The Gokoku-ji Temple In Tokyo

One of the few temples to survive the bombing of the Second World War, the great Kanto earthquake, and all earthquakes in over 300 years, the Gokoku-ji offers a glimpse of a Buddhist temple built more than three centuries ago.

In fact, the temple was built in 1681 by the then Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, the fifth shogun of the Tokugawa dynasty.

It is among the most famous temples of the city, and it is hardly visited by foreign tourists.

Of course you must visit it if you go to Tokyo!

Gokoku-ji Guide

Getting off at Yurakucho Gokokuji station, you will end up directly in front of the temple, just in front of the main door.

Through the gate you enter the large patio area that includes several benches and tables under the trees.

Later in the courtyard, on the right, there is a Shinto shrine, and directly in front of it, there is a road paved with stones which will take you to the main hall of the temple.

After walking the stairs, you go through another gate (Furou-mon), not unlike the one at the entrance, and then be in front of the impressive Kannon-dou (the main hall).

To the left of the temple there is a garden of stone lanterns of various sizes and shapes, some sort of observation tower, and several other buildings.

To the right of the temple there are many buildings including a smaller pagoda as well as many traditional houses.

The preponderance of old Japanese buildings gives the feeling of stepping back in time to feudal Japan.

How to get there :

To get to the temple, take the Yamanote Line to Ikebukuro, then take the Yurakucho line until the station Gokokuji.