{"id":713,"date":"2022-04-25T22:33:02","date_gmt":"2022-04-25T13:33:02","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tateshina.co.jp\/eng\/?p=713"},"modified":"2022-04-25T22:33:02","modified_gmt":"2022-04-25T13:33:02","slug":"zojoji-the-best-place-of-worship-to-witness-buddhist-monks-ceremonies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tateshina.co.jp\/eng\/near-shinjuku\/zojoji-the-best-place-of-worship-to-witness-buddhist-monks-ceremonies\/","title":{"rendered":"Zojoji – The Best Place Of Worship To Witness Buddhist Monks Ceremonies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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(Image by Natalie Maguire via http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/natalietracy\/43633700072\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

The origins of the Zojoji temple date back to the 9th century and it is said it was founded by a disciple of Kukai (Shingon sect), near Hirakawacho a little bit up to the north. The temple was transferred to the Jodo Pure Land sect in 1393 and became one of its most important locations in the east of the country.<\/p>\n

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(Image by Guilhem Vellut via http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/o_0\/13842949654\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

Tokugawa Ieyasu received the eastern provinces in 1590 and chose Zojoji and Kaneiji to be hereditary temples (\u83e9\u63d0\u5bfa bodaiji) for his clan. A pagoda and the Toshogu pavilion, both in Ueno Park, are the only remains of Kaneiji, and Zojoji was relocated where it is currently standing in 1598. To this day, it still shelters several tombs of the Tokugawa dynasty shoguns, housing the tombs of six Tokugawa shoguns. Its main gate, Sangedatsumon, stands out as an imposing representation of traditional Buddhist architecture in the middle of central Tokyo, and the only temple structure to have survived the bombings of WW2.<\/p>\n

Visit The Tiny Museum In The Basement<\/h3>\n

The small museum in the basement of the temple main hall focuses primarily on the previous manifestation of the Tokugawa Mausoleum, which included ornate buildings before it was severely damaged during World War 2. In addition to various documents, the museum includes a video about the mausoleum’s construction and a detailed 1:10 scale model of the former buildings.<\/p>\n

Built To Be Resilient After Past Tragic Incidents<\/h3>\n

Most of the buildings were destroyed either by fires (especially in 1873 and 1909), or by 1945\u2019s bombings, therefore the current days pavilions were constructed over the second half of the 20th century. Three new buildings were even added between 2009 and 2011:<\/p>\n