This temple is the subject of many woodblock prints and the burial place of seven shōguns. It’s a lovely place to see hundreds of Jizo figures with their colorful pinwheels and take a classic “ancient & modern” photo with Tokyo Tower, especially excellent at the major Buddhist holidays like New Year’s in January, Setsubun in February, and cherry blossom season in late March to early April.
This temple might look familiar if you’ve seen the famous woodblock prints by Kawase Hasui, because Zojō-ji temple has been standing in this spot (or rebuilt after the periodic fires) for centuries. The main gate dates to 1622…
and still looks the same today!
This temple is one of the oldest and grandest in Tokyo…
but my favorite thing is visiting Zojō-ji’s hundreds of adorable Jizo figures with their spinning pinwheels.
These cute little guys always make me a little melancholy, because they enshrine the spirits of lost children…
but they are so lovingly clothed and cared for by the families that put them there, they’re cheery as well.
Somebody had a birthday!
They’re especially lovely at twilight during cherry blossom season
The temple itself is magnificent, and has a grand bell to match. See those funny little stickers all over the bell tower? That’s graffiti from the samurai era! Pilgrims visiting various temples around Japan would bring along stickers printed with their names and use special extendable sticks to attach them in the highest place they could reach.
They wouldn’t go home without making an offering at Zojō-ji’s footprint stone and vowing to follow in the footsteps of the Buddha.
Zojō-ji is majorly steeped in history too—it’s so old and venerable, it’s the burial place for no fewer than seven shoguns…
and although the o-haka enclosure is only open on special holidays, you can peek over the fence from the street outside.
This is also a great place to see all the Buddhist festivals like New Year’s Eve (Dec 31), Setsubun (Feb 2-3) and Buddha’s birthday (Apr 8th)…
because they celebrate in grand style, of ten with celebrities like sumo wrestlers and geisha.
Zojō-ji’s other claim to fame is its amazing views of Tokyo Tower…
and the combination of old and new is even more amazing during cherry blossom season.
Zojō-ji Temple
Open: Every day
Hours: Always open
Admission: Free
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And here are the other places I take my friends when they come to town
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Jonelle Patrick writes novels set in Japan, produces the monthly e-magazine Japanagram, and blogs at Only In Japan and The Tokyo Guide I Wish I’d Had
Jonelle Patrick writes about Japan 