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Tokyo's Sengakuji - Where The Brave 47 Ronin Sleep
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Sengakuji, the temple of Soto Sect, located in Minato ward of Tokyo, is visited by many people interested in the life and death of the famous 47 Ronin of Ako, known for the Chushingura Incident. Read about the temple's events and spots down below.
The Not-To-Miss Spots at Sengakuji
Sanmon
Although Sengakuji originally had three gates, only two of them were restored and preserved to this day – the Middle Gate, rebuilt in 1836, and Sanmon, which was restored in 1832. Sanmon miraculously evaded the destruction caused during the Second World War and is still preserved in its restored state from 1832.
This gate is of a rather peculiar, two-story design. On the first story’s ceiling, you can see a stunning bronze statue of a dragon engraved on it. On the second story are the installed statues of the 16 disciples of Buddha (Jurokurakan in Japanese).
The Graves of the 47 Ako Ronin
Here you can honor the graves of the brave ronin samurai that committed seppuku during the Ako Incident in 1703, lying together next to one more grave of a warrior who couldn’t partake in the raid due to his family objecting to it, who committed suicide a bit earlier than the others as a result – a total of 48 gravestones in one place.
The 47 Ako Ronin Museum
This museum was built around 300 years after the raid (*4) committed by the Ako Ronin. There you can not only admire items that once belonged to the samurai of Ako, you can also see some of the videos telling about the Chushingura Incident.
*4 Raid: to invade the enemy’s castle by force.
The Events You Can Witness at Sengokuji
The Ako Gishi Festival
Each year during the period between April 1st-7th and on the day of the revenge on the enemy, or December 14th, there is a festival honoring the 47 Ronin samurai – the so-called Ako Gishi Festival (Ako Ronin Festival). Apart from the Buddhist memorial service, you can admire the parade in the city when people dress like the ronin and take a stroll down the streets. During this festival, they are open until 22:00, so everybody can play around and enjoy in the festive atmosphere from morning until the night, and visit numerous food stalls lining along the streets.
The Best Tourist Attractions in the Vicinity of the Temple
If you take the Toei Asakusa Line and get off at Daimon Station two stations ahead, walk for about five minutes and you’ll arrive at Shiba Park and Zojoji. Shiba Park is well-known for its beautiful scenery throughout the year, including the cherry blossoms and the autumn foliage, but other than that, the visitors can admire the ancient grave called Maruyama Kofun, a human-made hill rising from the ground.
And if you take a closer look at the background scenery, we bet the symbol of Tokyo, Tokyo Tower, will leave you breathless with its stunning appearance in the distance. You might already know about this, but should you pay a visit to Tokyo Tower, you certainly shouldn’t miss the opportunity to climb the 150-meter tall great observation platform, or even better – the mighty 250-meter tall special observation platform, from which you can fit the townscape of Tokyo in the palm of your hand. *The observation platforms are currently closed due to renovations.
*The information on the transportation time and fees is taken from the respective websites and is current as of June 2017. Please mind that the information is subject to change.
The article was written in cooperation with Sengakuji
Hotels near Sengakuji Temple
奈良生まれの旅好きライター。日本の魅力を世界の人々に伝えていきたいです。
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