Zojo-ji

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free

Attractions > Tokyo > Shrines Temples > Tokyo Station

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Zojo-ji with Tokyo Tower in the Background

About

Zojo-ji is a major temple in Tokyo. It is close to the major stations of Tokyo Station and or Shinagawa Station and Tokyo Tower. Six of fifteen Tokugawa family Shoguns that ruled Japan in the Edo Period (1603-1868) are buried in the Taitoku-in Mausoleum, a building on the temple grounds. Zojo-ji is the main temple of the Jodo-Shu sect of Buddhism in the Kanto area. The original temple was said to be founded in 1393 in an area closer to Edo Castle (the current Imperial Palace) but was moved to it's current location in 1590 by Tokugawa Ieyasu (the founder and first Shogun of Japan) to make room for expansion of Edo Castle. Most all the original structures were destroyed by either natural disasters and or WW2 air raids but the temples main gate (Sangadetsumon) that was built in 1622 is original and is said to be the oldest wooden building in Tokyo.

Zojo-ji is easily accessible and is visited by vast amounts of Japanese and foreign tourists. It's a nice walk from Hamamatsucho station to Zojo-ji and then onto Tokyo Tower. The Main Gate (Sangedatsumon) is an impressive, almost 400 year old structure that you will walk through/under on your way to the main temple. The expansive grounds contain many other beautiful buildings, a bell tower, gates and gardens. There is also a small museum in the basement of the main temple building that includes a detailed 1:10 scale model of how the complex looked before WW2.

Access

Closest Train Station: Hamamatsucho

4-7-35 Shibakoen
Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0011 Japan

You can easily get to Zojoji from many subway stations (Akabanebashi, Shibakoen, Daimon and Onarimon) but you can also easily get there from Hamamatsucho which is on the main Yamanote Line that loops Tokyo. From Hamamatsucho just head strait West (toward the center of Tokyo and Tokyo Tower) and walk about 15 min.

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Find a train route and times by Hyperdia & Jorudan

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