Zojoji Temple, Tokyo

Zojoji Temple (4 April 2008)


Zojoji Temple is a Buddhist Temple in the Shiba neighborhood of Minato in Tokyo. It is also the Great Main Temple of the Jodo Shu sect founded by Yuyo Shoso. Originally, the temple was called Komyo-ji and was located in Kaizuka, which is present-day Kojimachi in Chiyoda, Tokyo.

During the Edo period, Zojoji Temple served as the family temple of the Tokugawa Family. The Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu had the temple moved from Kaizuka, first to Hibiya, and finally to Shiba, in 1590, where it stood to this day. Within the grounds of Zojoji Temple are the graves of six out of the 15 Tokugawa shoguns. The graves of Hidetada, the monument to his wife Sugenin, the graves of the shoguns Ienobu and Ietsugu were all national treasures of Japan. Unfortunately they were destroyed during World War II.

Jizo statues, Zojoji Temple (4 April 2008)


Within the compound of Zojoji Temple are Jizo statues. Jizo, or Ksitigarbha, is a bodhisattva reverred in East Asian Buddhism. In Japan, he is regarded as the guardian of children, especially children who died before their parents. Since the 1980's, he is also worshipped as the guardians of mizuko, or stillborn children. Statues of Jizo are often attired with children's clothes. These are placed by grieving parents for their lost little ones, with the hope that Jizo will offer them protection in their journey through the underworld.

Zojoji Temple Tourist Information

Zojoji Temple
Jodo Shu Main Temple
4-7-35 Shibakoen Minato-ku, Tokyo 105-0011 Japan
Tel: (81)3-3432-1431

Zojoji Temple, as seen from Tokyo Tower (4 April 2008)

Getting there

Zojoji Temple is served by the Shiba-koen Station (I05) of the Toei Mita Line.

Zojoji Temple, as seen from Tokyo Tower (4 April 2008)

 Latest updates on Penang Travel Tips

Map of Roads in Penang

Looking for information on Penang? Use this Map of Roads in Penang to zoom in on information about Penang, brought to you road by road.

About this website

Dear visitor, thank you so much for reading this page. My name is Timothy Tye and my hobby is to find out about places, write about them and share the information with you on this website. I have been writing this site since 5 January 2003. Originally (from 2003 until 2009, the site was called AsiaExplorers. I changed the name to Penang Travel Tips in 2009, even though I describe more than just Penang but everywhere I go (I often need to tell people that "Penang Travel Tips" is not just information about Penang, but information written in Penang), especially places in Malaysia and Singapore, and in all the years since 2003, I have described over 20,000 places.

While I try my best to provide you information as accurate as I can get it to be, I do apologize for any errors and for outdated information which I am unaware. Nevertheless, I hope that what I have described here will be useful to you.