Tsukiji Hongwanji

Tsukiji Hongwanji is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo Shinshu, a school of Shin Buddhism founded by the monk Shinran. Located in Chuo Ward, Tokyo, it is one of the city's most architecturally distinctive religious buildings.

The temple was first established near Asakusa in 1617, but was destroyed in the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657. The land granted by the Edo shogunate for its reconstruction was, at the time, still part of the sea. Temple followers carried out a land reclamation project, building new ground on which the temple was rebuilt in 1679 – an origin reflected in its name, as "Tsukiji" means "reclaimed land". Disaster struck again in 1923, when fire from the Great Kanto Earthquake destroyed the main hall. The present main hall (Hondo) was completed in 1934.

The current temple was designed by Dr. Ito Chuta, an architectural historian and honorary professor at Tokyo Imperial University (now the University of Tokyo), who also contributed to the design of landmarks such as Heian Jingu in Kyoto and Meiji Jingu in Tokyo. Ito travelled extensively across Asia to study architecture, and his design draws on the ancient Buddhist architecture of India and other Asian countries. The temple's exterior, oriental in feel, evokes the Silk Road routes along which Buddhism first spread – a connection deepened by Ito's association with Otani Kozui, then head of the Jodo Shinshu Hongwanji-ha, who had led expeditions along the Silk Road to trace the transmission of Buddhism.

Distinctive architectural features

Ito was well known for his fondness for yokai, the monsters and strange creatures of Japanese folklore, and the temple is adorned with numerous animal carvings. These include winged lions, oxen, horses, shishi lion-dogs, elephants, peacocks, monkeys, and Chinese phoenixes, alongside curious figures known as grotesques. Hidden within the temple are depictions of the four legendary Chinese guardian animals: the Blue Dragon, Red Peacock, White Tiger, and Black Tortoise. The building's rounded roof is modelled after the leaf of the sacred Bodhi tree, while a lotus flower features at the centre of the facade.

Inside, the temple blends the exotic with the traditional. A large pipe organ stands within the main hall, and stained glass sits above the temple doors – unusual features for a Buddhist temple. Yet the interior follows the conventional layout of a Shin Buddhist temple, with the worship space for visitors larger than the priests' area, and the principal image of Amida Nyorai enshrined at the centre.

In 2014, the temple's main hall, gate posts (Main gate, North gate, and South gate), and Oya-stone walls were designated National Important Cultural Properties.