Home of the One-Word Jizo and the Scapegoat Shrine
Gokoku-ji is one of my favorite temples, because it’s home to two strange shrines and the best graveyard in Tokyo. Yes, walking through a Japanese graveyard is a fun thing to do, not least of all because Japanese graveyards have the best cats! This is a grand
temple in the samurai era tradition (founded in 1681) and the buildings are both awe-inspiring and beautiful examples of their kind. But what makes this temple worth choosing over other magnificent temples are the One-word Saint and the Scapegoat Saint. They’re to the right as we walk through the gate at the top of the stairs.
The “Hitokoto (One-word) Jizo” is famous for granting any wish that can be expressed in a single word. It sounds easy…until you try it! Whoever came up with this idea is a genius on par with the 8th Century monk who trolled us all. And like Kobo Daishi, the One-Word Saint gently teaches us a profound lesson when we’re just stepping up for a laugh.
If what brings you to Gokokuji is that you’re in some sort of fankle, the “Migawari (Scapegoat) Jizo” is right next to the Hitocoto Jizo. This saint is famous for volunteering to take your place, even when you deserve to get what’s coming to you.
After we ask the resident saints to grant our hearts’ desires/let us duck our just desserts, let’s backtrack and head up to the main sanctuary and pagoda, because they’re magnificent in any season.
Whether it’s cherry blossom time (late March)…
or fall leaf season (November)…
…it’s a lovely place to stroll around under the spreading trees
Gokoku-ji’s pagoda is at its Insta-best in the snow…
And the graveyard that stretches out behind and below the main building has a stark beauty when its monuments are hatted in white.
And all year round, the cemetery is home to an excellent crew of temple cats…with attitude.
If you’re looking for loafcats straight out of a woodblock print, this where you’ll see ’em. Best viewing time is after 4:00, when local cat lovers arrive to give them their daily treats.
Note: Don’t confuse this temple (Gokoku-ji) with Gotoku-ji, which is the lucky cat temple. If you’d like to visit the lucky cat temple instead, click here:
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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 