Sunday, March 15, 2009

Zojo-ji Temple, Tokyo


-->Zojo-ji is a Buddhist temple located in Shiba near Tokyo Tower.
We happened to see this temple as we were walking to Roppongi Hills.
When we were still in Pokemon center's building we saw the Tokyo Tower and thought it would be a short walk to Roppongi Hills (we planned to go back there to check their sky deck) but it ended up a 40-minute walk (or more), whoaahh so tiring!! But it paid off when we passed the main gate of this temple, so magnificent and humongous gate and as we entered that place we found the spot, the Tokyo Tower behind the Zojo-ji Temple, what a nice view and so I grabbed my camera. I just took some photos and headed right away towards Tokyo Tower. We did not spend a lot of time in there....we were so hungry and tired, my husband and my son were craving for "Pepper Lunch Steak" which is in Roppongi. My daughter was complaining...her feet hurt :-) and wanted to take the subway train but my husband insisted that we were almost there....."yah right" :-)


Main Gate of Zojo-ji Temple known as Sangedatsumon
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This is the gate before you enter the Zojo-ji Temple, it is in front of the busy street. I took this photo across the street just to take the whole view. If you have clear sight you may see my husband and my son sitting on the step waiting for me :-)

The gate has been designated by the State as important cultural property. Its name - Sangedatsumon - means a gate (mon) for getting delivered (gedatsu) from three (san) earthly states of mand - greed, anger and stupidity.


Small Jizo statues along side of Zojo-ji temple cemetery

It's a bit creepy when I saw these stone statues, they're wearing a red cap and a bib and some have a small windmill or a pin wheel. I didn't take close-up photos coz I was a bit scared :-)...I got goosebumps hahaha

According to wikipedia:

"Jizō statues are sometimes accompanied by a little pile of stones and pebbles, put there by people in the hope that it would shorten the time children have to suffer in the underworld (the act is derived from the tradition of building stupas as an act of merit-making). The statues can sometimes be seen wearing tiny children's clothing or bibs, or with toys, put there by grieving parents to help their lost ones and hoping that Jizō would specially protect them. Sometimes the offerings are put there by parents to thank Jizō for saving their children from a serious illness. Jizō's features are also commonly made more babylike in order to resemble the children he protects."


Stone tombs(?), along side of the Zojo-ji Temple

We passed these stone tombs right after the jizo statues



Finally we saw the base of Tokyo Tower....we're so tired, we reached Roppongi after 20 minute walk from here.

9 comments:

Jhay said...

great post!! where do you get all the info and facts??

aurbie said...

I actually like the cemetery photo.

Nice photo shoot.

Missy said...

Jhay- thanks, I got the info from the brochure and some are from wikipedia :-)

Patty- Thanks for dropping by, I should have taken more photos of the cemetery and a close-up one for the baby statues but I got scared :-)

Joy said...

Love the temple! Pero bakit may Eiffel Tower in the background?

Hey, thanks for listening to Usapang Pinoy last Saturday. Kita kits ulit sa Sabado :)

Thanks for visiting Norwich Daily Photo and leaving your comment. Come back tomorrow!


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Loida of the 2L3B's said...

The temple cemetery is quite colorful. thanks for bringing us to Roppongi Hills..

Missy said...

Joy- that's the tokyo tower :-) taller than Eiffel Tower

Loida- thanks, the cemetery is quite odd but yes, it's colorful

e[k]stranghero said...

i wish i could visit japan soon. this is our (me and my sibling) target for this christmas.

Anonymous said...

I did not even know the name of the place is Zojo-ji Temple! Thanks! I had my picture taken with that temple in the background ages ago and all I can appreciate of that old picture is how young I was then LOL.

Missy said...

ekstranghero- thanks for dropping by, yeah you should visit Tokyo, it's a nice place but expensive :-)

BertN- you should visit Tokyo again and compare your photos before and after hahaha