Daimon Station on the Toei Asakusa and Toei Oedo Lines, a 3-minute walk from Onarimon and Shibakoen Stations on the Toei Mita Line, and about 500 meters from the Shibakoen exit of the

Shuto Expressway The is a network of Toll road, tolled expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are Grade separation, grade separated and have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that require cauti ...

. While not immediately obvious, the temple grounds are somewhat wheelchair-accessible if entering from the side street instead of the main gate.

Annual events

Hatsumōde is one of the major Japanese traditions of the new year, which is the first visit to a Buddhist temple or Shinto shrine visit of the Japanese New Year. Typically taking place on the first, second, or third day of the year, it is meant to bring a ...

(New Year's visit) January * Kurohonzon Prayer Ceremony, 15 January * Setsubun Tsuina-shiki / Nehan Ceremony (Nirvana Day) February * Spring Higan Ceremony, March * Gyoki Ceremony / Buddha's Birthday (Flower Festival) April * Kurohonzon Prayer Ceremony, 15 May * O-bon / Kaisan-ki / Bon Odori, July * Peace Prayer Ceremony, August * Autumn Higan Ceremony / Takigi Noh, September * Kurohonzon Prayer Ceremony, 15 September * Juya Hoyo (Ten Nights of Prayer) November * Jodo Ceremony (Bodhi Day) / Butsumyo Ceremony / Joya no Kane (New Year's Eve Bell Ringing) December Monthly events * Sutra copying, 14th (except July and August) * Betsuji Nembutsu, 24th

Popular culture

Zōjō-ji was depicted multiple times in the art work of the Shin hanga artist Kawase Hasui during the 1920s and 30s. It was also shown in several

ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...

prints by Hiroshige, in particular twice in his famous '' One Hundred Famous Views of Edo'' series from 1856–1858. ukiyo-e is a genre of Japanese art that flourished from the 17th through 19th centuries. Its artists produced woodblock printing, woodblock prints and Nikuhitsu-ga, paintings of such subjects as female beauties; kabuki actors and sumo wrestlers; scenes ...