Zōjō-ji

Aerial view of Zojoji as seen from Tokyo Tower

Jizō statues at the cemetery

San'en-zan Zōjō-ji (三縁山増上寺, San'en-zan Zōjō-ji) is a Buddhist temple in the Shiba neighborhood of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It is the Great Main Temple of the Chinzai sect of the Shingon school. The main image is of Amida Buddha. The founder of Zōjō-ji was Yūyo Shōsō (酉誉聖聡).

Shūei (宗叡, 809-884), a disciple of Kūkai, founded a temple named Kōmyōji (光明寺) at Kaizuka (貝塚, present-day Kōjimachi in Chiyoda, Tokyo); it is said to be the forerunner of Zōjō-ji. Centuries later, in 1393 during the Muromachi period, at the time of Yūyo Shōsō, the temple converted from the Shingon to the Jōdo school. Shōsō is thus the founder of the present-day temple.

Together with Kan'ei-ji, during the Edo period Zōjō-ji was the Tokugawa's family temple. Tokugawa Ieyasu had the temple moved, first to Hibiya, then in 1590, at the time of expansion of Edo Castle, to its present location.

With the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, the grounds took on the character of a public park. The temple was badly damaged in World War II, but still retains the air of a major temple. Incidentally, the place name Daimon (大門 "Great Gate") refers to the gate of Zōjō-ji. The present gate is made of concrete.

Buildings

• Sangedatsu Gate (三解脱門 Sangedatsu Mon), 1622, Important Cultural Property: The temple's only original structure to survive the Second World War. "San" (三) means "three", and "Gedatsu" (解脱) means "Moksha". If someone passes through the gate, he can free himself from three passions (貪 Ton; "greed", 瞋 Shin; "hatred", 癡 Chi; "foolishness").
• Great Hall, 1974

Tokugawa Graves

Six of the 15 Tokugawa shoguns are buried at Zōjō-ji. The graves of Hidetada (and the monument to his wife Sūgen'in), Ienobu, and Ietsugu had been designated National Treasures of Japan, 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. Additional graves are located in the cemetery behind the Great Hall. Parts of the grounds of the temple are now occupied by a golf practice range and a hotel.

See also

• For an explanation of terms concerning Japanese Buddhism, Japanese Buddhist art, and Japanese Buddhist temple architecture, see the Glossary of Japanese Buddhism.

External links

• Official site