(Image by David Pursehouse via https://www.flickr.com/photos/mdid/3895656935/) Sengakuji Temple (泉岳寺) was built just south of Edo castle (on the grounds of which Tokyo Imperial Palace now stands) by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1612 in memory of Imagawa Yoshimoto, a powerful feudal lord to whom Ieyasu had been pledged as a “hostage”by his father during his youth (a common practice during the era to enforce trust between clans). A fire burnt down the main building in 1641 and the temple was moved to its current location and reconstructed. It was destroyed again during World War II and the structure we see today was built in 1953. Sengakuji would likely be just another temple … 続きを読む