Journeys›Photograph

Zojoji Temple Under Tokyo Tower

·Minato, Japan·#japan#temples#architecture#tokyo#tokyo-tower
A busy urban scene features tall buildings with many signs, a large green tree, and a crowd of people.

Started the day in Shibuya, which is mostly a matter of getting swept along — the crossing moves you whether you meant to go or not. From there the plan was Minato and Zojoji Temple, though we first came at it after dark, when the old red gate sits with Tokyo Tower lit orange directly behind it. That pairing is the whole reason to go: a Jōdo-shū temple, head temple of the sect for the Kantō region, with a broadcast tower growing out of its back garden.

Came back in daylight to walk the grounds properly. The rows of small Jizō statues stopped me — each one in a red knit cap, pinwheels spinning between them. They stand for unborn children lost to miscarriage, abortion, or childbirth, and someone had left fresh flowers in a few of the vases. The Tokugawa family mausoleum is on the grounds too.

Inside the main hall, gold ornaments hung from the ceiling in long strands around the Buddha, and it was nearly empty at midday.

A busy city street scene with tall buildings covered in billboards, people walking, and a traffic controller.A red temple building with an ornate roof stands in front of a brightly lit orange tower at night.Tokyo Tower lit up at night next to a tall building, with glowing trees and a 'TOKYO' sign in the foreground.Rows of small statues with red hats and colorful pinwheels are in a garden before a large traditional temple building.Rows of stone child-like statues wearing red hats, some with colorful pinwheels and flowers, stand under a large tree.A tall red and white lattice tower rises into a blue sky with white clouds, with bare trees and a street light.A low-angle view of a tall red lattice tower reaching into a bright blue sky with white clouds.An ornate temple interior with a central Buddha statue, golden altars, and intricate golden chandeliers and ceiling decor.

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